Aeris was never the first in the group to say if she felt something was wrong. Barret, Yuffie, and Cid were all more likely to voice their concerns before she did. Even Cloud usually spoke up, if it wasn't visible in his face. But even though Aeris wasn't the first to speak, she was always the first to sense it. Something in the fabric of the Lifestream would change. She'd once analogized it, for Cid's understanding, as a "blip on her radar."
It was usually someone who wasn't at peace speaking from beyond, or a kind of interruption in the usual flow of life. It wasn't always an abnormality; at Cosmo Canyon, the robust surge of the stream underneath the Planet's skin had resonated in her whole being. But here, in Nibelheim, things had been oddly quiet. She had felt a twinge in her stomach every time they talked to someone. The loss was palpable; it was in the air and in the Lifestream. She could feel it from Cloud and Tifa as well, especially the Mako inside Cloud's blood, which was unsettled and nervous.
The nausea only started once they were inside the mansion. She held her hand to her stomach, nearly doubling over. Tifa kept a wary hand on Aeris' back and watched as Cloud, Yuffie, and Barret fought off ghosts. Cid folded his arms and chewed on an unlit cigarette; Nanaki and Cait Sith tried to disguise their shivering with furrowed and serious countenances.
When Cloud opened the coffin in the basement, she realized what had been bothering her. The man inside had lost a woman close to him, and the sorrow in the mansion was overwhelming. Aeris could hear her sobbing. But she wasn't dead, and Aeris could only hear thoughts and voices that travelled through Mako. Was she trapped in the Lifestream, half-dead? Her mind was probably saturated with the knowledge of the Planet, and she must be going crazy by now. The poor woman. Lucrecia, he called her. Beautiful Lucrecia.
"And she's dead?" Aeris asked, just to make sure, as they were leaving Nibelheim.
"I'm really not sure." Vincent bowed his head. "I only lived to see his birth. She was ill, and—"
"You saw his birth?" Cloud and Tifa interrupted, nearly in unison.
"I saw him after he was born, albeit briefly."
"But you're not sure if she's alive or not?" Aeris cut back in.
Vincent shook his head.
Aeris felt that weird nausea coming on again. She stopped for a moment, hand clutching her stomach, and everyone else turned toward her.
"You okay?" Cloud asked.
She righted herself. "I need to talk to Vincent alone."
The others looked at Cloud and he led them away from Vincent and Aeris. Aeris watched as they walked away, then she proceeded up the hill with Vincent following. At the peak of the hill, a tree overlooked the green flowered field. There was a stagnant breeze. She turned to look at Vincent. He was staring out at Nibelheim, almost invisible beneath the fog that Mt. Nibel created.
"This was our place." He closed his eyes. "I can still hear her. Feel her."
"She's not at peace." Aeris closed her eyes briefly, then looked over at Vincent. "I can hear her too."
Vincent opened his eyes. "She's alive?"
Aeris hesitated. He probably wouldn't want to hear the truth. She was afraid of offending him. They needed his help, and he had already refused twice before accepting.
"Is she alive?" he repeated.
"She—" Aeris flinched, feeling another slight disturbance in the Lifestream. "She is alive, but she wants to move on."
"Move on…" Vincent sat down on the grass, clutching his left knee with his claw. "I understand. She wants to die."
"But she's not ready." Aeris drew her staff closer to her heart. "She still wants to see someone." Vincent looked up at her. "Her son." Vincent lowered his head.
Aeris' shoulders sank. "I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you something happier." She paused. "I'm sure she doesn't blame you for what happened."
"No. I let it happen. I never should have let them do that to her child. But I just stood and watched. I was powerless back then. Just a kid with a gun."
Aeris stooped to Vincent's level. She cautiously placed the palm of her hand to Vincent's shoulder and looked right at him. Even though he didn't meet her eyes, she kept smiling. She always tried to cheer others up in this way. Elmyra had always said that a smile was the best medicine.
"If we defeat Sephiroth," she said, "maybe she will get to see him again. You said her happiness was important to you, right?" Vincent looked over at her. She could tell by the slight reaction in his facial expression that she was invading his personal space, but she retained the eye contact and didn't move her hand. "Maybe she'll be able to move on," Aeris continued.
"If I must live in eternal punishment for what I have done—" Vincent broke off and looked at Mt. Nibel. Something was caught in his throat. The breeze had picked up a little. "—if she can be happier in death than in life, if Sephiroth himself is beyond salvation"—she removed her hand as he stood up—" I have no choice but to come with you and help him meet his end."
Aeris stood up, brushing off her dress. "You weren't so sure at first. Only after Cloud told you Hojo would be in our way."
"It's not just about me and Hojo. Nor is it only about Lucrecia."
"Yes. Everyone—the Planet itself—depends on us." She smiled again before turning around and leading the way back to the rest.