Rebirth

Author's Note: This story is based on the movie, Final Fantasy Advent Children and presents an alternate
story line. My story begins about 15 minutes into the movie, after Loz and Tifa's battle at the church. I
have taken a bit of license with the character's past relationships. I hope you enjoy my version.

Disclaimer: This is an original piece of fiction based on the movie Advent Children. It was written by
GreenEyez and cannot be reused or republished in part or in whole without my permission. It cannot be
used for commercial purposes under any circumstances. I can be reached at GreenEyez1@bellsouth.net
with any questions or comments. All characters except Dr. Tendo are owned by Square-Enix. Tendo is my
own invention and cannot be re-used without my permission.


Chapter 1 - The Recovery

Cloud woke with a splitting headache to find himself in a room that was strangely
familiar. As his eyes and head cleared he realized where he was; back at Tifa's bar in the
bedroom upstairs usually occupied by Marlene. He tried to sit up but thought better of it
when the dull pain in his head changed to a sharp pain shooting down through the back of
his neck to his left arm. He groaned softly and rubbed his forehead and lay still for a few
seconds while his eyes adjusted to the bright light streaming in through the windows to
his right. He tried sitting again, this time slowly, and looked around. Next to him, on the
other bed, he saw Tifa out cold, her chest rising and falling with her soft rhythmic
breathing. He swung his legs over the bed and discovered someone had removed his
shoes. His stockinged feet hit the cold floor and he stood unsteadily upright. The sharp
pain in his head and arm had receded into the familiar dull throb which he tried to
massage away with his other hand, only to discover that his shoes weren't the only thing
missing from his wardrobe. Where was his shoulder guard . . . . and his sword! He
looking around the room and saw his missing gear on a chair by the window, his sword
glinting in the sun. At that moment, Tifa groaned softly and shifted restlessly on the bed.
Cloud looked down at her. A spill of dark chocolate brown hair flowed over the pillow
on which she laid, covering her face. Her arms draped across her stomach as she turned
on to her side, still asleep. As she moved, Cloud could see a glimpse of her face, her eyes
shut, her face troubled by whatever dream she was having.

Cloud could see that someone had removed some of Tifa's clothes also. Her shoes and
gloves lay on the same chair as his shoulder guard, along with her leather shirt, leaving
her wearing only a thin white singlet and her leather skirt. Tifa shifted on the bed again,
this time turning on to her back, her breathing getting quicker and shallower. She was
obviously in some sort of battle. As she shifted in the bed, her shirt moved up her
stomach slightly, revealing part of what looked like a deep bruise covering her rib cage.
He winced when he saw how deep it looked and sat down on the bed next to her, placing
his hand on her side. He looked into her face. That beautiful face he had come to love
over the past years. A sad and lovely face that held the secrets of the world and the
strength of the planet. He brushed a stray strand of her hair out of her eyes and ran his
thumb down her jawline. As he did this, a tiny tear escaped her closed eyes and ran down
her cheek.

The warmth of Cloud's hand reached Tifa deep in her dream, bringing her to the surface
like rising from a pool of deep water to the cool air above. She awoke to see Cloud's
concerned face looking into hers. At first she was disoriented, not knowing where she
was. The last thing she remembered was Loz punching her in the chest, shattering the
column he had pinned her to. She did not remember Cloud finding her in the church or
how she got to this room. Suddenly the memory of what had happened in that church
came flooding back. She sat up suddenly and immediately wished she hadn't as pain
racked her body, emanating from the bruise on her ribs.

"He took Marlene!"

"What were you dreaming about?" Cloud asked.

"What?" She looked at him, not understanding his question. Didn't he hear her? That
bastard took Marlene!

"I was watching you sleep. You looked like you were having a bad dream. What was it
about?"

Tifa shook her head to try and clear the cobwebs there. Her ribs hurt when she breathed.
Her dream was fading fast but his question brought it back the forefront of her mind. She
remembered again the feeling it left her with. A feeling of terror, abandonment,
incredible sadness, and excruciating pain. She shivered and closed her eyes. She saw
again the malevolent grin and heard the laugh. She saw the pale blue eyes with pupils
narrowed to a fine slit boring into her mind. She trembled as she felt again the ripping
pain tear through her body as she labored with this birth.

"I don't remember now" she answered.

Cloud watched as she reacted to his question. He saw her tremble slightly. Suddenly she
was no longer the warrior he knew, but a small and vulnerable girl carrying the pain of
the world on her shoulders. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and hold her, make the
pain go away. He knew deep down somewhere in his soul that he was the cause of some
of her pain, but he couldn't bring himself to comfort her. Aeris still haunted him. He
knew she haunted them both.

"What were you doing at the church, Tifa?"

She looked up at him and was struck again by his deep blue eyes. Why did they have
such power over her? Why, every time she saw him, did she develop a lump in her throat
and a pain in her chest? She had tried so hard over the years they had fought side by side
to bury the feelings she had for him since they were children together. She watched as
his infatuation with Aeris grew. She knew she would always be second best.

"We came to look for you. Marlene wanted . . . "

Her voice trailed off when she caught sight of Cloud's left arm.

"So I was right. It's the Geostigma."

Cloud turned away from her, still sitting on the bed, moving his arm out of her line of
sight.

"Is this why you hide from us? From the people who care about you?"

"There is nothing that can be done. Why stay here and run the risk of infecting . . .
others," Cloud mumbled.

"We could fight it together. Denzel is trying his best, isn't he?" she said, referring to one
of the orphans she had taken in from the streets. Memories of her dream fading now.

At that moment, they heard a noise on the stairs outside the bedroom door. The door
burst open and in walked Reno and Rude, their nemeses from Turk.

"You were heavy," said Reno.

"You were living with the orphans, right?" Rude asked Cloud.

Cloud stood and turned to the Turks standing by the door.

"The room was empty," Rude said in reply to Cloud's unspoken question. "Is that alright
with you?"

"Who are they? Who did this to Tifa?" asked Cloud of the two.

"We told you already. Kadj is starting trouble again" replied Reno.

"He asked me where his Mother was . . ." Tifa said softly, her memory of what happened
in the church returning now.

"Where is Marlene?" Tifa sat up and swung her legs over the bed to stand. Blood rushed
from her face as the pain from Loz's punch returned in full force, knocking her back
down to the bed. She gasped and wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"What did that asshole do to me?" she croaked.