Title: The Way Home
Fandom: Final Fantasy: Advent Children
Characters: Tifa, Denzel, Marlene
Prompt: 046 - Star
Word Count: 245
Date finished: 09/08/2006
Rating: G
Summary: Tifa finds hope again.
Author's Notes: I thought of a little electric candle I had some years ago, and it seemed to fit.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by Square Enix and Sony Pictures as far as I know.

The two were sleeping; she'd seen them faking enough to know when they were, and tonight was not one of those nights. She walked to the window and looked out on the square, a better view, the children had thought, than the street from her bedroom.

It took her a moment to figure out what the light was; a candle, a star, lighting the way home for Cloud.

Tears filled her eyes and she left the room quietly and quickly, hand pressed to her mouth to keep her sobs inside until she was in her own room, her door shut tightly, and her face buried in her pillow. Then she let out the sobs she'd been trying to avoid for nearly a month now, when she'd finally realized he wasn't coming back.

Finally, she calmed down and wearily sat up. She got ready for bed, pausing by her window for a moment -

Then turned on the light that had been there for a while, that she'd given up on.

If the children could keep their hopes up, so could she.

She lay down, and slept better than she had for a long time, her own star of hope shining over the street in Edge.

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