Your Eden

Time to say goodbye.
Places that I've never seen or experienced with you.
Now I shall, I'll sail with you upon ships across the seas,
Seas that exist no more,
It's time to say goodbye.
 -
 Time to Say Goodbye (Sarah Brightman)

Light filled the sky, the earth, and the ocean until the entire world seemed one mass of bright star fire. Blue and white seared through the dark night, banishing shadows and shattering the red that had previously filled the horizon. Green everywhere, rolling across the hills, across whole continents until the globe was a single bright network of color and life. Slowly, ever so slowly, the luminance began to fade, but it was not yet finished its work. Beautiful patterns no mortal had ever seen before were shaped by the intricate dance of Holy and Lifestream this night, and they began to spread across the world as they had always been destined to. The river of life that was the Lifestream flowed, lending itself to the light of judgment that had been called to sweep away the night. What would follow no one could guess, except that it would be more beautiful than any dawn any of them had ever dreamed.

Midgar was finished. The ruins of what had once been the proudest city on the Planet were awash in the bright blue light that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Pillars lay on their side, now only scraps of metal and plaster. Rubble formed a last reminder of the twisted dark forms that had once been the homes for everyone that had ever lived here. Thousands of people lay beneath the collapsed plates, the dead and the dying. Those who had not been killed during the impact were now trapped somewhere far below, slowly suffocating on the chalky, debris filled air. Men, women and children alike, both rich and poor lay silently in the darkness, as if sleeping. They would never have another grave. Children who had laughed and played in the streets would never see the daylight again, but neither were there friends or family left to weep for their innocence stolen on this night of fate. As they began to leave the city, Holy lit the night for the ghosts of smiling mothers and all the people that had been taken. Lifestream wrapped around them, leading them on the long journey back to the Planet as laughter trailed after to disappear into the pure white night.

Far above, on a ship in the sky, eight people watched Lifestream surround them, flowing over, under, and around them. They were crying, and laughing, overwhelmed with relief, sadness, and joy just to see the emerald river passing their window. The bright light pervaded even here, wrapping each individual in a sense of warmth, comfort and belonging. This was what every person sought during their lifetime, in an instant knowing everything, understanding everything, and loving everything. This was to be complete, to be truly happy. And the price of true happiness was knowing that you had to give it back, and to live knowing that you had felt, and would never feel again. But also, that was a blessing. No one could live awake like this all the time, or they would be lost in it and simply be carried away into green nothingness. For the first time in his life, Cloud Strife understood what had made the flower girl of Midgar so wonderfully, and tragically special. And knowing, he cried and he laughed for her.

They sailed, high above the city, above the world. As Lifestream wound around them each of them but one gasped aloud in wonder. Caught in the moment, and their own thoughts and regrets no one noticed the one who stood alone. Pressed against the window, Tifa, Barret, Red, Yuffie, Vincent, Cait Sith, and Cid watched awestruck. Tears streamed down Tifa, Yuffie, Cid and Barret's faces, words, feelings caught deep inside them that they had never been able to say.

Barret's thoughts turned to the past; he only half watched. He took in everything, every detail, making a promise in his heart that he would give every second of it to Myrna when he saw her again. In this moment, he no longer doubted that he would.

For Cid, the moment of crisis had passed, but all he could think of was what he had nearly lost. Rocket Town, his chances of going in to space, his house, Shera. How close had he come to losing all of it? And how, knowing that, could he ever take any of it for granted again? He didn't care that he was crying anymore; he barely realized. He thought of someone waiting for him an ocean away, and almost without thinking he dropped his cigarette on the floor, staring always ahead and away.

Yuffie had never known what she was fighting for. Materia, gil, personal glory? Did any of it even matter? For some reason she could almost see the faces of all of Wutai, including her father, turned to the sky and painted this ethereal green as they watched Lifestream carry life away so that hope might remain. She smiled and wished she was there.

Red stood silently watching as well, although a sound from deep within his throat resonated with the graceful dance of the stars all around, and the Planet below. He thought of Cosmo Canyon, of his grandfather, of all he had seen and had yet to see. Cait Sith's great stuffed moogle watched silently as well, the green light playing across his face. Expressionless dark eyes watched while far below in a safe house outside of Midgar, a tall, dark haired man wept for all he'd seen and all he had been given the chance to yet see.

Vincent Valentine showed nothing, but felt everything as he always had. He saw the Planet below painted in brilliant colors, and for the first time in thirty long years felt the world outside himself. He felt familiarity as the Lifestream passed again, glittering and shining in the darkness. Familiarity and a kind of acceptance; unseen by the rest of the crew he clenched the fist of his good hand and held it against his heart. A small smile painted his lips.

For Tifa, there were no words for what she felt. There was joy, and yet so much pain she felt she could die at any moment. It was over. Her life had been taken away, and she had lost homes, family and friends. She had always fought for what she thought was right, for the Planet, and look what that had brought. They would live, but how many had died tonight? She couldn't help but remember Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, Aeris and all the others and wonder if this beautiful night was what they had died for. The journey had taken it all, and what was left for her except Cloud? And yet, it was over.

All around the Planet, windows and doors opened, and people poured out into the streets to see it. Kalm, Costa del Sol, Junon, Wutai, Mideel, Corel, Gold Saucer, Gongaga and Rocket Town. Everywhere people felt the pull of it, and they came to see the final judgment of the Planet. As Holy poured across the sky, the white of pearls and blue of oceans, eyes stared up into the forever sky, and for one perfect moment the Planet was whole and had never been otherwise.

Thin tendrils of brilliant green reached out across the hills and the rivers, brushing through the boughs of emerald trees in familiarity and following the currents to see where they went. Everywhere people gathered, it wove about them in patterns and knots, exploring the distance between them as they stood not inches apart. A white ship hovered above Midgar, but that was not what they saw. Each one saw in the dancing stream of life and light a future, and it didn't matter what it was, only that it existed. It was the dark glitter in the eye of one who knows everything, the glimmer of sunlight reflecting on gold long forgotten below the waves. There was a music to it, too, one that had never been heard on the Planet before because it transcended music and reached beyond for the dark sky. In that moment, every person on the Planet knew the dream of reaching for the stars, for the unreachable, and Cid Highwind was no longer alone.

At the base of the Midgar ruins, survivors straggled out, a few at a time, clusters of them emerging and then stopping to gape at what they saw. There was no fear to be found, no anger or hatred. Everyone was equal, and even those who were not did not fear retribution. Three battered figures stood together in the dark, blue suits against a black sky, and they watched together as the world ended and the world began. They did not run and they did not cry out when Holy and Lifestream reached out towards them, wrapping the darkness in a warm light that would never fade. Reno, Rude and Elena smiled at each other as slowly they began to fade, disappearing into the incredible night. They felt only joy as their faint outlines shimmered in the air momentarily, gone in the next second. There was only forgiveness as Lifestream showed the way back to where they'd all began, and together they followed it, together.

High above on the Highwind, the lone warrior stood away from the window, watching from a distance as Lifestream rushed past the glass. He studied the expression of each of the people he'd called friends, and he watched every flicker of iridescent light streak across their faces. He watched and smiled quietly as he felt the waver of something inside himself that was not him but was his forever. Again, there was no sadness.

He saw Tifa turn around first, her ruby eyes wide with wonder and a million other things, saw it turn to horror as she saw it too. She did not know how long it took her to reach his side, or what transpired in between those heartbeats, only that she was beside Cloud, the joy intensifying along with the pain until she could not bear it.

"Cloud..."

She reached out a hand towards him, and then stopped. He merely held her eyes as the color slowly faded away, only to be replaced by a new color too incredible to describe. Cloud, still smiling, raised his hand and watched as oranges, blue, greens and golds played across it, slowly taking him with them. Only his eyes remained unchanged as they met Tifa's once more.

"Tifa... Don't..."

But she wept already as she felt the loss. Slowly the colors were fading into the deep green of the Lifestream, the same glittering hues lighting up his smile while through him she could see the wall.

"...Don't go. Don't leave me here..."

And Tifa Lockheart's heart was unlocked for the first time, and she wept for all the days and nights that had never been. Quietly, Cloud stepped forward, his arms wrapping around, resting lightly where they should, although in places he could be seen to pass through her. Unable to move, the six others watched the silent embrace. Tears glittered down Yuffie's face, and she bit her lip to keep from crying aloud.

When Cloud finally stepped back from Tifa, only the faint, sparkling ghost remained. He still smiled, though. Long after, Tifa would always swear to her children and her grandchildren that she had felt the warmth of his arms in their one moment together. To her, that was enough. Cloud nodded slowly to each of them, his voice still his own although distant.

"I think... I can meet her 'there'."

"But Cloud! I wanted... I wanted us to go together."

"Tifa... I'm happy. Please don't cry. We'll see each other again. All of us." His words acknowledged the ghosts carried by each of them in the room, and somehow they all felt it. "We'll all be together again."

With a last smile, and the great white sword upon his back, Cloud Strife turned away, the last flickers of green fading as he took his final step. All of them told each other afterwards that they saw a last flicker of blue in his eyes as he moved. Slowly, the green glittering outline broke apart, scattering strands of green everywhere that shone like nothing any of them had ever seen. Each one watched as the light faded away from the cabin, leaving only the memory of it, and of a blue-eyes soldier at peace. Tifa wept on the deck where she had fallen, for Cloud's happiness as well as for her pain. Thus did Cloud Strife pass into nothingness.

And somewhere far away, green eyes with the depth and color of the Lifestream opened, and the world was filled with life and light. In the Planet, in the stars, and in the Lifestream shining in the sky, two hands reached out towards each other and Aeris Gainsborough smiled.

Morning would come again.

A/N – Well, that was weird. Blame it on FFX and Sarah Brightman. I've just had this picture in my head for a while now, and it finally came together. The Planet had to judge who was a danger to it, and I just wondered 'what if?' We all know I love Cloud and the Turks, but it was a story I wanted to explore regardless. If it leaves an impression on somebody, somewhere, than it was worth it.