The lifestream wound its way unerringly toward a central spot on the earth's surface, gathering, collecting in readiness to protect the planet from certain doom.
Avalanche watched from the Highwind as the tendrils snaked along the ground from all directions like so many eels, all heading for Midgar. They writhed and danced, shedding a fluorescent glow so bright one had to squint to continue viewing. Once the last bit of lifestream was on its way, the tendrils began to ascend, climbing the meteor, covering it gradually, almost gently, as if wrapping a priceless treasure in a piece of incandescent cloth. Eventually, no part of the meteor was showing, its horrifying structure blanketed completely.
The lifestream continued to envelop the meteor until no lifestream was left on the planet. The meteor had become a huge glowing ball in the sky over Midgar. And then the ball began to diminish. The lifestream was slowly closing in, eating away at the meteor until there was nothing left.
Cid muttered an oath. Tifa's eyes were filled with tears.
"Beautiful," Red XIII observed.
The lifestream withdrew from Midgar and drifted back along the earth, each tendril returning to its place. Except for one. Once under the Highwind, it started winding upward. It hugged the side of the damaged ship and eventually made its way to the deck where it collected into a pile. Everyone backed away from it alarm. Vincent pulled the Death Penalty from its holster at his hip.
The pile of glowing substance began to form, swirling upward until it stood somewhere over five feet tall. It then started to take shape, molding a head, a body, and then features. Before it had even finished sculpting, the form was recognizable.
It was Aeris.
Everyone stared at her in amazement.
Aeris smiled tearfully, and then laughed, her cheeks becoming wet. "We did it!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air.
Cloud was the first to take a step toward her. "Aeris?" he whispered.
She nodded, still grinning with tears running down her face. "The planet gave me my life back in payment for...for my sacrifice. It wants to thank all of you for what you did."
Oblivious to her words, Cloud reached out a shaking hand. Aeris took it and squeezed his fingers. "I am real," she said softly.
Cloud suddenly crumpled to the deck in front of her. The members of Avalanche all started forward. Aeris held up a restraining hand and knelt down beside him, running her hand through his hair gently. He was unconscious. She smiled and looked up at the others. Cid looked as if his eyes were about to bug out of his head. Tifa had one hand over her mouth as she trembled where she stood, attempting to hold back a flood of tears. Red XIII was gazing at her gently with his one eye. Cait Sith was leaning so far forward on his moogle that it looked as if he were ready to topple. Barret had his hand behind his neck, his brow furrowed. Yuffie was staring, for once at a loss for words. Vincent stood, his expression unreadable as always, his gun hanging loosely in his hand.
"Vincent?"
The man looked up from Cloud's still body to meet her eyes.
"Will you take Cloud into the hold?"
Vincent stared for a moment as if not understanding, but then started forward. He bent down to pick Cloud up, but then had to straighten to put his gun away. Aeris giggled. He crouched down again and glanced at her, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he realized that she had caught him, for once, flustered. He put his mechanical arm under Cloud's shoulders and his good arm behind their leader's knees, lifting him with ease. Aeris stood with him, smiling, and touched his shoulder. Vincent looked at her for a moment longer than necessary before turning and walking toward the hold.
Aeris looked toward Cid. The man seemed to be looking through her.
"Cid?"
"Huh?" The pilot looked at her face, startled out of his reverie.
"Cid, the ship is pretty badly damaged. You may want to land somewhere before it falls out of the sky on its own."
Cid nodded slowly after a moment. "Y-yeah. Right." He turned to the controls, having now to fly the ship himself since dismissing the pilots in training. He had made the decision to stay with the mission when Cloud had asked them all to find a reason for fighting. His reason had been simple enough, though he hadn't allowed himself to acknowledge it for the longest time. He loved Shera. He wanted a family. And he wanted his unborn children to have a promising future. The pilots had gone back to Rocket Town, wishing Cid good luck in defeating Sephiroth. Cid almost killed the engine trying to start the ship's motor when it was already running. He swore, remembering they were already in the air, and began piloting.
Aeris looked from Cid to see Tifa and Barret approaching her hesitantly, Yuffie and Cait Sith not far behind. She smiled and drew nearer to them.
"How...?" Tifa began, but then had to stop, her voice choked with unshed tears.
Aeris pulled her friend into a hug. Tifa began to sob. "How can you...be here?" she asked haltingly.
Aeris withdrew. "The lifestream brought me back to life," she explained again. "It wanted to give me something in return for my help."
"But, but your body..." Yuffie began, stepping up beside Barret. "We saw Cloud put your body...I mean, under the water where...in the City of the Ancients..."
Aeris nodded. "The lifestream knew where it was."
Yuffie's face contorted strangely and it took a moment for the other's to realize that she was about to cry. Before the tears began to flow, though, she ducked forward and, after hugging Aeris fiercely, ran through the doors to the hold, nearly knocking Vincent off of his feet. Vincent watched her curiously for a moment before turning and approaching Aeris.
Out of the corner of her eye, Aeris saw Red XIII padding up beside Tifa. She couldn't stop smiling. They were all here. Tears came to her eyes and she let them run their course unhindered. "You have no idea how good it is to be back, with all of you," she managed to say.
Tifa giggled happily through her own tears and hugged her again. Aeris crouched and put her arms around Red XIII. He gave a rumbling chuckle and purred in her ear. Aeris picked Cait Sith up from his moogle and kissed his nose. Once back on his stuffed mog, Cait Sith looked away in embarrassment.
"Aw, gosh," he muttered.
Barret gave a lopsided grin and pulled the girl into a crushing embrace. Once recovered, Aeris turned to Vincent. He looked at her stoically and then glanced at the others.
"Oh, c'mon Vince!" Barret boomed. "It won't kill ya to give her a hug."
Vincent seemed to heave a silent sigh before opening his arms to accept her. She stepped forward, grinning, and wrapped her arms around his thin torso. After an awkward moment, he put his own arms around her, returning the embrace.
Aeris stepped back and looked at all of them. She wanted to laugh, to cry, to shout, to dance, to sing. She was alive, she was back! She was with those people she cared about the most. The world was safe. She didn't think she could be happier.
Cid suddenly cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him. He didn't look back, but continued to fly the ship. "Uh, are we going any place specific or d'ya want me just to land her now? Cause, if I land her, there's no chance in the high heavens of getting her back in the air again."
Red XIII was the first to speak. "Take us to Cosmo Canyon. I would be honored if you would all be my guests for the night." He turned to look at them, and then his eyes stopped on Aeris. "Besides, I think I would like to be with all of you for one evening as friends, not as comrades in war, before we all go our separate ways."
Aeris nodded and saw Tifa doing the same. She definitely wanted the chance to see all of her friends before the group was split up, perhaps forever. She hadn't really thought that this would come to an end, but of course some of them had lives to go back to, some had new lives to start. They couldn't just fly around the world together indefinitely.
"Cosmo Canyon it is," Cid said over the rush of the wind.
It was creeping toward late afternoon by the time Cid landed the ship outside of Cosmo Canyon. As Cid had feared, the motor died with a horrible sound as he turned it off. When he tried to start the Highwind up again, it sputtered unencouragingly before breathing its last. Cid sighed deeply and patted the control panel.
"She was a good ship," he said, closing his eyes in the spirit of the eulogy.
"Trustworthy," Red XIII added.
"Saw our asses through a whole lot," Barret muttered.
"Well, we'd better get going," Cloud observed, by now recovered from his fainting spell.
"Just gimme a damn minute!" Cid snapped.
"Can't you fix it?" Tifa asked.
Cid shrugged. "Maybe, but I'd need a crew, and my tools."
"You could stay at Cosmo Canyon until finished with the repairs," Red offered. "My home is open to any of you who ever wish to visit."
A half-smile brightened Cid's face, returning it somewhat to its usual cockiness. "Maybe I'll take you up on that," he replied.
Red nodded. "We'll ready things for you."
Thankfully, the rope ladder was still mostly intact after the escape from the Northern Crater. Cloud descended first, followed by Tifa, and then Aeris. Cid went next. Barret stood on the deck, staring at the ladder morosely.
"What's wrong?" Vincent asked him.
"I hate climbin' up an' down this stupid thing!" Barret complained.
"Aw, c'mon Barret," Yuffie said cheerfully. "It's not that hard. Watch me!" With that, the ninja girl nimbly scaled the ladder.
Barret swore and looked at Vincent. "You wanna go first?" he asked.
"I have my own way," Vincent intoned, vaulting himself up and over the railing. Barret watched in shock as the man dropped down, hair and cloak fluttering, to land, unharmed, in a crouched position on the ground. "Show-off," he muttered under his breath, looking at Red XIII and Cait Sith.
"To quote Vincent, 'I have my own way'," Red answered, clearing the railing with an impressive jump and landing smoothly on his feet at the bottom.
Cait Sith put his megaphone to his lips and counted off, "One, two, three, GO!!" The moogle shot forward and bounced into the air. It landed on the ground with barely a sound.
Barret cursed again and, after a moment, hesitantly climbed over the railing onto the ladder. He descended slowly, having only one hand with which to hold onto the rope rung above him as he stepped down, one rung at a time.
By the time he had reached the bottom, all of the others had already entered Cosmo Canyon. He cursed once again, but caught himself. If he was going home to Marlene tomorrow he would have to clean up his language.
Unlike many other towns, Cosmo Canyon came to life in the evening. People gathered around the Eternal Flame to hear stories; some toured the shops, or stopped in at the cafe for a drink and socializing; some found a cozy place to sit and watch the magnificent sunset. Barret could hear a story just starting up near the fire and would've enjoyed nothing more than to sit on the outskirts of the crowd and listen, but he was hungry and he could smell the Cosmo Canyon cuisine. It made his stomach grumble loudly.
He entered the caves and was directed to the dining area by a man he recognized from their first visit. With a gruff acknowledgment, he walked into the room.
The first thing he noticed was the overpowering scent of food. A veritable smorgasbord lay on the woven mat that served as a table, and the others were already helping themselves. Grabbing a plate, he dropped to his knees and began piling his plate high with food.
"Hey!" Yuffie protested from where she sat against the wall, her mouth full. "Leave some seconds for the rest of us!"
Barret ignored her and continued until he was satisfied. He then stood and looked around for a place to sit. In one corner, Red sat with Cloud, talking in quiet tones, their plates barely touched in their laps. In the corner diagonal from Cloud and Red sat Aeris and Tifa. They seemed to be talking seriously, every once in a while picking a tidbit from their plate. Aeris suddenly let out a muffled giggle and the two huddled closer. Against one wall sat Vincent, Cid, and Cait Sith. Barret stepped over to them and sat down.
"Hey," he said, picking up a piece of sweet-smelling fresh bread lathered in butter and stuffing it into his mouth.
"Hey yourself," Cid replied, licking some sauce from his fingers, his gloves in his lap. His plate was already half empty.
Vincent nodded a greeting, just finishing up what was on his plate. In a moment, he was up and getting some more. His plate matched Barret's by the time he turned to sit back down. Cid stared as Vincent began to eat with vigor.
"You'll give yourself horrible indigestion that way," Cait Sith observed, himself refraining from eating for obvious reasons.
Vincent shrugged and didn't slow his pace.
Barret cleared his throat and continued eating. "So," he began finally, "where're you guys goin' tomorrow?"
"Home," Cid answered. "Back to Rocket Town, I guess. And then back here to fix the Highwind."
"I'll probably go back to the Gold Saucer," Cait said. "Maybe start up my fortune telling business again."
Barret looked at Vincent, still surprised by the speed with which the man was eating. "What 'bout you, Vince?"
Vincent looked up and finished what was in his mouth, running his one hand over his mouth discreetly. "To Lucrecia's cave," he replied. "I have to tell her the truth about Sephiroth."
"What about you, Barret?" Cid asked, chewing. "Where're you going?"
Barret shrugged a little. "To get Marlene. Then, I guess, back to Midgar."
"Going to start up in another sector?" Cait asked.
Barret shrugged again. "Dunno. Or maybe I'll go to North Corel, make things right. Lots of memories in Midgar." He said this last part quietly, as if to himself.
Cid nodded. "Sounds good."
Vincent finished the last bit of food on his plate and breathed deeply. And then he stood and went to get some more.
Barret watched him incredulously. "How can such a skinny man eat so damn much?" he wondered.
Cid shook his head helplessly. Cait Sith chuckled.
Red XIII scooped the last bite from his plate with his tongue and got to his feet. Giving an acknowledging nod to everyone in the room, he left.
"Where's he goin'?" Barret asked to no one in particular as Vincent sat back down next to him, his plate piled high again.
Cloud approached from his corner and sat beside Barret. "Red said we'll understand in a while. For right now, we can go wherever we please, as long as we meet at the Eternal Flame once the sun sets."
Aeris and Tifa stood from their corner and came to sit in front of the others, by now finished their meals. Yuffie followed and sat between Aeris and Cait.
"So, what's happening?" Yuffie asked.
"What do you mean 'What's happening?'" Cait asked. "We're all sitting around Cosmo Canyon staring at each other."
Yuffie punched the moogle, almost sending the small cat to the floor. "Shut-up!" she shouted. "I mean, 'What's up?' What's everyone been talking about? I always seem to get left out of things."
Aeris suddenly started laughing behind a hand. Everyone turned to look at her. "What is it?" Tifa asked, starting to laugh herself.
Aeris sighed, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'd forgotten how much I missed this, being with all of you. I even missed Cait's meaningless remarks and Yuffie's whining."
"Hey!" Yuffie and Cait objected together.
Barret rolled his eyes.
"I'm going to see my mother tomorrow," Aeris started. "Barret, you said she took Marlene to Kalm?"
Barret looked at Aeris and nodded. "I'll come wit' ya, Aeris," he said.
"So will I." Tifa ran a hand absently through her bangs. "I think I want to start up another Seventh Heaven." She turned to look at Cloud. "What about you?"
Cloud shrugged. "I guess I'll come with you guys. I have no home now. Kalm seems as good a place as any to settle down in." To be forgotten in...
It wasn't said, but Barret could hear the implication louder than any spoken word. Sure, maybe at one point along the journey he had hoped to be recognized for what he was doing, but once he had found his true motive for this mission, Marlene, recognition made no difference. And now, he was almost afraid of it. He just wanted to get on with his life, as if nothing had happened. Looking around at the faces of his friends, he guessed that they all wanted the same thing. Except for Vincent. His expression was unreadable as he cleaned off his third plate of food. Finishing the last bite, he leaned his head back and sighed. Everyone looked at him. He glanced around at them.
"Yes?" he asked after a moment.
Cid threw a hand up in the air and began to pull a cigarette from the package he had tucked into his goggles. "You got a hollow leg? Where'd you put all of that?"
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Turning into Chaos during the battle with Sephiroth took a lot out of me," he admitted. "I was hungry."
"I'll say," Yuffie muttered, looking longingly at the almost empty dishes of food left on the mat. "I didn't get thirds."
Barret felt like throwing something at the girl, but there was nothing suitable nearby. "Stop yer whinin'!" he exclaimed instead.
"Yeah," Tifa added. "Your father will probably have a big feast in your honor when you return."
Yuffie's eyes widened. "Hey, you're right! I'm coming back from saving the world! The celebration should last for weeks!"
Barret shook his head. Well, most of them didn't want recognition.
"Oh, and, um, speaking of going home..." Yuffie suddenly found her hands terribly interesting. "I was wondering if, uh, I could have everyone's materia to take back to Wutai," she mumbled into her lap.
Barret gave a short bark of laughter. "Yeah, in yer dreams, girl!"
Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "Shut-up! I've had to put up with all of you guys this whole trip! I should get something in return!"
Barret's eyebrows shot up. Cid and Cait Sith burst into riotous laughter.
Yuffie glared at all of them. "What is so funny?" she asked, scowling.
Cid slapped a hand on his knee. "You've...heh, heh...had to put up with us. Ha, ha, ha! That's a good one!"
Barret was having trouble keeping himself from joining in the laughter. He could see Cloud chuckling quietly while the two girls covered their mouths, attempting to straighten their grins. Even Vincent's lips were twitching.
Yuffie jumped to her feet angrily. "None of you had better sleep tonight!" she yelled. "I'm going to rob you all blind when you least expect it!" With that, she stormed out of the room.
After everyone had calmed down some, Tifa, wiping watery eyes, said, "Maybe one of us should go after her."
"Nah, we should give her time to cool down," Cloud said. "I, for one, don't have a death wish. But everyone might want to hide their valuables before going to bed."
The group of them decided to split up and wander around Cosmo Canyon until the sunset was finished. Tifa and Aeris said they had some shopping they wanted to do; Cait Sith was going to try to start up a game of cards with the locals; Cid wanted to check out the observatory; Cloud took off to find Buganhagan; Vincent left without saying where he was going.
Barret stood and followed the others out, no clear destination in mind. He walked by the Eternal Flame, but no story telling was happening now. Curious, he watched the flickering flames, wondering what Red was planning for them tonight. It was probably some celebration in their honor, but Cosmo Canyon style. That meant it could be just about anything, and he didn't feel like trying to guess.
He strolled around, popping in and out of shops, wandering the grounds, looking at the dwindling sunset. At one point he came upon Tifa and Aeris, but they shoved him out the door again, saying he couldn't see what they were buying. The next shop he entered was the materia shop. Not unexpectedly, he found Yuffie crouched down by the glass-encased materia, examining the shiny orbs in wonder.
"Hey, Yuff," he said in greeting.
Yuffie looked at him over her shoulder before scoffing and turning back to the materia. "You again," she said sulkily.
"Yeah." Barret suddenly felt bad for snapping at Yuffie earlier. They had all just saved the planet together, and she had fought well against Sephiroth. He scratched the back of his head with his hand. "Um, Yuff, I'm sorry 'bout what I said to ya earlier. I mean, we'll probably never need to use magic again, God willin'. An' I'd be jus' as glad to get rid a the stuff." He ran a hand over his beard. "If no one's gotta problem wit' it, I'll let ya have my materia."
Yuffie got slowly to her feet and turned around. She was grinning from ear to ear. "You really mean it, Barret?" she asked.
Barret nodded. With a squeal of joy, Yuffie ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you! Thank you! I take back half the nasty things I said to you."
"Half?"
Yuffie took a step back and put her hands on her hips. "My dignity is worth more than materia," she said. "Don't think for one second that you can buy me off that easy!"
Barret chuckled, shaking his head. Same old Yuffie.
"Ya know," she began, grinding one toe into the floor. "I always thought you hated me. All of you. I thought you only tolerated me because of my fighting abilities, which are impressive. I always felt like I was on the outside, as if I never really belonged in the group. It was like, all of you were friends, and I was just...there."
"Nah." Barret waved a hand dismissively. "You were jus' a pain in the ass is all."
Yuffie scowled and took a playful swing at him. He dodged and quickly ducked out of the shop. Yuffie ceased her pursuit at the door, shouting at him incoherently.
As if avoiding oncoming enemy fire, Barret slipped into the shop nearest to him. Glancing around while he struggled to catch his breath, he saw that he was in the weapons shop. At the counter stood Vincent, his Death Penalty held slack in his metal hand. He pointed at a gun on the wall behind the store owner. The owner turned and retrieved it for him. Vincent thanked him and proceeded to flip the gun around his finger dizzyingly a few times before sheathing it in the holster at his hip.
"Good weight," he commented absently, handing the weapon back and pointing at another. As the owner brought this one to him, Barret approached.
"Whatcha doin', Vince?" Barret asked.
Vincent didn't answer, but flipped the new gun in his hand around in much the same manner as the previous one, holstering it deftly.
"Are you gonna buy another gun?"
Vincent looked up, his red eyes glowing dully. "No," he answered simply. He looked the gun over in interest before handing it back to the man behind the counter. "I'm thinking."
Barret frowned in confusion. The caped man always seemed to be thinking about something, his face permanently set in a brooding expression. But he rarely ever spoke his thoughts aloud to anyone. Nevertheless, Barret plunged ahead. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"
Vincent looked up as if shocked that Barret had dared to venture into his privacy, but his face betrayed no emotion. "I am wondering what gift to buy for Lucrecia," he admitted finally, unholstering the gun and rubbing its cool surface with his thumb.
It was Barret's turn to be shocked. Vincent did not strike him as the romantic type. But maybe that was why he was in a weapons shop looking for a gift for Lucrecia.
"Well," Barret began, trying to recall how he had wooed his own wife, "women like flowers."
Vincent shook his head, handing the gun back to the man and holstering the Death Penalty. "It has to be something special," he murmured.
"How about jewelry?" suggested the store owner helpfully. "My wife loves wearing rings and necklaces."
Vincent shrugged and walked to the door, leaning on the frame wearily. "The sunset is finished," he observed.
Barret joined his friend at the door and peered out. As stated, the sun had finally dropped below the horizon, dark blues and purples tinting the darkening sky to the west. Glancing momentarily at the Eternal Flame, he could see that people had already started gathering.
Vincent stepped out of the door and Barret followed at his heels. Yuffie rushed out of the materia shop as they passed by, waving a hand to catch their attention. "Wait for me!" she shouted, falling in step beside Barret.
Barret cast her a sidelong glance. "Hope you left some materia for the rest a Cosmo Canyon," he joked.
Yuffie punched him in the arm. "I'm not always stealing materia," she muttered.
"Yeah, but the rest a the time I bet yer thinkin' about it."
Yuffie scoffed. "Vincent," she cried, slapping the man's caped arm. "D'ya hear what this buffoon is saying about me?"
Vincent didn't turn to look at her, but his voice floated over his shoulder to them. "The truth hurts sometimes."
Yuffie pushed Vincent forward angrily, causing him to stumble a step, before running off to seat herself beside Tifa and Aeris who had already arrived. She stuck out her tongue at them before turning away.
The crowd was growing larger by the moment. Barret quickened his steps, patting Vincent on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's get some seats before there ain't none left."
Vincent nodded. They scanned the area for seats without success until Cloud stood amongst the denizens of the Canyon and started waving his hands.
"Hey, guys, over here!"
Barret started in that direction, Vincent following. Stepping carefully to avoid badly placed hands, feet and other assorted limbs, he made his way slowly over to his friends who were all seated in a group in front of the Flame. He sat next to Cloud. Vincent lowered himself beside Barret, looking around uneasily at all of the people surrounding him. Barret pitied the poor, reclusive man, seeing him start as an unknown woman accidentally brushed against him as she sat down at his other side. Upon seeing his claw, she moved over. Vincent seemed to sigh silently in relief.
"So, where's Red?" Barret asked Cloud over the chattering of the other people.
Cloud shrugged. And then he pointed through the crowd. Barret strained his eyes and eventually saw their feline friend making his way up to the Flame. He hopped up onto the rock and greeted everyone solemnly. The crowd became quiet.
"Tonight, we have the very great pleasure of hearing our esteemed mentor, my beloved grandfather Buganhagan, tell a tale no one has yet heard."
Everyone began to talk in hushed tones. They settled again as the old man seemed to float up beside Red XIII. Red took a seat next to Aeris and nodded to his friends. Barret smiled and returned his attention to the aged man standing beside the Eternal Flame.
Without any kind of introduction, Buganhagan began his story, his voice calm and captivating. Even the fire seemed to quiet itself as if listening, enraptured.
"Once there was a group of very noble men and women, chosen by the planet to risk their lives in order to save humanity, indeed, the entire world. The leader of this group was a man with hair like the sun and eyes like the ocean. The task chosen for them involved the death of a monstrous, white-haired demon..."
Barret gave a rumbling chuckle and nudged Cloud in the ribs. "I think I've heard this one before," he whispered.
Cloud smiled, leaning back to enjoy the tale.
Avalanche watched from the Highwind as the tendrils snaked along the ground from all directions like so many eels, all heading for Midgar. They writhed and danced, shedding a fluorescent glow so bright one had to squint to continue viewing. Once the last bit of lifestream was on its way, the tendrils began to ascend, climbing the meteor, covering it gradually, almost gently, as if wrapping a priceless treasure in a piece of incandescent cloth. Eventually, no part of the meteor was showing, its horrifying structure blanketed completely.
The lifestream continued to envelop the meteor until no lifestream was left on the planet. The meteor had become a huge glowing ball in the sky over Midgar. And then the ball began to diminish. The lifestream was slowly closing in, eating away at the meteor until there was nothing left.
Cid muttered an oath. Tifa's eyes were filled with tears.
"Beautiful," Red XIII observed.
The lifestream withdrew from Midgar and drifted back along the earth, each tendril returning to its place. Except for one. Once under the Highwind, it started winding upward. It hugged the side of the damaged ship and eventually made its way to the deck where it collected into a pile. Everyone backed away from it alarm. Vincent pulled the Death Penalty from its holster at his hip.
The pile of glowing substance began to form, swirling upward until it stood somewhere over five feet tall. It then started to take shape, molding a head, a body, and then features. Before it had even finished sculpting, the form was recognizable.
It was Aeris.
Everyone stared at her in amazement.
Aeris smiled tearfully, and then laughed, her cheeks becoming wet. "We did it!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air.
Cloud was the first to take a step toward her. "Aeris?" he whispered.
She nodded, still grinning with tears running down her face. "The planet gave me my life back in payment for...for my sacrifice. It wants to thank all of you for what you did."
Oblivious to her words, Cloud reached out a shaking hand. Aeris took it and squeezed his fingers. "I am real," she said softly.
Cloud suddenly crumpled to the deck in front of her. The members of Avalanche all started forward. Aeris held up a restraining hand and knelt down beside him, running her hand through his hair gently. He was unconscious. She smiled and looked up at the others. Cid looked as if his eyes were about to bug out of his head. Tifa had one hand over her mouth as she trembled where she stood, attempting to hold back a flood of tears. Red XIII was gazing at her gently with his one eye. Cait Sith was leaning so far forward on his moogle that it looked as if he were ready to topple. Barret had his hand behind his neck, his brow furrowed. Yuffie was staring, for once at a loss for words. Vincent stood, his expression unreadable as always, his gun hanging loosely in his hand.
"Vincent?"
The man looked up from Cloud's still body to meet her eyes.
"Will you take Cloud into the hold?"
Vincent stared for a moment as if not understanding, but then started forward. He bent down to pick Cloud up, but then had to straighten to put his gun away. Aeris giggled. He crouched down again and glanced at her, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he realized that she had caught him, for once, flustered. He put his mechanical arm under Cloud's shoulders and his good arm behind their leader's knees, lifting him with ease. Aeris stood with him, smiling, and touched his shoulder. Vincent looked at her for a moment longer than necessary before turning and walking toward the hold.
Aeris looked toward Cid. The man seemed to be looking through her.
"Cid?"
"Huh?" The pilot looked at her face, startled out of his reverie.
"Cid, the ship is pretty badly damaged. You may want to land somewhere before it falls out of the sky on its own."
Cid nodded slowly after a moment. "Y-yeah. Right." He turned to the controls, having now to fly the ship himself since dismissing the pilots in training. He had made the decision to stay with the mission when Cloud had asked them all to find a reason for fighting. His reason had been simple enough, though he hadn't allowed himself to acknowledge it for the longest time. He loved Shera. He wanted a family. And he wanted his unborn children to have a promising future. The pilots had gone back to Rocket Town, wishing Cid good luck in defeating Sephiroth. Cid almost killed the engine trying to start the ship's motor when it was already running. He swore, remembering they were already in the air, and began piloting.
Aeris looked from Cid to see Tifa and Barret approaching her hesitantly, Yuffie and Cait Sith not far behind. She smiled and drew nearer to them.
"How...?" Tifa began, but then had to stop, her voice choked with unshed tears.
Aeris pulled her friend into a hug. Tifa began to sob. "How can you...be here?" she asked haltingly.
Aeris withdrew. "The lifestream brought me back to life," she explained again. "It wanted to give me something in return for my help."
"But, but your body..." Yuffie began, stepping up beside Barret. "We saw Cloud put your body...I mean, under the water where...in the City of the Ancients..."
Aeris nodded. "The lifestream knew where it was."
Yuffie's face contorted strangely and it took a moment for the other's to realize that she was about to cry. Before the tears began to flow, though, she ducked forward and, after hugging Aeris fiercely, ran through the doors to the hold, nearly knocking Vincent off of his feet. Vincent watched her curiously for a moment before turning and approaching Aeris.
Out of the corner of her eye, Aeris saw Red XIII padding up beside Tifa. She couldn't stop smiling. They were all here. Tears came to her eyes and she let them run their course unhindered. "You have no idea how good it is to be back, with all of you," she managed to say.
Tifa giggled happily through her own tears and hugged her again. Aeris crouched and put her arms around Red XIII. He gave a rumbling chuckle and purred in her ear. Aeris picked Cait Sith up from his moogle and kissed his nose. Once back on his stuffed mog, Cait Sith looked away in embarrassment.
"Aw, gosh," he muttered.
Barret gave a lopsided grin and pulled the girl into a crushing embrace. Once recovered, Aeris turned to Vincent. He looked at her stoically and then glanced at the others.
"Oh, c'mon Vince!" Barret boomed. "It won't kill ya to give her a hug."
Vincent seemed to heave a silent sigh before opening his arms to accept her. She stepped forward, grinning, and wrapped her arms around his thin torso. After an awkward moment, he put his own arms around her, returning the embrace.
Aeris stepped back and looked at all of them. She wanted to laugh, to cry, to shout, to dance, to sing. She was alive, she was back! She was with those people she cared about the most. The world was safe. She didn't think she could be happier.
Cid suddenly cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him. He didn't look back, but continued to fly the ship. "Uh, are we going any place specific or d'ya want me just to land her now? Cause, if I land her, there's no chance in the high heavens of getting her back in the air again."
Red XIII was the first to speak. "Take us to Cosmo Canyon. I would be honored if you would all be my guests for the night." He turned to look at them, and then his eyes stopped on Aeris. "Besides, I think I would like to be with all of you for one evening as friends, not as comrades in war, before we all go our separate ways."
Aeris nodded and saw Tifa doing the same. She definitely wanted the chance to see all of her friends before the group was split up, perhaps forever. She hadn't really thought that this would come to an end, but of course some of them had lives to go back to, some had new lives to start. They couldn't just fly around the world together indefinitely.
"Cosmo Canyon it is," Cid said over the rush of the wind.
It was creeping toward late afternoon by the time Cid landed the ship outside of Cosmo Canyon. As Cid had feared, the motor died with a horrible sound as he turned it off. When he tried to start the Highwind up again, it sputtered unencouragingly before breathing its last. Cid sighed deeply and patted the control panel.
"She was a good ship," he said, closing his eyes in the spirit of the eulogy.
"Trustworthy," Red XIII added.
"Saw our asses through a whole lot," Barret muttered.
"Well, we'd better get going," Cloud observed, by now recovered from his fainting spell.
"Just gimme a damn minute!" Cid snapped.
"Can't you fix it?" Tifa asked.
Cid shrugged. "Maybe, but I'd need a crew, and my tools."
"You could stay at Cosmo Canyon until finished with the repairs," Red offered. "My home is open to any of you who ever wish to visit."
A half-smile brightened Cid's face, returning it somewhat to its usual cockiness. "Maybe I'll take you up on that," he replied.
Red nodded. "We'll ready things for you."
Thankfully, the rope ladder was still mostly intact after the escape from the Northern Crater. Cloud descended first, followed by Tifa, and then Aeris. Cid went next. Barret stood on the deck, staring at the ladder morosely.
"What's wrong?" Vincent asked him.
"I hate climbin' up an' down this stupid thing!" Barret complained.
"Aw, c'mon Barret," Yuffie said cheerfully. "It's not that hard. Watch me!" With that, the ninja girl nimbly scaled the ladder.
Barret swore and looked at Vincent. "You wanna go first?" he asked.
"I have my own way," Vincent intoned, vaulting himself up and over the railing. Barret watched in shock as the man dropped down, hair and cloak fluttering, to land, unharmed, in a crouched position on the ground. "Show-off," he muttered under his breath, looking at Red XIII and Cait Sith.
"To quote Vincent, 'I have my own way'," Red answered, clearing the railing with an impressive jump and landing smoothly on his feet at the bottom.
Cait Sith put his megaphone to his lips and counted off, "One, two, three, GO!!" The moogle shot forward and bounced into the air. It landed on the ground with barely a sound.
Barret cursed again and, after a moment, hesitantly climbed over the railing onto the ladder. He descended slowly, having only one hand with which to hold onto the rope rung above him as he stepped down, one rung at a time.
By the time he had reached the bottom, all of the others had already entered Cosmo Canyon. He cursed once again, but caught himself. If he was going home to Marlene tomorrow he would have to clean up his language.
Unlike many other towns, Cosmo Canyon came to life in the evening. People gathered around the Eternal Flame to hear stories; some toured the shops, or stopped in at the cafe for a drink and socializing; some found a cozy place to sit and watch the magnificent sunset. Barret could hear a story just starting up near the fire and would've enjoyed nothing more than to sit on the outskirts of the crowd and listen, but he was hungry and he could smell the Cosmo Canyon cuisine. It made his stomach grumble loudly.
He entered the caves and was directed to the dining area by a man he recognized from their first visit. With a gruff acknowledgment, he walked into the room.
The first thing he noticed was the overpowering scent of food. A veritable smorgasbord lay on the woven mat that served as a table, and the others were already helping themselves. Grabbing a plate, he dropped to his knees and began piling his plate high with food.
"Hey!" Yuffie protested from where she sat against the wall, her mouth full. "Leave some seconds for the rest of us!"
Barret ignored her and continued until he was satisfied. He then stood and looked around for a place to sit. In one corner, Red sat with Cloud, talking in quiet tones, their plates barely touched in their laps. In the corner diagonal from Cloud and Red sat Aeris and Tifa. They seemed to be talking seriously, every once in a while picking a tidbit from their plate. Aeris suddenly let out a muffled giggle and the two huddled closer. Against one wall sat Vincent, Cid, and Cait Sith. Barret stepped over to them and sat down.
"Hey," he said, picking up a piece of sweet-smelling fresh bread lathered in butter and stuffing it into his mouth.
"Hey yourself," Cid replied, licking some sauce from his fingers, his gloves in his lap. His plate was already half empty.
Vincent nodded a greeting, just finishing up what was on his plate. In a moment, he was up and getting some more. His plate matched Barret's by the time he turned to sit back down. Cid stared as Vincent began to eat with vigor.
"You'll give yourself horrible indigestion that way," Cait Sith observed, himself refraining from eating for obvious reasons.
Vincent shrugged and didn't slow his pace.
Barret cleared his throat and continued eating. "So," he began finally, "where're you guys goin' tomorrow?"
"Home," Cid answered. "Back to Rocket Town, I guess. And then back here to fix the Highwind."
"I'll probably go back to the Gold Saucer," Cait said. "Maybe start up my fortune telling business again."
Barret looked at Vincent, still surprised by the speed with which the man was eating. "What 'bout you, Vince?"
Vincent looked up and finished what was in his mouth, running his one hand over his mouth discreetly. "To Lucrecia's cave," he replied. "I have to tell her the truth about Sephiroth."
"What about you, Barret?" Cid asked, chewing. "Where're you going?"
Barret shrugged a little. "To get Marlene. Then, I guess, back to Midgar."
"Going to start up in another sector?" Cait asked.
Barret shrugged again. "Dunno. Or maybe I'll go to North Corel, make things right. Lots of memories in Midgar." He said this last part quietly, as if to himself.
Cid nodded. "Sounds good."
Vincent finished the last bit of food on his plate and breathed deeply. And then he stood and went to get some more.
Barret watched him incredulously. "How can such a skinny man eat so damn much?" he wondered.
Cid shook his head helplessly. Cait Sith chuckled.
Red XIII scooped the last bite from his plate with his tongue and got to his feet. Giving an acknowledging nod to everyone in the room, he left.
"Where's he goin'?" Barret asked to no one in particular as Vincent sat back down next to him, his plate piled high again.
Cloud approached from his corner and sat beside Barret. "Red said we'll understand in a while. For right now, we can go wherever we please, as long as we meet at the Eternal Flame once the sun sets."
Aeris and Tifa stood from their corner and came to sit in front of the others, by now finished their meals. Yuffie followed and sat between Aeris and Cait.
"So, what's happening?" Yuffie asked.
"What do you mean 'What's happening?'" Cait asked. "We're all sitting around Cosmo Canyon staring at each other."
Yuffie punched the moogle, almost sending the small cat to the floor. "Shut-up!" she shouted. "I mean, 'What's up?' What's everyone been talking about? I always seem to get left out of things."
Aeris suddenly started laughing behind a hand. Everyone turned to look at her. "What is it?" Tifa asked, starting to laugh herself.
Aeris sighed, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'd forgotten how much I missed this, being with all of you. I even missed Cait's meaningless remarks and Yuffie's whining."
"Hey!" Yuffie and Cait objected together.
Barret rolled his eyes.
"I'm going to see my mother tomorrow," Aeris started. "Barret, you said she took Marlene to Kalm?"
Barret looked at Aeris and nodded. "I'll come wit' ya, Aeris," he said.
"So will I." Tifa ran a hand absently through her bangs. "I think I want to start up another Seventh Heaven." She turned to look at Cloud. "What about you?"
Cloud shrugged. "I guess I'll come with you guys. I have no home now. Kalm seems as good a place as any to settle down in." To be forgotten in...
It wasn't said, but Barret could hear the implication louder than any spoken word. Sure, maybe at one point along the journey he had hoped to be recognized for what he was doing, but once he had found his true motive for this mission, Marlene, recognition made no difference. And now, he was almost afraid of it. He just wanted to get on with his life, as if nothing had happened. Looking around at the faces of his friends, he guessed that they all wanted the same thing. Except for Vincent. His expression was unreadable as he cleaned off his third plate of food. Finishing the last bite, he leaned his head back and sighed. Everyone looked at him. He glanced around at them.
"Yes?" he asked after a moment.
Cid threw a hand up in the air and began to pull a cigarette from the package he had tucked into his goggles. "You got a hollow leg? Where'd you put all of that?"
Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Turning into Chaos during the battle with Sephiroth took a lot out of me," he admitted. "I was hungry."
"I'll say," Yuffie muttered, looking longingly at the almost empty dishes of food left on the mat. "I didn't get thirds."
Barret felt like throwing something at the girl, but there was nothing suitable nearby. "Stop yer whinin'!" he exclaimed instead.
"Yeah," Tifa added. "Your father will probably have a big feast in your honor when you return."
Yuffie's eyes widened. "Hey, you're right! I'm coming back from saving the world! The celebration should last for weeks!"
Barret shook his head. Well, most of them didn't want recognition.
"Oh, and, um, speaking of going home..." Yuffie suddenly found her hands terribly interesting. "I was wondering if, uh, I could have everyone's materia to take back to Wutai," she mumbled into her lap.
Barret gave a short bark of laughter. "Yeah, in yer dreams, girl!"
Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "Shut-up! I've had to put up with all of you guys this whole trip! I should get something in return!"
Barret's eyebrows shot up. Cid and Cait Sith burst into riotous laughter.
Yuffie glared at all of them. "What is so funny?" she asked, scowling.
Cid slapped a hand on his knee. "You've...heh, heh...had to put up with us. Ha, ha, ha! That's a good one!"
Barret was having trouble keeping himself from joining in the laughter. He could see Cloud chuckling quietly while the two girls covered their mouths, attempting to straighten their grins. Even Vincent's lips were twitching.
Yuffie jumped to her feet angrily. "None of you had better sleep tonight!" she yelled. "I'm going to rob you all blind when you least expect it!" With that, she stormed out of the room.
After everyone had calmed down some, Tifa, wiping watery eyes, said, "Maybe one of us should go after her."
"Nah, we should give her time to cool down," Cloud said. "I, for one, don't have a death wish. But everyone might want to hide their valuables before going to bed."
The group of them decided to split up and wander around Cosmo Canyon until the sunset was finished. Tifa and Aeris said they had some shopping they wanted to do; Cait Sith was going to try to start up a game of cards with the locals; Cid wanted to check out the observatory; Cloud took off to find Buganhagan; Vincent left without saying where he was going.
Barret stood and followed the others out, no clear destination in mind. He walked by the Eternal Flame, but no story telling was happening now. Curious, he watched the flickering flames, wondering what Red was planning for them tonight. It was probably some celebration in their honor, but Cosmo Canyon style. That meant it could be just about anything, and he didn't feel like trying to guess.
He strolled around, popping in and out of shops, wandering the grounds, looking at the dwindling sunset. At one point he came upon Tifa and Aeris, but they shoved him out the door again, saying he couldn't see what they were buying. The next shop he entered was the materia shop. Not unexpectedly, he found Yuffie crouched down by the glass-encased materia, examining the shiny orbs in wonder.
"Hey, Yuff," he said in greeting.
Yuffie looked at him over her shoulder before scoffing and turning back to the materia. "You again," she said sulkily.
"Yeah." Barret suddenly felt bad for snapping at Yuffie earlier. They had all just saved the planet together, and she had fought well against Sephiroth. He scratched the back of his head with his hand. "Um, Yuff, I'm sorry 'bout what I said to ya earlier. I mean, we'll probably never need to use magic again, God willin'. An' I'd be jus' as glad to get rid a the stuff." He ran a hand over his beard. "If no one's gotta problem wit' it, I'll let ya have my materia."
Yuffie got slowly to her feet and turned around. She was grinning from ear to ear. "You really mean it, Barret?" she asked.
Barret nodded. With a squeal of joy, Yuffie ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you! Thank you! I take back half the nasty things I said to you."
"Half?"
Yuffie took a step back and put her hands on her hips. "My dignity is worth more than materia," she said. "Don't think for one second that you can buy me off that easy!"
Barret chuckled, shaking his head. Same old Yuffie.
"Ya know," she began, grinding one toe into the floor. "I always thought you hated me. All of you. I thought you only tolerated me because of my fighting abilities, which are impressive. I always felt like I was on the outside, as if I never really belonged in the group. It was like, all of you were friends, and I was just...there."
"Nah." Barret waved a hand dismissively. "You were jus' a pain in the ass is all."
Yuffie scowled and took a playful swing at him. He dodged and quickly ducked out of the shop. Yuffie ceased her pursuit at the door, shouting at him incoherently.
As if avoiding oncoming enemy fire, Barret slipped into the shop nearest to him. Glancing around while he struggled to catch his breath, he saw that he was in the weapons shop. At the counter stood Vincent, his Death Penalty held slack in his metal hand. He pointed at a gun on the wall behind the store owner. The owner turned and retrieved it for him. Vincent thanked him and proceeded to flip the gun around his finger dizzyingly a few times before sheathing it in the holster at his hip.
"Good weight," he commented absently, handing the weapon back and pointing at another. As the owner brought this one to him, Barret approached.
"Whatcha doin', Vince?" Barret asked.
Vincent didn't answer, but flipped the new gun in his hand around in much the same manner as the previous one, holstering it deftly.
"Are you gonna buy another gun?"
Vincent looked up, his red eyes glowing dully. "No," he answered simply. He looked the gun over in interest before handing it back to the man behind the counter. "I'm thinking."
Barret frowned in confusion. The caped man always seemed to be thinking about something, his face permanently set in a brooding expression. But he rarely ever spoke his thoughts aloud to anyone. Nevertheless, Barret plunged ahead. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"
Vincent looked up as if shocked that Barret had dared to venture into his privacy, but his face betrayed no emotion. "I am wondering what gift to buy for Lucrecia," he admitted finally, unholstering the gun and rubbing its cool surface with his thumb.
It was Barret's turn to be shocked. Vincent did not strike him as the romantic type. But maybe that was why he was in a weapons shop looking for a gift for Lucrecia.
"Well," Barret began, trying to recall how he had wooed his own wife, "women like flowers."
Vincent shook his head, handing the gun back to the man and holstering the Death Penalty. "It has to be something special," he murmured.
"How about jewelry?" suggested the store owner helpfully. "My wife loves wearing rings and necklaces."
Vincent shrugged and walked to the door, leaning on the frame wearily. "The sunset is finished," he observed.
Barret joined his friend at the door and peered out. As stated, the sun had finally dropped below the horizon, dark blues and purples tinting the darkening sky to the west. Glancing momentarily at the Eternal Flame, he could see that people had already started gathering.
Vincent stepped out of the door and Barret followed at his heels. Yuffie rushed out of the materia shop as they passed by, waving a hand to catch their attention. "Wait for me!" she shouted, falling in step beside Barret.
Barret cast her a sidelong glance. "Hope you left some materia for the rest a Cosmo Canyon," he joked.
Yuffie punched him in the arm. "I'm not always stealing materia," she muttered.
"Yeah, but the rest a the time I bet yer thinkin' about it."
Yuffie scoffed. "Vincent," she cried, slapping the man's caped arm. "D'ya hear what this buffoon is saying about me?"
Vincent didn't turn to look at her, but his voice floated over his shoulder to them. "The truth hurts sometimes."
Yuffie pushed Vincent forward angrily, causing him to stumble a step, before running off to seat herself beside Tifa and Aeris who had already arrived. She stuck out her tongue at them before turning away.
The crowd was growing larger by the moment. Barret quickened his steps, patting Vincent on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's get some seats before there ain't none left."
Vincent nodded. They scanned the area for seats without success until Cloud stood amongst the denizens of the Canyon and started waving his hands.
"Hey, guys, over here!"
Barret started in that direction, Vincent following. Stepping carefully to avoid badly placed hands, feet and other assorted limbs, he made his way slowly over to his friends who were all seated in a group in front of the Flame. He sat next to Cloud. Vincent lowered himself beside Barret, looking around uneasily at all of the people surrounding him. Barret pitied the poor, reclusive man, seeing him start as an unknown woman accidentally brushed against him as she sat down at his other side. Upon seeing his claw, she moved over. Vincent seemed to sigh silently in relief.
"So, where's Red?" Barret asked Cloud over the chattering of the other people.
Cloud shrugged. And then he pointed through the crowd. Barret strained his eyes and eventually saw their feline friend making his way up to the Flame. He hopped up onto the rock and greeted everyone solemnly. The crowd became quiet.
"Tonight, we have the very great pleasure of hearing our esteemed mentor, my beloved grandfather Buganhagan, tell a tale no one has yet heard."
Everyone began to talk in hushed tones. They settled again as the old man seemed to float up beside Red XIII. Red took a seat next to Aeris and nodded to his friends. Barret smiled and returned his attention to the aged man standing beside the Eternal Flame.
Without any kind of introduction, Buganhagan began his story, his voice calm and captivating. Even the fire seemed to quiet itself as if listening, enraptured.
"Once there was a group of very noble men and women, chosen by the planet to risk their lives in order to save humanity, indeed, the entire world. The leader of this group was a man with hair like the sun and eyes like the ocean. The task chosen for them involved the death of a monstrous, white-haired demon..."
Barret gave a rumbling chuckle and nudged Cloud in the ribs. "I think I've heard this one before," he whispered.
Cloud smiled, leaning back to enjoy the tale.