Life for Cloud Strife had finally settled down after the Assault on Edge and defeat of Deepground, he was even looking forward to a new addition to his family. That was until his loved ones disappeared, and everything he had worked towards in the last few years fell apart. Now, he, Denzel and Shelke must journey across the Planet in search of them and the ones who stole them, Deepground, and an enemy, Cloud never imagined he would ever have to face.

This story takes place 3 years after Dirge of Cerberus

It's a WIP that I'm posting as I finish writing each chapter. I'm also posting this on deviantART if anyone is on there and is interested.

I hope you will take this journey with me!

THE PROMISED LAND

~~ Chapter 1 ~~

THE JOB OFFER

Cloud Strife had completed his last delivery in Kalm later in the evening than he liked, and he headed to the Golden Choccobo, a tavern where he could eat and spend the night. Trying to dodge the regular patrons, he took a seat at the end of the bar. He shifted down the bench to avoid the glut of people. Normally he could ignore the noise, but on this day he just wanted a quiet drink. But that seemed impossible now. There was no way he could cut out the sound of happy drinkers. The stuffy air from excess patrons was becoming irritating and he was relieved when Harve, the owner of the bar, finally came down his end.

Harve, a large man with a stubbled chin, leaned over the counter, his breath smelled like old leeks. "You need a room?"

Cloud looked over his shoulder at the deepening night sky through the windows. "Yeah." He didn't want to stay, but he was exceptionally tired that evening and it would be too dangerous to ride home, so Tifa would say. For a while now he had been longing for home like he never had before. Travelling the Planet used to be more thrilling, now he wanted to ease up a bit. Maybe he was getting older maybe time really could change a person... for there was a time when all he wanted was to get out and ride.

Harve nodded. "You might as well have a drink then." And he placed a beer in front of him and told him his meal would be ready soon. Warm spicy smells filled the room, making him hungry. Alsa, Harve's wife was a good cook, almost as good as Tifa. Tifa was renowned in Edge for her restaurant food. Her experiments with different foods seemed to be a hobby of hers. They didn't always taste right all the time, but she managed to make a winning dish in the end. He, Marlene and Denzel were honest enough to tell her when they tasted awful which wasn't often. He didn't know how she knew what food went with what, but he knew she had the knack for it. Conversation from two men beside him interrupted his thoughts of home.

"- we're off to Banora, the promised land, so rumor has it. No looking back-"

Cloud started seriously listening when he heard that old village mentioned. It stirred a distant memory, which he couldn't place his finger on, but he could recall the place had been shamelessly destroyed by Shinra at one time.

The second man replied loudly, "That ain't nothing but a myth. That's what that organization Alpha Life say to get people working for them."

"Connor has been there, seen for himself. The land gets excellent crops and its apples are famous. It's green, rich he says, like... like a paradise."

Cloud tilted his head to see the one speaking. A simple looking man, but the eager glint in his eyes was genuine; the man actually believed it.

The first man, big across the shoulders and older, shot back, "And how are they doing that you have to ask. Just like Shinra I bet, and people will be sucked in the same way."

"It's different." He shook his head in disagreement. "They worship Gaia not money. Ain't no SOLDIERS either, killing people."

Not wanting to hear anymore, especially about SOLDIERS, Cloud turned away; but the news, instead of making him optimistic, unsettled him. Over the last few years and on occasion, he had heard brief reports about a new group called Alpha Life seeking new workers. To him it was just another company trying to make a way in a world no longer run solely by Shinra.

"SOLDIERS, Shinra, and hybrid invaders, we survived them all but only barely."

Cloud took his drink and moved to an empty table with a view of the tavern room. His meal finally arrived. Warm and flavorsome, it reminded him of home and he ate quickly, wanting to leave the heated tavern and the growing crowd. As he finished, he watched a gaunt man in dark travel worn robes push through the people at the bar. After he spoke with Harve, Harve pointed Cloud's way. The stranger neared Cloud's table, and Cloud watched him with a steely stare and an unwelcoming frown. The man was elderly, yet his body was still tall and fit.

He stood at the table, staring down at Cloud with a questioning gaze. "You are the former SOLDIER?"

The man had an accent Cloud found difficult to distinguish. Ignoring the agitated sideways stares the men at the bar were giving him, he replied, "That's a rumor."

"May I sit?"

"If you have to."

The stranger quickly dragged out the chair and sat stiffly. "I am Savene Olaf and I have come to seek your aid."

Cloud sighed loudly, wishing he had never walked into the tavern, wishing he had bypassed Kalm altogether. "I do deliveries-"

"Not a delivery. A missing person."

He was ready to stand and walk away when Savene went on rapidly, "Please, my granddaughter has been kidnapped. She is just a child. I will give you all I have, she must be found." The man looked like a grandfather with his long beard and graying shoulder length hair. His wrinkled brown eyes stared with a stern intensity and his fists were clenched on the table.

Cloud started, "I have enough worries of my own. My own family."

"But I need your help. You used to be SOLDIER."

"You shouldn't listen to everything you hear."

"How can someone have such a rumor if there isn't some truth in it? It's not the name of Soldier but what is inside that gives the power," Savene ended in a whisper.

Cloud became uncomfortable at the man's unsettling words. "I've got no power and I'm not in the rescuing business. I have responsibilities." The last thing he wanted to do was go off around the planet chasing only Gaia knows what in search of some girl who might already be dead for all the man knew.

"Don't we all?"

"I can't." He thought of Tifa, Marlene and Denzel; they needed him right now, although Denzel didn't need him as much as he used to now that he was older, but Tifa and Marlene sure did. Cloud stood up.

Savene hastily followed, sending the chair lurching backward. "I beseech you. Don't you care? Didn't you care once?"

He didn't need anyone speculating over his decisions, past or present, and a pushy stranger at that.

"If you walk away from this you're endangering your own family," Savene shouted.

Having heard enough, Cloud walked away from his threats.

"Don't you want to save the planet and help the people?"

Cloud left the tavern via the backdoor, hoping Savene wasn't going to follow him. He wanted to leave right then, but the night was darker than normal, making riding even more of a wearying task. How could that man think he would drop his life and go in search of his daughter? Damn. He had his own concerns and enough responsibilities, and just when he wanted to slow down his work and by the end of the year he would be needed even more at home which he was looking forward to. Why did the planet need saving now? The planet was fine. A lot of people lost their lives to make it so. Shinra wasn't draining the planet of mako, in fact they were trying to find the best alternate way to use power. A complicated process but it had to be better in the long run. And besides all of that, he had never felt he was good at helping people.

His bike was parked at the back of the inn and by the extensive vegetable garden. He leaned against the cold machine and looking across the shadowy rows of ripe plants he pressed a button on his cell phone. Over noisy patrons in the background, she answered, "Seventh Heaven."

Her voice put him at ease in an instant. "Tifa."

"Hi." Her voice lifted with cheer. "How is your trip?"

"The same as ever, but I'll be home tomorrow. How are you?"

"Great, even better now that you've called." A long silence followed. "Cloud, what's up?"

A branch brushed against his high blond hair and he reached for a dangling leaf and broke it off. A pleasant orangery scent drifted from beneath the trees at the shaking of the branch. "Have you given any more thought to what we talked about?" As he looked at the budding plants he thought of Marlene and how much she would love this garden. She had oodles of pots of herbs and vegetables all over Seventh Heaven that it was appearing more like a hot house than a restaurant.

Tifa gave a small giggle. "I have, a little."

A voice piped up in the background. "Is that Cloud?"

"Uhuh," said Tifa.

Marlene shouted, "We're fine, Cloud, don't worry about us, if there's something you need to do."

Cloud creased his brow in puzzlement and stared at the phone. How did she know? She always knew and the older she got the better she was at knowing.

"That's Marlene for you," Tifa said. "Whatever you do, be careful."

Marlene must have grabbed the phone, for her voice was strong and clear. "And don't take too long. Tifa and I will be waiting. Okay?"

He shook his head at them and said with stern force, "I haven't done anything and I am coming home tomorrow."

"We'll see you tomorrow." Tifa laughed. "And we'll talk more about moving then too."

After saying their goodbyes, he hung up and stared into the night sky. Millions of stars were laid out like a twinkling cloth; its beauty breathtaking. It was not a sight seen in Edge and not something Tifa, Marlene and Denzel could experience often. He had done enough traveling to get the message that those living in the country had it better off than those in the city. He found it ironic that he was now wishing to live in a small town away from the solid buildings, the concrete and the stale air whereas once he wanted to live in the big city. It was time to move on, away from the ruins of Midgar, but this time he liked to think he wasn't running.

He breathed deep of the fresh sweet air and continued staring into the sky as Savene's pressing words disturbed his thoughts. His nagging comment about helping people brought to mind a sad image of his old friend whose desire on reaching Midgar was to start a type of business where he could aid people. It was a desire that never came to fruition. Cloud thought of Marlene and what it would be like to lose her…

~~ 7 ~~

After a sharp tap, Savene opened the door. He stared at Cloud with surprise before rushing him into the room. Cloud took a few steps inside. "I can't promise anything, but I'll hear what happened and go from there."

"Good. Sit. Sit."

He looked around the sparse room, similar to his own down the hall, but he didn't feel much like sitting down. "No, thanks."

"You do care about the planet." Savene nodded as a wide smile surfaced on his face. "I was right."

"The planet is safe now. I don't see what your daughter has to do with the planet anyway."

"You don't know, she is Cetra."

Cloud stiffened with shock. He hadn't heard that name for years now.

"That's right. She is important bu-"

"They were eradicated."

"Why do you think that?" Savene replied, "Who decides this?"

Could the Ancients really come back? "What do you mean, who decides?" Had they only been dormant for all these years?

"The Cetra are vital to the planet."

It occurred to Cloud that Savene knew a lot more than the average man off the street. "Who are you?" With sudden surprise, Cloud said, "You're a Cetra?"

He shook his head. "No, I am like you, someone who looks after Cetra. I looked after Belia as her guardian. She was taken from our home on the grasslands outside Kalm." Savene went on, "She knows little of the world. I do not know how they knew she was Cetra-"

"They?"

"A woman led them, one eye was covered by a patch, and she wore a crown-like visor, but I could see her hair was dark and long. The others wore a type of helmet but all in midnight blue and grey uniforms with energy weapons and cruel speech." His shoulders drooped and sadness seemed to age his eyes even more. "They took our servants. Only I managed to escape."

The description sounded familiar, although Cloud knew of no woman. Could it be that organization was back again? He nearly groaned aloud at the possibility that Deepground were still in operation. "But you don't know were they have gone? Or what they plan to do?" He looked away in thought. It was like he expected; there was nothing he could really do, but if a Cetra fell into the wrong hands who knew what they were capable of. But then again, he knew exactly what they were capable of.

"I have nothing left in my life but saving Belia and not even for myself, but for mankind, even if I die it doesn't matter."

This was something Cloud could relate to. But practically… "You have to give me more. Was there any talk between them?"

Savene frowned down at the floor in consideration. "Not much. The woman who appeared in charge asked for the Cetra. I watched them head out into the night in two black vans."

"That's not much to go on."

"It was my thought you would have information on those who would be interested in Cetras." Savene gave him a probing stare.

The only ones Cloud knew of who would be interested were Shinra, but that was in the past, unless - it better not be them.

Savene went on, "It is my plan to go to Banora and pray to Gaia."

"Why is that place suddenly so holy?" Cloud couldn't help but be cynical. There was nothing there five years ago.

"There is a great amount of Life-stream under the surface of the earth there."

"Do you believe it's the Promised Land?"

"For some it might be. But for me, I have lost my Promised Land." Savene questioned, "You are searching?"

Cloud shook his head hastily, wondering if the old man understood what he was talking about. "Like I said, I can't guarantee anything, but I'll look into it. Maybe I have contacts who know something." Surely the people at WRO knew what was going on.

"Thank you. It is good that you try."

Cloud left him soon after. Back in his room he collapsed into bed feeling tired yet lighter and better for offering a helping hand.

~~ 7 ~~

A soft ringing dragged Cloud from a deep sleep. He woke completely once realizing it was his cell phone. A shot of panic raced through his body when he saw that it was after 1pm. "Tifa?" He could not hide the anxiety in his voice that seemed unnaturally loud in the dark room.

"It's Denzel."

Strain in the teenager's voice made Cloud sit upright in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"It's Tifa and Marlene." Denzel's words spilled out in a jumble. "They're taken them."

"They?" But he was forming an idea of who they were before Denzel said a word.

"Some woman in a visor and men in blue-grey outfits in hi-tech looking helmets."

"Why?" Cloud growled into the phone. Why her? It was not really a question aimed at Denzel it was a question for the universe.

"I... don't... know."

The anguish started in small waves before the reality of what was happening crashed through his thoughts, numbing his senses. They were gone…his Tifa... was gone.

"They asked for Tifa-"

"Shit!" In that instant all his future plans and dreams faded like a fine vapor that was never meant to be solid and there was nothing he could do to hold onto it - hold onto her. "They left in black vans?"

"...yeah, how did you-"

"I'll be there as soon as I can." He flipped the phone shut and started dressing. Riding through the night now seemed like nothing in comparison to losing half his family.