Heavy silence hung in the cold air, its presence evoked by the incomprehensible act that had befallen the group of warriors. Words were lost in the throats of the comrades; they desperately wished to speak, yet not one could vocalize the emotions they felt. As the wind gave a frigid whisper, the silence became suffocating.

Warm tears wetted the blanched cheeks of the brunette martial artist as a single word fell from her lips, "No."

With tentative footsteps that echoed softly upon the stone altar, Tifa kneeled beside the body dressed in pink. Tenderly, Tifa's calloused hand brushed strands of hair from the still form's face, the familiar warmth quickly fading. As the bitter realization of the scene grasped Tifa's senses, she clasped a hand to her mouth, wails emerging from her with increasing intensity.

Even as a firm gloved hand clutched her shoulder, the cries continued relentlessly. Tifa's entire frame shook as she desperately clung to the flower girl's body in a final embrace, memories of Aerith cascading within her mind.

-

Tifa bit her lip anxiously as she stood within the eerie basement, her heart resonating inside her chest with pronounced beats. She locked her hands while she attempted to compose her strategy of escape, and as she was sorting through her disarrayed thoughts, she sensed a figure approaching.

The person approached her with hesitant yet expectant footsteps. Tifa's eyes widened slightly at the unforeseen intrusion, though when she was met with a sincere smile, the fear in her being was dispelled.

"Hello," the stranger spoke with a grin, her emerald eyes sparkling with mirth, "you must be Tifa. I've heard a lot about you!" A slight giggle followed the statement, its sound eliciting a smile from Tifa.

"Yes, I am," the brunette replied, curiosity lacing her response. "Who are you?"

"My name is Aerith." The woman continued her introduction with giggles intertwined with her words, her head bobbing slightly as laughter drifted from her pink lips. The winsome manner in which Aerith spoke made the corners of Tifa's mouth curl involuntarily, and a warmness spread inside of her being as she watched the cheerful woman. The small amount of light within the basement reflected off of Aerith's snow-colored materia, the lucent gleam seeming to further illuminate the young woman an in almost angelic fashion.

Within the dismal setting of the basement, their initial meeting was far from normal. However, they still managed to grow together as best friends throughout their ordeals in Midgar. When Aerith was captured by Shinra, Tifa placed the blame upon herself, and when the Cetran girl was rescued, Tifa was overwhelmed by tears of guilt. As Tifa embraced Aerith, her salty tears wetting the girl's familiar pink garb, Aerith gave a disarming smile that completely dismissed the notion of Tifa being at fault.

Aerith was an unfaltering optimist as the rebirth of Avalanche incessantly roamed the planet in search of Sephiroth. Nothing could rid Aerith's face of her perpetual grin, and her characteristic giggles were often uplifting to the team as they struggled to attain their goals. Frowns were commonplace upon Cloud's features, Barret and Cid regularly spewed curses, and even Yuffie was occasionally stricken by despair. Yet when Aerith's sincerest of smiles danced across her lips, and her bright chirp spoke words of encouragement, everyone seemed to forget their worries for a moment; even Vincent's tortured eyes would reflect a glimmer of hope.

To Tifa, Aerith was an embodiment of absolute faith. Her gentle touch could thwart a plant from decay, and she seemed to ignite a passion within people that previously lay dormant. As Tifa continued her friendship with the woman, her feelings evolved from admiration to desire. It was not simply a carnal desire, yet one of emotions; the martial artist yearned to understand the facets of Aerith's personality, desperately craving to comprehend the faith that seemed instinctive to the flower girl.

There was a bleak night the team spent within an inn, the inky canvas of the sky seemingly engulfing the shining specks scattered about it. The day's date hung heavily within Tifa's mind, her throat tight as she lay upon the downy bed after a day of constant combat. The darkness from outside seeped ominously into the room, its shadowy manifestation clinging to Tifa's figure. Firmly clutching a pillow, tears escaped Tifa's dark brown eyes as the date's significance pooled within her mind.

"Tifa?" Aerith's melodic voice sounded from the other side of the room, followed by the click of a lamp. Aerith was sitting upright on her bed, a worried expression upon her features. The two women frequently shared rooms during Avalanche's travels, and Aerith had always been adept at sensing sorrow, especially from the brunette martial artist. "Are you okay, Tifa?"

Tifa released her grip on the pillow, looking forlornly to the woman who had risen from her bed to sit beside her. "I'm sorry for worrying you," Tifa whispered hoarsely, a calloused hand wiping sticky tears from her face. "It's just… today…" At the utterance of the latter word, fresh tears began welling within Tifa's stained eyes.

Aerith tenderly wrapped an arm around the shivering form beside her, her chin resting softly upon Tifa's dark tresses. Aerith cooed sweetly to Tifa, her emerald eyes half-lidded as Tifa continued to sob.

Almost imperceptibly, Tifa thanked the woman. With a painful swallow, she began, "Today was the day that my mother died. It happened so long ago, yet still hurts. When I think about her, I think about everything else I've lost… my father… my hometown… It just feels so unbearable at times." Tifa gave a shudder against the woman, her eyes sliding closed. After a moment of silence, Tifa lifted her head, looking into Aerith's serene eyes. "I know I'm not the only person who has experienced loss. You have, too, Aerith, yet you're always so strong…" Tifa's voice had faded into an unfamiliar meekness, her brown eyes falling to the floor.

"One day," Aerith began, a smile playing delicately upon her lips, "I will see everyone again. We will all be together in the Lifestream, as one flowing consciousness, and we will never be separated again. Everyone who has left this planet is in the Lifestream now, and I know I'll join them one day." Aerith released a giggle, looking to Tifa with bright eyes. "No one disappears forever."

Tifa's tears had ceased, leaving trails of tightened skin upon her face. Her eyes were wide at Aerith's words, and her views on death shifted completely. "No one disappears forever," she repeated quietly, looking to the older woman with a slight smile. "Thank you, Aerith."

Aerith smiled in response, her slender fingers tenderly caressing Tifa's tear-stained cheeks. Responsively, Tifa's eyes fluttered closed, and she softly brushed her lips against Aerith's. A blush engulfed Tifa's features as she realized her actions, and apologies quickly fell from her mouth. With her familiar smile, Aerith leaned against Tifa, gently capturing her lips. Both their fingers and their souls entwined as the kiss deepened, and within that moment, there was not a single worry between them.

-

As Aerith's form was laid to rest in the waters of the Forgotten Capitol, Tifa's tears lessened with the flower girl's optimistic words echoing inside her mind. Managing a ghost of a smile, Tifa watched Aerith's body as it slowly sank, her angelic beauty remaining even after death.

In the slightest of whispers, Tifa spoke, "No one disappears forever."