This is a summary of the whole 24 minute preview shown at TGS. The four minute version shown on the official site is a condensed version. I would assume that the dialogue in the four minute version is the same in the scenes that are shown. This is the version that was given at
Advent Children.net:
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*WARNING ~ There are HUGE PLOT SPOILERS in this summary* [Voice of Marlene]
"Lifestream.
That is the source of the Planet’s life force.
It is the origin of everything.
The ShinRa Company used the Lifestream as a major resource.
And thanks to that, our lives have become better."
(FF7: A scene of Midgar from the top, with the elevated Sister Ray centrally based on Midgar’s Mako reactor No. 8, gathering Mako Energy)
“But there are those who think that by sucking up the Lifestream from the planet, it’ll reduce the lifespan of it. These people actively opposed ShinRa, to which ShinRa countered with severe suppression. And from that, those who were infused with the cells of the “Calamity from the Skies” were born.
Stemming from that, the 1st Class Soldier Sephiroth found out that he was borne out of experimentation and thus began his hatred for ShinRa.
Before long, he came to hate everything.
(Sephiroth within the flames)
ShinRa…those who want to topple them…those who want to bring about the destruction of the Planet…and those who want to put a stop to Sephiroth’s actions.
Due to all that, all too soon, the world became engulfed in conflict and strife.
And thus, the age of sorrow began.
The person I have come to like very much has sadly perished within it.
(Cloud letting go of Aerith into her watery grave)
And then came the fated day.
The Planet derived from the Lifestream within itself, and from that, created the its own weapon.
(Gushing Lifestream from everywhere that threatens to engulf the approaching Meteor)
---------------
(2 years later, the collapsed Midgar: image of the dilapidated city being reconstructed)
[Marlene’s narration]
“We can all go back and be free of all these sorrow.” I was told that 2 years ago.
But it seems the Planet…
…is a lot, LOT madder at us than we first thought.
[Marlene narration ends]
(Seventh Heaven: Tifa inside the kitchen doing some washing up when the phone rings)
Tifa mutters as if talking to herself, “Cloud isn’t here anymore…”
(? She’s turned towards the ringing phone as she was muttering that, as if she’s speaking to the caller. Perhaps that’s the phone Cloud answers his clients’ calls with when he’s around the Seventh Heaven.)
On the bed is the vacant-eyed Denzel, with a worried-looking Marlene looking down at him.
Denzel: Marlene…what’s going on? ( with the bandage on his head removed as he asks Marlene about his own condition)
Marlene: “….hm…” (looking very worried as she feels Denzel’s forehead where the bandages used to be)
Tifa finally is not able to stand the shrill sound of the phone ringing continuously
and goes up to the second floor to pick it up.
Tifa: Strife Delivery Service. Yes?
Denzel: Where’s…Cloud?
[Marlene’s narration] “ShinRa, please don’t take Denzel away…”
[/Marlene’s narration]
---------------
(In a place that resembles some sort of vast plain)
Cloud, straddled on his bike, uses his cell to go through his voice messages..
It seems that he’s heard a message from Tifa, as a pre-recorded standard service message that usually follows after a voice message can be heard.
Cloud puts on his goggles and speeds off on his bike towards his next destination to accept his next commission.
But right when he was about to do so, he grabbed his left arm, all shrouded within a leather sleeve, looking to be in some pretty extreme pain.
This is then followed up by a fleeting image projected into his mind:
A spread of what looks to be like green-colored cells, and a slit-pupil gaze which draws close and then disappears.
Is that a sign of premonition, or…?
And with that, Cloud gathers his wits back and speeds off.
-----------------
Cloud performs a flying stunt on his bike in the vast plains area, and is stopped by 3 silver-haired people.
Cloud dashes and behind him, from out of nowhere, a couple of bikes leap into action.
On his left is a man with short hair, and while aiming his Bilebunker (??) towards cloud, demands to know:
Loz: Where’s mother?
Then, on his right is a long-haired guy with a pretty face who abruptly breaks into a sinister grin while pointing a gun at him.
Yazoo: So, you’ve been in hiding all this time, Brother.
Cloud, while evading the attacks issued by the two who suddenly appeared, speeds off with his bike.
To put an end the mess, a youngish looking man is seen on top of a cliff busy conversing into the phone.
Kadaj: Are you trying to deceive me? …it’s actually really there, am I right?
Aw, c’mon, you don’t have to shout…
It looks as though he’s trying to divert the attention and at the same time holding a conversation through the phone. Kadaj’s words are laced with madness and the person he’s speaking to on the phone seems to be having a hard time handling him.
Cloud manages to shake off the two somehow.
And while he’s at it, he’s headed towards the place as instructed via the voice message left in his phone.
(Tifa’s voice) It’s from Reno again. He wants us to get there quick. He sounded kind of strange, though.
The signboard which reads Healin Lodge can be seen, as well as a never-seen-before white building now seen for the first time.
------
Tifa visits Aerith’s church with Marlene in tow. Marlene runs up to the flowers in the church, looking extremely happy while Tifa surveys the area.
Marlene: Is Cloud living here?
Tifa: Seems like it…(Tifa’s expression looks kind of dark)
Marlene finds a discarded bandage right on top of a wooden box. Taking the blackened dressing in hand, she gets surprised by a sudden voice.
Marlene: This is the same as Denzel’s…! Is Cloud sick, too?!
Tifa: Cloud…so you chose not to tell me anything…
Marlene: Why’d Cloud leave? Is it because he’s sick?
Tifa: He plans to fight alone…
She then looks down and mutters almost entirely to herself, “No, that’s not it. He’s not going to put up a fight at all.”
------
Cloud meets up with the man in white robes.
(TL note: from here on shall be called WCM for easier identification)
WCM: We’re investigating the influence Sephiroth has on the world. However, there’s been an unexpected wrench to our plans. I’m sure you’ve already met them, right?
What they’re aiming for is to bring down a calamity bigger that’s than the sky itself
(Cloud is taken aback by those words)
WCM: But worry not, those guys are nowhere near achieving that yet,
Though Kadaj and his troupe are young and ferocious and they’re extremely dangerous.
Cloud: Kadaj?
WCM: Those boys, they’re searching for their “mother”.
Here is where our official conclusion of hiring an able bodyguard comes in.
Cloud: My job is to deliver things.
WCM: There’s no one else but you who can do this. Please, I’m begging you, ‘EX-SOLDIER’ Cloud.
Cloud, who already had his back turned, mutters, “That’s just a calling.”
Here, as Cloud makes to leave, with already one hand pushing against the door, the WCM speaks out.
WCM: I heard you’ve been living with the orphans. Wouldn’t you like to put the smiles back onto their faces? Our ultimate objective here is to restore of the world, Cloud.
Door already pushed open by one hand, Cloud stands frozen by those words.
But all that, he heard with his back turned towards the WCM.
Cloud: ...so what’s this thing about “mother”?
(Due to his response, it is assumed that he’s going to be accepting the job)
------
(Revisiting Aerith’s church)
Tifa takes a firm hold of Marlene and glares at the man in front of her.
Loz: Mother, where is she?
Tifa: There’s no one here!
Loz flashes his chops and throws out both his arms.
Loz: Well then, shall we party?
(? the intense combat scene between Loz and Tifa commences and unfolds.
Despite the fast-paced rhythm in her moves, Tifa’s glare is ever-unwavering)
The look on Tifa’s face as she clings to the church wall was really stern as she keeps her gaze on Loz.
The combat scene between these two ends with Tifa lying defeated and face down on the ground.
Loz approaches Marlene.
Marlene: Cloud!!
Tifa: Run!!!
----------------
(The city of Midgar)
Denzel has on a taken-aback kind of expression on his face.
A girl can be seen approaching him.
Girl: You have the “star scar”, too, right? They said they’d heal us, so let’s go!
Taking hold of his hand, she leads him away to wherever.
---------------
(Scene where Yazoo and Loz challenge Cloud to a fight)
Yazoo, while aiming his Velvet Nightmare at Cloud, draws closer on his bike.
While using the Nightmare’s blade to clash with Cloud’s sword, his bike turns on the road surface. They (Loz and Yazoo) both glare as they contain Cloud.
Entering the tunnel in this fashion, Loz rides in with his bike on high speed and makes a tilt and thrusts the Bilebunker strapped to his arm into the ground surface. Using the recoil from that action, he throws the bike, with himself still seated on it, up into the air and towards Cloud.
Cloud’s bike was still moving fast as he was parrying Yazoo’s bayonet, when from behind Yazoo, in an almost unbelievable burst of power, a bike comes flying.
Does Yazoo know what’s coming from behind? Twisting on the road without once looking back, the bike coming at high speed from behind only narrowly misses Yazoo.
The bike is nearing Cloud and as the bike flies overhead Yazoo, he takes aim at Cloud and pulls the trigger of his weapon.
Cloud has nowhere to run!
All at once, Cloud takes out his Buster sword and leaping up off the bike he was riding on, cuts down the bike coming at him into half in one decisive swing.
-------
(Scene where Kadaj has a conversation with the WCM)
Kadaj: I hate being lied to…
WCM: And I’m sorry about that. I’m telling the truth this time. It got lost sometime along the way while being transported. When you guys attacked, that is.
Kadaj: …is that true?
WCM: I swear it is.
Kadaj: You see, someone hid ‘Mother’ away from us.
The ‘stigma is an illness that awakens within you the action of compensating where the body itself has reached its limit.
I’m sure…you know very well yourself exactly what this ‘stigma is, don’t you?
This is all thanks to Mother’s genes working hard within lifestream.
Still, we don’t even know where she is.
(WCM moves his hand in a subtle manner and Reno and Rude both end up on the floor twisting and moaning)
WCM: What do you want?
Kadaj: We need “Mother”. Just some diagrams and the ‘stigma alone is barely enough.
For the Reunion, that is.
-------------
Returning to the church, Cloud sees Tifa and rushes over to her
Cloud: Tifa...Tifa...!
Scene switches to Tifa awakening on a bed in Seventh Heaven.
Beside her is Cloud, looking worried.
Tifa gets up slowly and meets Cloud’s eyes.
Tifa: You’ve got Geostigma, haven’t you?
Cloud: …there’s no cure for it.
Tifa: ‘It’s fine if I’m gonna just die like this’ , is that what you’re thinking?
…It is…isn’t it?
Denzel’s fighting it, and everyone’s here for you, so why not you, too?
(Cloud within himself) But…I just let her die…
As Cloud is looking down and pressing into his left arm with his right hand…
Cloud: I don’t think I can save anybody…not family, not comrades, no one.
With a look like it’s accompanied with a sigh, Tifa looks like she’s caught in a
dilemma.
Cloud looks apologetic.
A voice of a man comes suddenly from behind.
Reno: Stop dragging this out already, geez.
Tifa, turning towards Reno, “Have you found Marlene and the others?”
Reno: Someone witnessed it, ‘seems.
Cloud: So where are they?!!
Rude: They’re at the Forgotten Capital, Ajito (??).
-----
(Forgotten Capital, Water Shrine. Kadaj addresses a speech to the kids.)
Kadaj: I have a special power given to me by “Mother”.
This Planet is trying to stop our growth!
But as long as we have “Mother”, we can have power enough to stop this!
Kadaj, pointing towards his audience.
Kadaj: This Planet created the ‘stigma, and that’s the whole reason why your bodies are hurting and your minds are breaking!
However, I can save you all.
That’s why I need you to fight with us and “Mother” all together as a family, to bring this Planet down to its knees!
Kadaj looking like he’s in a trance, loudly makes his speech. As he was doing so, his body emits an aura, which quickly spreads to engulf his whole body. Then, the light together with a loud sound of impact, he gets engulfed by the light till he himself can hardly be seen at all.
(? In this scene with the aura, there’s a point that can be observed. Within the aura, when Kadaj aims his gaze upwards, for a moment his eyes turn into slits. It is now clearly revealed that the eye we’ve seen earlier belongs to this ‘hero’ of sorts.)
----------------
(In the Endless Forest, Cloud speeds on his bike)
The bike moves forward on the mysterious path made indistinct by the heavy shade of the many trees. Cloud looks like he has a lot going on inside his head.
As the surroundings turn brighter wrapped in white light, Cloud who had been on his bike, and who has a sudden impulse to abandon what he’s come to do, takes a step forward and then stands stock still.
(Aerith’s voice) You’ve finally come…even though it pains you to do so…
From behind, Aerith reaches out to gently touch Cloud’s left arm.
(Aerith’s voice) Question. Why’d you come?
Cloud: I…think I want to be forgiven. That’s right, I want to be forgiven.
(Aerith’s voice, with a slight giggle) By whom?
Just when Cloud is about to look over his shoulder, he returns to his actual surroundings where he’s still riding his bike.
At around the same time, a bullet suddenly comes at him from the front. There, the 3 SHM are standing ready for him. Cloud snaps his bike away from direct line of fire, and from within it, grabs a sword out of the six stored, in preparation of accepting the directly issued challenge.
But Kadaj steps up and putting fingers in mouth, issued a shrill whistle. From the trees all around, the believed-to-be-controlled children descend.
And among them is Denzel…
Denzel, with a blank stare, stands unmoving in the middle of the path, and beside him, with her arm so firmly held that she wouldn’t be able to escape even if she tried, is Marlene.
Frozen by the sight, Cloud ceases his attack and tries to apply the emergency brakes to his bike, but before he even had time to do so, his bike topples over, throwing Cloud off, body sliding against the ground surface.
Shocked by the impact of getting thrown off, Cloud tries to pull himself together and off the ground but to no avail. Surrounding him in a perfect circle are the kids.
Kadaj, with madness written all over his face, approaches Cloud.
Kadaj: So you came, after all…
Cloud: I’m here to get the kids...
Kadaj then unsheathes his twin blades threateningly right in front of Cloud’s face.
Kadaj addresses the children, “This person here…he’s actually our brother! But regretfully, he turned out to be a traitor instead.
As he was brandishing his twin blades upwards to cut Cloud down, from somewhere in the distance, a bullet came forth and hits one of Kadaj’s blades. And then right in front of Kadaj who was looking around with a terrible expression on his face, a deep red mantle in the shape of someone billows down.
-------
Scene changes to one where Vincent is in front of Cloud after rescuing Cloud from certain death.
(Forgotten Capital, Cloud squatting/sitting beside the lake, head hanging)
Cloud: Honestly, you really saved my ass back there.
So, what exactly /is/ going on with the Planet?
Vincent: ‘Geostigma’ is when your body has overworked itself purging wicked substances from within itself.
Cloud: Wicked substances…(his expression shows that he knows exactly what they consist of)
Vincent: There’s something that resembles the lifestream flowing within our bodies, and that’s what’s fighting the evil substances that have intruded within.
The Calamity from the Skies….Jenova. As long as that’s around, it’s very plausible that a second Sephiroth can be created.
Right around that time, the sound of someone approaching can be heard coming from among the trees. Alert, the two turn towards the direction of the sound, waiting for the source of it to reveal itself. Turns out the one approaching is Marlene.
Cloud: Marlene!
Marlene: Cloud! Denzel's...Tifa's...!
Cloud: Vincent, take Marlene with you. I have something to talk about with those ShinRa buggers.
Vincent: I cannot agree with that.
Marlene: Cloud, that’s enough! Why don’t you ever ask about us?!
Marlene turns away and runs up to Vincent.
Hiding her face inside the folds of Vincent’s mantle, she refuses to look at Cloud.
Cloud: Marlene, a huge fight is about to start. You do know what that means right? It can’t be taken lightly…
Marlene sulkily retorts, “No, I don’t know what that means!!”
Cloud: …please, just give me a little more time…
(Cloud recalls a conversation that he’s had with Tifa earlier)
---Tifa: Are you running away again? Have you ever considered what kind of consequences your actions will bring?
---Tifa, fixing her eyes on Cloud, asks, “…were we overcome by our memories?”
(back to present)
Cloud: Vincent…do you think a person can be forgiven?
Vincent: I’ve never had the pleasure of that experience.
Cloud nodding, decides, “I think I want to try and see…whether or not I could be.
I’ll inform you of the results later. C’mon, Marlene!”
(From his expression, Cloud seems to have come upon some sort of revelation)
Marlene happily runs back to Cloud. Holding hands, the two leave the place.
Vincent looks on at the two departing figures.
(Aerith’s voice) Really…that took him long enough. I’ve never laid any blame on him. Ever.
But him coming all this way to see me…that has really made me happy. And that, in itself, is more than enough.
------------
(Scene switches back to the city of Midgar: the song, “One-winged Angel” plays in the background)
In the plaza area, the children are all standing stock still with vacant looks in their eyes, their expressions clearly show that some sort of manipulation is going on.
And Denzel’s one of them…
Seeing Denzel, Tifa rushes over to him.
Tifa: Denzel!
But Denzel continues with his blank stare. Then his pupils suddenly begin to shrink and elongate vertically and take on a strange light. The city is then suddenly invaded by creatures which begin attacking people.
On top of a collapsed building, a couple of people are looking down at the events down below.
A person all shrouded in white sitting on a wheelchair, his expression unreadable.
And before him, is Kadaj gazing at the currently sorry state of the city, looking extremely pleased with himself.
Turning to face the person in the wheelchair, Kadaj gathers light into his hand. Once it’s engulfed by it, he releases that power into the sky!
It is then absorbed by the clouds, and from the vacancy amongst them, like spilling over, lumps of clouds begin to slowly fall. Those who noticed the lumps, as they gaze upon them, ‘that thing’ can be seen encircled by what looks like threads of lights.
The threads of light then molds up something, and what appears next turns out to be none other than Bahamut! Before they even had the chance to recognize what it is they’re looking at, the people who bore witness to this spectacle have become Bahamut’s first victims.
Next, when Bahamut has determined Denzel as its next target, a metal hand descends upon Denzel’s shoulder from behind after having caught up to him.
As you look at the artificial metal arm, its shape changes from inside to become multiple Gatling guns and fires a rain of bullets at Bahamut!
Barret: Don’t tell me that something’s happened to Marlene, now. Huuuhn?!
Even as he’s saying that, he’s never halt his barrage of assault towards Bahamut.
And then from beside him, the red beast, Red XIII, jumps forth like a whirlwind. With his superior bounding ability, he leaps and springs upon Bahamut, biting at it with his powerful jaws.
There’s more. From out of nowhere, a large shuriken dances midair and is then retrieved by a girl who straightaway asks her comrades this:
Yuffie: Who’s been messing with my Materia?!
Her eyes are dancing with liveliness as she said that.
And then Cid comes out brandishing his lance.
From beside Tifa, a man in red mantle steps up to the front, his face a visage of determination.
Denzel finally regains his wits and asks, “Who’re those…?”
Tifa: Everyone’s a friend.
Tifa has on a genteel smile as she says that to Denzel.
Seeing the turn of events, Kadaj begins to show his anger.
And while yelling at the top of his lungs, he lets fly another light towards the skies.
(? what that light does is still as of yet unknown)
------
(Scene switches to one where Kadaj goes to the church)
Kadaj rides his bike all the way up to the altar and parks over the flowers. Lovingly holding a metal box with both hands, and with a trancelike expression on his face, he murmurs:
Kadaj: Mother…
However, as he peers down at the box, he appears to look shocked instead.
It’s unsure if the box was broken during transportation, but due to the break, the inside of it can be seen.
Kadaj, who looked through it into its content, crumbles and moans, all the time looking downward.
Kadaj: Mother…mother!!!!!!! Oooooooh….
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH---------!!!
(Kadaj breaks down then and there and screams bloody murder)
------
Cloud eventually lets fly a flare and turning to face Bahamut and promptly jumps up.
An echo of conversation with Tifa resounds inside his head.
----Tifa: What we had 2 years ago may be lost to us now 2 years later but Cloud managed to regain his strength back.----
Cloud’s expression turns fearless, and the strength to back that up can clearly be seen manifesting itself upon his face. And with all that change and all that strength within himself, more than anything, Cloud’s mind begins to tell its tale.
----Zack: Cloud, what do you plan to do when we get to Midgar?
We’re friends…right?
----Zack: Cloud! Run for it!!
And a fleeting image of Zack raising his sword crosses his mind.
(Staring at Fenrir, Cloud holds on to his left arm. The symptoms of Geostigma still cannot clearly be seen in this scene)
----(Voice of a girl) Let’s go…Cloud…
----scenery of a lake, and a splash of water like something has been dropped inside ---
(back to present)
Cloud falls off the wall of what looks like a tall building.
Furthermore, rubble from the collapsing upper stratum is falling down like a mountain collapsing.
To avoid them, Cloud stabs two of his swords that are on the larger end of the scale into the surface wall to raise himself up against the structure. Hanging on to that pattern, and rotating his upper body to climb onto the swords, he finally manages to face the tumbling rubble and makes a powerful spring upwards.
Cloud, aiming for the top, easily cuts down the incessant rain of rubble as though they are paper.
And that’s when ‘that’ voice can be heard resounding, intercepting and drowning out all other sounds.
“I…”
(Cloud taken aback into inaction)
“…won’t be just a memory…”
Cutting down a huge rock in front of him, a figure approaches Cloud!
The figure…
Black garment
Long, silver hair
And with Masamune drawn!
End