Remembering in Different ways
Summary: Set a few months after the game. Cloud is still struggling to cope with the loss of Aeris. One day on a flight on the Highwind, he receives a source of comfort from the most unlikely person imaginable.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or settings in this fan fiction. All I own is the plot, nothing more.
"It's funny how fickle life is, isn't it?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"No matter what we think we have little control over our lives. We are shaped by the world around us. Life comes and life goes in the blink of an eyelid. The planet has plans for us all, be they good or ill."
"Why are you telling me this? Who are you?"
"It isn't your concern who I am. As for your first question, I can answer that. It is not your fault Aeris died. It was her fate, her destined time to die. You must move on, or grief will consume you."
"Perhaps I want that."
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes. I want to join her."
"Then you're more foolish than I thought. Move on."
"How do I do that?"
No answer.
"How do I –"
"The ship of the sky will provide you your solace."
"If you're not going to help properly will you at least tell me who you are?"
"I am afraid for the balance of all things I can't tell you that, Cloud. Our conversation is over."
The man called Cloud awoke instantly. Aside from waking with a start he found himself perfectly normal. No sweat, no shivers as was the usual after effects of his dreams. The only thing out of place was the fact that he a headache, but that was explained away by the half empty bottle of strong Corel whiskey that sat on his night stand. Ignoring this he went over what had just happened in his head. Usually even at the best of times his dreams were patchy and when he woke he forgot most of the details. In a way he was thankful he rarely remembered them. Most of them were too horrific to describe and he certainly had no desire to relive them. But this dream was clear as glass and it didn't terrify him. Rather it perplexed him.
"Well that's new," he said quietly to the empty room.
Then a thought occurred to him.
'What if someone's sending me a message?'
After all such a thing had happened before. But then it had only been himself, his real persona, trying to reach out to him when he was living a life that wasn't entirely his. Since he knew his true identity now the voices giving him subtle clues had stopped. So who could be sending him a message? However it was then that the tantalizing fingers of sleep started coaxing him. In minutes he was asleep again and all he remembered the next day were the words "the ship in the sky will provide you your solace".
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Cloud had reason to be depressed today. Well he did everyday, but today provided a special reason indeed. Today was the six month anniversary of the death of Aeris Gainsborough, the saviour of all things good in the world. To commemorate the greatest sacrifice Aeris ever made all eight of the surviving members of the group who defeated Sephiroth were going on a journey, right into the city where Cloud's angel fell from grace.
Even though he had at the time been influenced by lies, there was one thing he knew that was his own independent thought. He was in love with Aeris. True he knew there was always chemistry between them but he had never even considered acting on it. That changed one fateful night over six months ago.
Somehow they both expressed their feelings to each other openly at the Gold Saucer, on their first date. It somehow manifested itself within both of them (probably as soon as they learned each others name). At first they had laughed about how blind they had both been. However this laughter didn't last for long. They 'sealed the contract' with a kiss on the Gondola after Aeris, rather than Cloud, made the admission first. Afterwards, much to Cloud's dismay, they had to chase Cait Sith for the keystone to the Temple of the Ancients around the city of lights. They may well have lost the keystone but they found something else within each other. Upon their return to the hotel the pair ended up consummating their said love in the greatest of ways. Oddly enough Cloud had been more nervous about it than Aeris, even though she knew it was going to hurt her more than him. That night had been clumsy as both of them were inexperienced as far as bedroom liaising went. But Aeris soothed Cloud with gentle words and loving caresses so in turn he tried to be as gentle with her as possible. Memories of that night always brought a smile to his face and this time was no exception, despite knowing what he was about to do in just a few hours. Silently Cloud chided himself for the inappropriateness of the thought on a day like today.
But he couldn't help but remember. After the event Aeris had walked with a new spring in her step (she often teased Cloud saying that thanks to him she could no longer walk the same) and even Cloud went with a smile on his face wherever he went, sometimes eliciting strange looks from the people who passed him. But really he couldn't care less. He had named her "His Angel" in the old Cetran tongue which had not only made her squeal with delight at the time, but had come back to haunt him.
For the word "Tsimara" also had another meaning. One that he didn't know about. One that almost prophesised what would soon happen.
And by naming her so Cloud felt as if he had condemned her to death after all. Sephiroth's blade just finished the job.
Everyone had said that wasn't the case (except Vincent who had little to say on the matter) but still he couldn't help but wonder…
In his pocket Cloud carried three flowers. They had been Aeris' but after returning to Midgar Cloud took some of the plants from the church and nurtured them. At the time he felt as if it was a way of communicating directly with her, no matter how ridiculous and futile it seemed. The next time he returned to the church several weeks later all the flowers had died, and the soil had lost all its fertility. These three flowers were all that remained. This couldn't possibly make up for the crime Cloud felt he committed, but he wanted to give her something familiar in a place where she was all alone.
'No she's with her people now and her mother. But still…she's not with me.'
A few more moments over the Midgarian ridge and there she was. The great and illustrious Highwind or The Shera as everyone had dubbed it when Cid wasn't listening. They had joked that he loved this machine as much as he loved her, a fact he vigorously denied whenever brought to his attention. The same stout hearted crew that had flown them into near certain death during the world crisis were all on board and ready for duty. Although they had never met Aeris, they knew of her sacrifice, and wanted to pay homage accordingly. At least that's what Cid had told him during their last PHS conversation.
Cid stood alone by the main gangway smoking a cigarette.
'Good old Cid,' Cloud found himself thinking, 'Fortunately some things never change.'
But he was wrong. A change seemed to have descended over the man. Dressed completely in black just like Cloud was, he had the air of someone lost hopelessly in mourning, although he'd never admit that. At least not to anyone but Shera (but we've been over this). Also Cid spoke… civilly and without a single colourful word while he and Cloud exchanged pleasantries by the gangway. Little did Cloud realise that Aeris had once scolded Cid for swearing too much, and he seemed to, for at least today, be respecting her wish.
The new Highwind wasn't all that much different in appearance so Cloud found his way to the bridge without getting lost at all. According to Cid the only changes that had been made were in the engines and controls. He made them faster or something, but Cloud's mind always went into shutdown when Cid talked about his ship, so he didn't understand the aesthetics of the improvements. Provided that the ship didn't fall apart in mid air Cloud didn't really care what improvements Cid made to the Highwind.
Several of the men, women, creatures and stuffed toys that made up the party had already arrived and were standing or sitting all around the bridge, except for the latter. In Cait Sith's place was the quite so human Reeve, dressed down in a simple black suit (which was dressed down for him). Behind him stood two Turks one Cloud recognised as Elena, the other one he didn't know. It seemed inappropriate but then they were probably assigned by the order of the President himself. Reeve had no power to overturn the President's decision when it came to protection of the executive. The Turks stood to attention and in complete silence. When Elena spotted Cloud she grimaced for a moment and then gave him an apologetic smile. Reeve meanwhile sat and talked quietly to Elmyra (who, as Aeris' adopted mother, had also agreed to come) wearing a dress like her usual one, but in black. Coupled with the black veil of mourning she wore over her face she looked like a macabre bride.
Elmyra, like Elena, looked up when Cloud entered then murmured something and turned to look at Barret. To Cloud's surprise Barret held her hand gently in his own. Then Cloud remembered that the two had been seeing each other for the last month. For a moment Cloud wondered how he could forget that PHS conversation. Cloud felt Elmyra's gaze shift back to him and sensed the impending conversation. He hadn't talked to Elmyra since It happened. It had been Reeve who broke the unhappy news to her. As he approached her he also saw Red XIII talking to Vincent, but that held little importance to him right now.
Unsure of how to begin a conversation he simply started, "Hello, Miss Elmyra."
"Cloud," she responded quietly, unable to look him in the eye.
Cloud felt an overwhelming guilt consume him. Of all the people alive in the world, only Elmyra could love Aeris more than he did. Not only did he take Elmyra's only daughter to her death but Cloud had left her with no-one in the world at least for a time. Her husband and daughter were no dead and Marlene was all she could cling to. Before he could think or say anything else she spoke again.
"Barret told me what happened. Everything. I know you protected her as well you could."
"But not well enough," he responded grimly.
Cloud noticed through Barret's slightly pained expression that Elmyra's grip just got tighter. For the first time she looked into Cloud's eyes and all he could see was pain, misery and tears on the verge of being shed.
"No, maybe not. But Aeris taught me a great many things while she was still..." Her voice seemed to break for a moment but she simply shook her head and continued. "She taught me the values of reason and forgiveness. I do not blame you for what happened. I never did. I'm sure my daughter didn't either."
Every time Elmyra mentioned Aeris she looked closer to breaking down into tears. Somehow though, she managed to keep her composure. Just looking at her Cloud felt like there a serrated knife wedged between his shoulder blades.
There was a pause between them until she spoke; almost so quietly that Cloud didn't hear her.
"Everything has a time to die. But it should have been my time, not hers."
She fell silent afterwards. She didn't raise her head again and she released Barret's hand, letting her own fall limply to her side. Cloud glanced at Elena again. Gone was the apologetic smile and it was replaced with nothing but cold fury in her gaze. It seemed Elena was truly sympathetic to what Elmyra had been through and it was obvious that she did blame Cloud for it. He turned away after a moment and finished making pleasantries with Reeve. As soon as he did the door to the bridge opened again and Tifa, Yuffie and Cid walked onto the bridge.
"Everyone here?" called Cid. "Good let's go."
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One Highwind trip later and the group of travellers, Turks and crew members disembarked from the ship. They landed a respectful distance from the old Cetran capital in the middle of the icy valley. The reasoning behind it was so as not to disturb Aeris from her slumber. They walked the rest of the way. The Turks had taken it upon themselves to clear the path ahead of any danger but Reeve, after drawing out his pistol, had gone with them. Cid and Vincent were a little behind, also armed in the eventuality of an attack. Barret, Elmyra, Red XIII, Tifa and the crew followed a short way behind them in groups or alone. Cloud walked behind all the rest but not alone. Yuffie for some reason was with him too.
Unlike Elena, Yuffie's gaze did not hold the hatred and the fury that Cloud so desired. Instead her eyes were filled with pity for him and held a little sorrow of her own. She gave him an encouraging smile and held his hand slightly.
Cloud, slightly startled to say the least, returned the grip and he felt stronger for doing so. It was sort of encouraging.
Upon reaching the city Cloud's attention was caught by some noise up ahead but all it was was simply the three men putting their weapons aside. He also heard Elena's raised voice as she began to argue with Reeve. The laying down of weapons was a gesture of respect, but there was no point of taking weapons into the city anyway. No monster came here. No monster dared. The eminent strength of Cetran magic in all the buildings and roads was enough to act as a deterrent to any and all monsters. Jenova had been the sole exception to this rule. However Elena and the other Turk weren't as convinced and simply refused to leave their weapons. Instead they had simply placed their guns in their holsters and this was what caused the argument. Although it was slightly disrespectful, it was also common sense, Elena had successfully argued. Reeve simply shook his head, muttered something inaudible and walked away. The argument over everyone turned their attentions to the city. Every single one of the group couldn't deny the presence of benevolence that resided here, even after its former residents were extinct.
They were dead but the city would live on for a thousand years or more.
The road to the Water Cathedral was direct but long none the less. However none of the party seemed tired by the end of it (whether it was because of their grief, duty or the magic in the road no-one could tell). The eternal resting place of Aeris Gainsborough was within sight now and suddenly everyone felt an overwhelming wish they were back on the road. Even the Turks, who were hired killers, had their misgivings. But Elmyra was different. Of all the travellers and herself she was the only one who had not seen her daughter's grave. Her resolve and dignity crumbled as her tentative steps forward soon broke into a run until she was on her knees beside the pool of water, crying audibly and not caring who heard her. The entire world could have heard her mourn and she wouldn't have cared at all.
"M-my Aeris I m-miss y-you," she said between sobs. She spoke directly to the pool as if she was planning on having a conversation. Everyone's heart went out to the woman who had lost her only child and soon they were beside the pool too.
They each said their thank you's, sorry's and goodbyes individually to their saviour, just like they had done six months before. Although Elena hadn't known her well, and the crew and the other Turk hadn't known her at all, they too thanked her for what she did. Soon enough Cloud was the last to say anything.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he whispered to the water. "I'll always remember our love and the time we spent together. I love you more than you ever knew. I brought you some flowers. Some of your flowers. The rest… the rest are doing fine." He knew it was a lie but he couldn't bare admitting that her flowers were dead too.
'A coward to the end,' he chided himself yet again. 'You don't even have the heart to tell the truth to a dead woman.'
Almost no-one saw him place the flowers in the water and watched them sink to the depths of the water. Nor did he see that one of the travellers had been watching him covertly the entire time. The tears fell freely from his eyes but in utter silence. Aeris was dead and there was nothing he could do to change that fact, despite his surreal desire to do so.
"When you have to give in, accept it and believe in yourself." The last piece of advice his mother had given him before he left Nibelheim seven and a half years ago. Somehow it seemed appropriate right now.
Unbeknownst to everyone present, two of the flowers floated down to where Aeris's body lay. Whether it was due to the water's holiness or for some other reason her body had yet to decompose in the slightest. So she would remain for the rest of time. One of the flowers landed in her hair, behind her ear and the other between her outstretched fingers. The third didn't reach her body but continued to sink deeper and deeper.
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By the time they left the city it was already dark. Since the airship was parked in the narrow valley Cid had ordered the craft to remain moored to the ground until dawn, rather than risk damaging his beloved craft. Hell even a scratch on the paintwork was completely unacceptable to Cid. So the ship remained anchored as it were. The sky was clear and the entire valley was lighted eerily by the moon. Off in the distance the buildings of the forgotten city exuded an ethereal, holy looking glow. Cloud, who was sitting on the roof of the Highwind, shivered slightly since starry nights always promised cold at this time of year.
"The ship in the shy will bring you your solace," he muttered under his breath.
The line had been mysterious to him ever since he heard it. Still perplexed he focused his attentions on the night sky once more. The stars were out in all their splendour. From Cloud's point of view it looked like they were also mourning Aeris' passing. He continued searching the sky, looking for one star in particular.
And there it was. A shooting star was flying across the night sky.
'I wish I could have her back. Or if not find redemption for my crimes,' he mused.
And at the same time someone came onto the deck of the airship.
Interested Cloud turned to see Yuffie approach him.
"May I sit with you?" she asked as soon as she was standing at his side.
"Be my guest," he said with irritation. "What do you want?"
"Other than for you to be happy and for all the materia in the world to belong to me, there isn't much I want really."
Cloud smiled for a moment. However it was gone in an instant and replaced by shock as Yuffie took both his hands in hers.
"W-What the hell are you doing?"
"It's a trick I picked up from an elder in Cosmo Canyon," she replied. "Basically I'm giving you some of my strength to help you."
"Is that why you held my hand earlier?" he asked, curious at this turn of events.
"Yes and no," but she refused to say anymore.
After a moment of silence (and hand holding) Cloud spoke up again.
"What makes you think I need your strength?"
"I saw you in the city and I've heard your dreams. They-they disturb me a little. You usually end up screaming. How do you think you've maintained your sanity?" she asked with a downward glance at her hands. "I've even heard you beg Aeris to kill you on more than one occasion. To really make you suffer. Clearly you're still wrapped around her little finger - not that that was ever her intention I'm sure. I saw you give her the flowers. I'm sure she loves them," she added quietly.
Cloud closed his eyes and opened them again in disbelief. Yes this was Yuffie. But he'd never seen this side to her before. She seemed to actually care about someone other than herself.
"Why were you watching me sleep?"
"D'you honestly think we would leave you alone? We've been watching you at night sometimes, despite your self imposed isolation. Just to make sure you don't do anything drastic. By the way you need a better lock on your front door."
He stared at her indignately. They'd been breaking into his house! Even if they did have good intentions, Cloud still found it insulting. What mortified him the most was the fact they could have seen what he got up to with one of the only photos of Aeris he had when his sexual frustration became too much in the middle of the night. The thought made him shudder. Before he could say anything about it though, Yuffie spoke again.
"I know how hard it is to loose someone you love. It seems like there's nothing else that matters in the world. I – I was like this for a long time. It's still there but in time the wound healed."
"How?" he asked genuinely interested, immediately forgetting his anger.
"You know that old saying 'Time is the greatest healer'? Well… it's not. My friends and family helped me immensely and without them… let me show you something."
Yuffie rolled up the arm of her kimono and showed Cloud a scar that ran along the inside of most of her lower arm.
"I did this to myself. Everyone else who saw it assumed it was a battle scar so I encouraged that lie. Only Vincent seemed to see it for what it was judging by his looks but he said nothing. In truth I did this because I thought it was the only way to make the pain go away." There was a note of anguish in her voice now but she continued. "If I hadn't had help we wouldn't be speaking now."
She slumped slightly and Cloud caught her and hugged her to show her… he wasn't sure what. That he cared? That he felt sorry for her? Well whatever it was she returned it.
"Has your giving away of strength weakened you?" he asked.
"What? Oh… no. I just feel like that when I talk about it. My point is Cloud we… I want to help you through it like others helped me. Aeris would forgive you for getting over the grief. By no means forget her but don't let the dead control your life either. Thank you I feel better now," she said as she rose gracefully and turned away.
"Come inside soon it's freezing," she added as an afterthought.
Then it struck him. Of course, now it all made sense as one thing connected to another.
"Yuffie," he yelled. She was already ten paces away but she stopped and turned her face alive with interest.
"I know what you can do to help me," he finished.
"Really? What?"
Closing the gap between them Cloud leant down and pressed his lips against hers. For a moment she didn't respond but quickly reacted positively to the situation. As he pulled away she let out a tiny "oh" and forced his lips to come crashing down on hers again. The kiss, this time with parted lips, lasted longer this time since she was prepared for it. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist as if forbidding her to leave.
'Like I'd want to,' Yuffie thought.
Her own arms were draped loosely around his neck. Taking advantage of this freedom of movement she moved her hands down to his lower back and started caressing him through the shirt and then before he knew it, under it. Her touch had only caused him to get steadily more aroused and she could feel it as his skin got hotter wherever she touched it. She pulled both her hands and her lips away for a moment to taunt him.
"Something wrong?"
"Only while you stop."
"Now there's a reaction I've never got from a man before," she whispered in his ear seductively. "Then again I've never really tried."
They kissed again and this time, half for the fun of seeing Cloud's reaction, half because she wanted to, her hands moved down through his trousers and caressed his buttocks.
'Someone's getting excited,' she thought as she felt something beginning to brush against her thighs, and she had the strongest feeling she knew what it was.
They continued this way for several minutes until Cloud broke his hold on Yuffie.
"What?"
"Nothing," he replied playfully, "But it looks like your kimono's come undone."
She looked down and to her obvious surprise saw that her underwear was indeed showing.
"You didn't happen to have anything to do with it. Answer truthfully or I might hurt something special to you."
"No wasn't me," he replied. "You must just be bad at tying knots."
She shrugged and let the elaborate dress fall to the floor leaving her wearing nothing more than underwear. Despite this she didn't shiver from the cold. She only felt cold when she lay down on the cool metal roof of the Highwind.
"Well are you going to get on or do I have to do it by myself?" Yuffie taunted as she removed her bra.
"Not yet," he replied. "First I want to do something else for you," he finished with an impish grin.
"And what might that… oh my."
'Well tonight has certainly been an interesting evening,' she thought to herself.
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Vincent was most certainly not in the best of moods. He had been enlisted by Cid along with Reeve to find Cloud (who Cid believed may do something drastic in light of the situation) and on a smaller scale to find Yuffie. Neither had been seen for hours. Vincent was sure they would have been found already if everyone was searching. Barret was looking after both Marlene and Elmyra so he was exempt, but the only reason Tifa and Nanaki provided was beauty sleep. The Turks had conveniently vanished (probably for the best because Elena probably would have murdered Cloud given half the chance) and the crew muttered something about checking the fuel system. Considering Vincent had been preparing to sleep too, but had agreed to join them anyway, he was quite irritated.
"To think what other things I could be doing with my time," he said aloud to the ship.
He had been commissioned to search the roof and the higher decks, Reeve the central and Cid the lower and the engine rooms (he wouldn't even let the crew near the engines so it seemed the crews alibi was questionable at best).They had been told to meet back at the bridge in an hour. Vincent just hoped they found them after all this time spent searching.
Room after room had shown no results and his temper was getting to the point where he needed to severely control it, lest he tear the ship apart in his fury. He decided that he needed fresh air (something that calmed him better than anything short of a sedative) and so began the short journey to the roof. He checked every door on the way just to be sure but still found nothing.
Finally he keyed in the five digit code to open the way to the door to the roof. He looked around towards the city for a moment until a noise closer to home caught his attention. He moved silently towards where he thought it was coming from and withdrew his pistol…
Only to put it back a moment later as he realised where the ever more frequent sounds were coming from.
It appeared that a certain blonde haired soldier and black haired materia hunter were busy playing a sexually orientated game with each other. Or rather Yuffie was the willing victim of the game.
'She appears to be having fun,' he mused and laughed, thankfully in his mind. He quickly averted his eyes to other parts of the ship.
But he couldn't help but look as Yuffie's moans were beginning to become more frequent. And sure enough Vincent got a much too graphic view of the reason.
'Oh that is something I never wished to see.'
Vincent crept away and pretended he couldn't hear Yuffie's constant moans of pleasure and casual swearing (accompanied by the occasional satisfied grunt or comment from Cloud). Instead he focused his thoughts on other things such as Beautiful Lucrecia, cleaning his gun like he did twice every day, etc. This seemed to work although every now and again a yell of "YES" cut across his thoughts.
Once safely behind closed doors he calmly made for the bridge and pretended he had seen nothing. Unfortunately though his plan was beginning to fall apart at the seams and the images of what he just saw refused to be blocked from his mind. Sighing in defeat Vincent strode over to Cid's secret liquor cabinet ('On the bloody bridge of all places') and pored himself a generous amount of whiskey.
"I've seen my greatest love destroyed at the hands of a madman, I've seen the world almost end, I've been tortured into what I am but of all the things I've endured that just wasn't fair," he said aloud. After his little speech to the ship he simply downed the glass in one as if it was water.
By the time he had finished his third glass the sound of Cid and Reeve brought his attention back to the real world.
"Well it appears we failed to find them," Reeve said clearly exasperated. "Vincent, any luck?"
"Yes I found them. Cloud was just filling Yuffie in on something. Nothing to worry about," he said as he pored himself a fourth glass of whiskey, earning himself confused glances from both Cid and Reeve.
Sleep would not come easily to Vincent Valentine tonight.
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Both Cloud and Yuffie came to a climax at almost the same time and were now panting madly like sprinters who had just finished their race. During their game somehow Yuffie had ended up on top, and she now seemed reluctant to surrender that position, even though the game was over. Her head was rested on his bare chest but they could still see each other clearly. Unlike Cloud's first experience with Aeris both parties had prior first hand knowledge of what to do and it made all the difference in the world. She was grinning stupidly at him and he felt slightly dizzy. Cloud was the one who came to his senses first.
"Yuffie there's something you should know."
"Hmm," was the only reply she could manage.
"I – I don't love you."
"And?" Cloud just looked at her blankly. "Just because we've shagged you think I've instantly fallen in love with you? What do you expect? Do you want me to act like a damsel in distress who can't possibly live two seconds without you by my side?" she said, irritated by his look of surprise. "And I'm not just a cheap lay for that view either."
"I know. Sorry."
"Well it's fine anyway," she replied, "I don't love you either… at least not yet. But if it's something you want to work towards…"
"Yes, just not yet."
"I understand. I know you're still grieving."
Oddly enough Cloud started smiling at her.
"What?" she asked
"We can do that again, right?"
"What? Again? You're that horny?" she said, simply amazed. She felt a bit too tired to even stand and he wanted sex again.
Cloud nodded eagerly in reply to her question. Yuffie laughed for a moment. She had to admit he was cute when he wanted sex.
"Okay but on two conditions. First you have to promise me you'll get over Aeris one day. Not forget her, or stop loving her, just end your grieving."
"That's a hefty price just to have you again," Cloud said jokingly
"But I'm worth it," she replied simply and stretched non chalantly to give him a view of her breasts.
"Okay," he replied very quickly. "What's the second?"
"Can we do it inside? I lost all feeling in my ass about twenty minutes ago thanks to the stupid cold."
Cloud couldn't help it. He laughed truly for the first time in months, just at Yuffie's little revelation. She glared at him for a moment before speaking again.
"The conference room is just downstairs. I've never been taken over a table before. But after tonight there's a first time for everything."
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Somewhere in the lifestream Ifalna could hear someone cheering with joy. She didn't need to turn, since she recognised the voice, but she did anyway. Ifalna's daughter bore a smile on her face like she hadn't seen since she actually entered the lifestream.
"What is it?" Ifalna asked cautiously perplexed at her daughters sudden change in behaviour.
The young woman looked slightly embarrassed in front of her mother (and everyone else who heard her) but regardless she responded.
"Nothing. I'm just happy."
"Aeris you haven't been this happy since…" Her voice trailed off into nothingness as she gave her daughter a piercing assessing look. "Aeris," Ifalna began again, this time her tone of voice much more stern, "have you been spying on a certain someone on the upper world again?"
"Sort of," she replied. She avoided looking her mother in the face. Eventually though she couldn't take it any more and broke under her mother's gaze. "Okay fine. Yes I did."
"Aeris I told you that it isn't good for you to do things like this. You'll only end up hurting yourself in the long run."
"I know," Aeris replied slightly dejected.
"Why are you cheering anyway? Don't you miss him?"
"Of course I do. But he's just finally found his solace on the ship of the sky."
In all the infinite knowledge the planet could give her on the lifestream, Ifalna had absolutely no idea what her daughter had just said.
"You really are your fathers' daughter," Ifalna said. "He always spoke in riddles too." Regardless of her confusion Ifalna gave her daughter a smile, since Aeris' one was simply terribly infectious.
While she did this something else caught her attention off in the distance. Aeris turned around too as they both tried to figure out what the thing was. It was the size of a speck of dust but it as it came closer it had a more defined shape. Ifalna still had to squint but eventually it was clear what it was.
"What in the name of all things Holy. Is that… a flower?" Ifalna asked both her daughter and herself.
Aeris didn't reply. She simply beamed. As it came closer she seized it in her hand and recognised it immediately as one of her own.
"Thanks Cloud," she said, as she blew him a kiss. "It's absolutely wonderful."