Nope, Sqaure-Enix is still not inclined to handing Aeris over to me. Darn! (I might have to take the character by force soon…)

But, as of now, I still do not own Aeris, or any other copyrighted FF7 material for that matter.


Yes, yes, I know what you may be thinking: Aeris died, didn't she? How on earth did she rise from the grave to live a full life? Yeah, well, this series of loosely-connected babbles is concerned with the idea of what could have happened if Sephiroth failed to kill our favorite half-Cetra and everything turned out to be … hmmm … perfect. Although I have played with such a theme elsewhere (see Beyond Happily Ever After), I now present a whole lifetime – well, almost – of possibilities as compared to only one glimpse of what could have been. And yes, this is Cloris, or Cleris, or Clorith, or Clerith, or CloudAeris, or Cloud x Aeris, or whatever you'd wanna call it. Sorry, Clotis, but I'm an Aerist. (Oooh, I worship Aeris now?!) Hey, no offense, Teef's cool too, y'know.)

…..

…….

"No, you can't. Brides are not supposed to see the groom on the day of the wedding – until the wedding itself, of course."

Tifa Lockheart was trying her best to tie the bride's long coffee-colored hair into a bun. It did not help that her best friend Aeris' tresses were left too … um … freestyle (and by that Tifa meant "hanging around carelessly over her face") for too long, and that the brunette was fidgeting a lot. Heh. Jitters.

"Didn't hear it like that," piped in Yuffie, who was now 19 and, miraculously, properly attired for the wedding. She was attempting to apply some make-up on Aeris' face. "The superstition said that 'the groom cannot see his bride in her wedding dress before the wedding' or something like that. But then," Yuffie paused for a while, nodding, apparently thinking hard, "you already are wearing the wedding dress, sister." She took some time to gaze at the flower girl's white gown. It was long and flowing, leaving her smmoth shoulders bare, and it was shimmering like diamonds. A white silver pendant (with an emerald gem) accentuated her silky neck and her bright eyes. Wow. "So, it's a no go."

Tifa and Aeris stared into each other's eyes, red at green, for a moment before shaking their heads: the hyperactive ninja had just refuted her own premise for them. Surprise, surprise.

"But I wanna go see how Cloud's doing," the bride groaned. The mere sight of him would reassure her, for sure. His Chocobo hairstyle (she giggled at the thought of this), his tentative half-smile, his cocky nods, his beautiful sapphire eyes… that would be enough to calm her, really.

Who on the Planet came up with this whole marriage thing, anyway?

Oh, yeah. It was she. Whoops.

But she was the one being driven panicky! Waaaah!

Tifa clapped her long fighter's hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry. Cloud's alright. Promise," she spoke in a soothing voice, covertly brushing away Yuffie's horrible make-up job.

Cloud never felt more squeamish in his entire life. And that included seeing Jenova the first time around.

He was wearing a suit! A freaking suit! It did make him look prim and proper and all that, but it was so hot, he couldn't breathe! Cloud wondered whether he could actually survive from suffocation to get on with this wedding.

"Yo, Spike! Yeh gotta pull yerself together, y'know!"

Barret was slamming his back with a heavy prosthetic hand (which was actually a gun-arm in its inactive mode). Somehow, it was more painful that comforting. Thanks, Barret.

"You goddamn sonofab$$$h!" Cid growled. "That's nothin' compared to me and Shera. Hell, it was one heck of a f$$$in' weddin'."

Oh, yeah. Cid was positively throwing up back then. But the mental image didn't help, to be truthful. Heh. It was far from helpful.

"Relax, m'boy!" Cait Sith was saying. (Reeve said he was too busy with the WRO, so he didn't come.) "I'm sure Aeris is pretty composed herself right now."

"Yeah…" Cloud muttered. "I guess…"

Well, it was she who planted the whole idea into his head the first place.

"Oh, come on!" Barret roared at Cait Sith. "What d'ya robo-cat know 'bout freakin' marriages, in the firs' place?!"

"Excuse me, but I happen to be a human being controlling this stuffed feline," Reeve countered through Cait Sith's speech system.

"Well, tha' makes ya even more deranged, ain't it?!"

A large stuffed moogle began pounding its giant fists at Barret. "Take that! And that! And that!" screamed the fake cat.

"Well, as I once said, Cloud," the cat continued amid Barret activating his gun-arm and puncturing the moogle with bullets, "you two are perfect for each other. So no worries, okay?"

It was about a year ago, right after those Remnant stuff and all.

He was leaning against the safety railing outside the soaring Highwind (yes, "Highwind": Cid had the whole thing repaired as "Shera", but I'd prefer to still call it the "Highwind", sorry.)

And then, he found himself being joined with the person he loved more than anyone else in his entire life.

"Say, Cloud," she began, her hands clasped behind her back, swaying playfully. "We're heroes now, huh?"

"Erm, yeah, I guess," he answered, shrugging.

Aeris leaned on the rail, too. Now they were beside each other.

"And the Planet's safe and all."

"You know that better than I do. Do your Cetra thing, just to check."

She giggled at such a stupid suggestion. "The Planet is not omniscient, you know. Nor were the Cetra," she explained. "No one can be completely sure about everything. Not Shinra, not Sephiroth, not Jenova, not you, and not even me."

She drew herself nearer to him.

"But," she added, "we can be sure of some things."

"And I now pronounce you," the minister declared in a happy, booming voice, "man and – well, if you want it that badly…"

Cloud and Aeris were already kissing with such passion, he bending over her, caressing her smooth face, she holding on to his shoulders, raising her head up to him.

"…You… well, seeing you've already kissed your bride…"

Everyone began applauding (after getting over the initial shock, that is).

Cid and Barret were hugging each other like good ol' buddies, cheering.

Red XIII was nodding to Cait Sith, who played the Victory Fanfare through his megaphone.

Yuffie and Tifa were sobbing with joy.

Vincent… well, Vincent's Vincent.

And even the Turks were there. After all, they helped save the world against the Remnant, too. So that feud was ended.

Rude was silent.

Reno, watching the couple kiss, was licking his lips. He then exclaimed loudly, "Mmmm, nice! Yummmm-meeeeh!" Then, turning to a nearby Elena, he called out, winking, "Hey, 'Laney? Wanna try that one, yo?"

An ambulance dropped by minutes later to pick up a heavily injured redhead.

But it was just the beginning.