The sorry state that Cloud is in the beginning of the movie. Peacetime only left him more time to think about his actions and failures, leaving him feeling guilty and depressed especially with his failure to save Aerith and Zack. Combination of having unable to help Denzel and being inflicted with Geostigma and its effects wrecking his mind and body, causes him to isolate himself. He doesn't go home any more and stays at Aerith's church, and doesn't even bother using his phone to talk to other people.
It picks up from the Downer Ending of "Episode: Tifa" and their rocky relationship. Despite Tifa's attempts to keep the family together and a Hope Spot moment, Cloud eventually leaves her and the children behind.
Aerith: Kadaj... Stop working so hard. Kadaj: Mother... is that you? Aerith: Let's go back with everyone.
Kadaj then says "okay" and his voice and expression is just so innocent looking that it's hard to believe this is the same psycho bastard who's been abducting children and antagonizing the good guys this whole film.
Reno from Advent Children. Yeah, he's there mostly for the comic relief, but, in one scene, he is talking to Rude. He mentions how happy he is that so many Shinra employees came back to work after everything that happened and Rude tells him that they will all work hard to make up for what they did. Reno... doesn't think redemption is possible for them any more. He goes on to talk about Elena and Tseng. Hoping that they didn't die and Rude has to give him a pep talk to snap him out of it. It's a really sober moment until Reno gets back to his normal self.
The girl with the moogle doll is a walking tearjerker, especially in the Complete edition which expands her role. We first see her sitting together with her little brother by the side of the road, two children afflicted by the geostigma, and her attempts to care for him; wiping his face when some children run through a nearby puddle, splashing them in water, and shielding his eyes when an afflicted man begins to liquify right in front of them... Later on, Denzel becomes witness to a passerby bumping into the children and the little brother collapsing to the ground. The passerby tries to help the boy back up on his feet again, only to recoil in when the boy's arm begins to liquify, yelling at the children for not staying indoors. The girl simply picks up her brother's limp body in silence and, when Denzel tries to return the moogle doll she dropped, shoves him out the the way with bitter tears in her eyes... The next time we see her she's alone, apologizes to Denzel for having shoved him and, just to confirm our fears, tells him that her little brother is gone now...
There's a happy Tearjerker in the middle of the teams Fastball Special when their fallen comrade returns to give Cloud the final boost he needs to catch and kill Bahamut.
Land