Disclaimer: I do not own any character. Just the story. :p

Prologue

"Everyone in the living world assumes that all else is sweeter in the afterlife. No more misery and pain and just eternal bliss. But now that I am here, I have figured it out. Yes—no more pain and oblivion, because everything around you had their lives taken already. Unlike in the living world, you can either decide to hurt yourself or the others, and you can completely lose your logic while trying to make a choice between killing others and suicide."

"I still believe that I could be happy in this world."

"You should be! You have nowhere to go even if you wish. Not even if you beg! The only ones that could be entirely happy in this dimension are those who do not have a choice and do not have the privilege of comparing."

"Comparing..?"

"Yes... Comparison! Isn't that right? You had your chance—we BOTH had our chance to live. We loved it in the living world, which is why we can compare. In the afterlife there is only pain and endless waiting for nothing. Exactly why do we hate pain? Because we had experience how it was to be happy… to feel joy and to smile. Compared to the feeling of bliss, pain is awful. We learned to hate it because we simply compare and contrast."

"Maybe it's true but you are not entirely correct."

"… Well then, you're already here! Take time to experience and you tell me something about it."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Not everything in this world goes accordingly, not even when you are a good person. Not even when you have saved the world twice. Cloud Strife knows that. But he is losing his judgment. This is so unfair, he thought, though he knew too well that there is nothing he could do further.

A disease ruptured his beloved Tifa's body and weakened her to the bone. It was not Geostigma or any kind of strange disease. It was a normal illness that is experienced by those who are living. Sooner, her body was doing no good and she began to lose hope. She is a strong person, Cloud knows that. But seeing the disease eat the life out of her everyday, he himself reluctantly wished that it would end her suffering soon.

Despite their prayers, Tifa became worse everyday, and the inevitable happened. Marlene ran to her room only to find her not resting anymore, but at the same time she was not in pain. Being a bright girl, she knew that the only thing that would stop Tifa's pain is death itself.

Seeing her suffer, all of them thought painfully that maybe it was her time. The thought of their good friend Aerith comforted them a bit. "Aerith will take care of her in the Lifestream, right?", a teary and hopeful Yuffie said, and everyone nodded in agreement, knowing that it was the only thing that they could find in that moment.

Cloud smiled to himself. The night before her death, Tifa called for him, wanting to talk about something, as if she already knew that her end was coming.

"Cloud… I've been hearing voices more often.", she whispered in a weak voice. Cloud listened hard.

"Tell me what they say."

"I don't understand. But I'm not scared whenever I hear them. They're ethereal… almost like angels."

Cloud knew what she meant. They are already welcoming her.

He looked down on her, regretfully showing her that he has accepted whatever that might mean. "Can you hear Aerith?"

"Yes.", Tifa answered, eyes closed with a smile.

The pain seared him like a burning sword thrust into his flesh. They are.. She is indeed welcoming her.

"Cloud… I'm happy that I've met you.", she was smiling but tears ran down her cheeks. Cloud cannot hide what was building within him as he looked upon her weak, thin form. Tears collected on his eyelids.

"I know it will hurt, but don't try to stop me from coming into the light, ok? Seeing you and our friends, Marlene and Denzel… it makes me feel better, but Aerith knows what's best.", she smiled. Cloud's tears stained her cheek.

For a long time, she could only hear his sobs. Quiet but lamenting, soft cries that she does not hear from him often. Cloud is a man of a few words, and he doesn't easily release his emotions, and she was proud that whenever he feels like doing so, he always considers reaching out to her. She let him cry and let it all out.

"Yes, Tifa… Aerith knows best."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Aerith knew it was coming.

In the afterlife, people would meet. People who do not know each other and people who do. She was special among them because of her powers, but she uses them to help the souls and make the Lifestream a deserving place for them to stay. Every once in a while, she talks to anyone of them, asking them how they feel, if they miss anyone , and other questions that show them she's concerned.

She is about to welcome one of her friends. All the dead people in Lifestream must feel her coming. Soon Tifa would join these souls in her care, and since all of these souls knew something about Aerith, they too would feel the coming of Tifa.

The souls would welcome her.

It is a good thing, Aerith thought. It's good to be welcomed to a place wherein you are new. I will tell the souls to make Tifa feel welcome.

Well except for one thing. Not all the souls in Lifestream are listening to Aerith. Particularly one.

As Aertih sent her message to all the souls, she concentrates further to make Tifa's coming fit, for she had been a good friend to her. She closes her eyes…

Kadaj… please do not block your thoughts…