A Birthday of Confessions
by:
Aoi Kusanagi
Happy Birthday, Aeris. Quietly, Tifa Lockheart knelt down, slightly soiling her dark jeans in the gravel and setting a dozen of mixed, aromatic, and gaudy flowers at the foot of a tombstone. The cool February breeze tousled her dark brown hair; some errant strands flew over her face and before her eyes, but that didn't obstruct her vision in the least. She eyed the tombstone and its engravings clearly as she stood, as if it were a person and not an object. I hope you like the flowers. They're from Wutai. I picked them out myself. She paused for a moment and grinned before speaking again, Okay. I got some help from Yuffie and—get this—Elena. Yeah, the blonde woman from the Turks. After wewe as in AVALANCHE, stopped Meteor and Sephiroth, Shinra was no more, and thanks to Reeve, things between them and us were squashed. We're not buddy-buddy with them or anything like that, but it sure as heck beats being their enemy, right? A shaky sigh eschewed from her glossed lips. She shifted her weight to her left hip, something she only did when she was uneasy. She couldn't believe it. Aeris Gainsborough was dead, and had been so for many months now. It's weird, you know? It was like just yesterday, you were with AVALANCHE A part of the group. And now Now you're a part of the Planet. Tifa shivered faintly at how cold the gravestone felt when she leaned forward and placed her delicate hand on it, absently caressing it. Her shivers increased when another sudden wind picked up, and she was sprayed gently with mist from the translucent water of the nearby lake—the former watery grave of her late friend, even if her body still remained at the bottom. Some time after the events that threatened the Planet's safety were resolved, Tifa and her companions decided to dedicate their efforts to Aeris with a small monument outside of the lake. Though it wasn't much, the gravesite was a taste of things to come. Many things. After all, her sacrifice was what saved the Planet; AVALANCHE simply finished the task she had started. A gravestone with an epitaph as a gift' was nothing in comparison to the gift of extended life on the Planet. Tifa's garnet eyes stared through the tombstone, half-expecting the form of her beautiful caramel-haired friend to poke out of it, to light up the Forgotten City of the Ancients with a smile, to blink her emerald colored eyes and ask the whereabouts of Cloud Strife. The thought of that made Tifa smile. During the Crisis, Tifa had harbored certain feelings towards her childhood friend, and she noticed that Aeris had been attracted to him as well. In one way or another, they both vied for his affections. These contrasts made the other woman an obstacle, a rival. But Tifa never saw Aeris as such. Do you remember when we went to Cosmo Canyon for the first time, and you and I went to that Starlet Pub together? Tifa's smile softened at the memory. It was so vivid, as if she had experienced it the day before. We had café lattes and club sandwiches while we waited for Cloud to talk to Nanaki's grandfather Bugenhagen. Remember? And how we talked about him? The winds died down, the lake's waters no longer dampened her, and everything about Tifa became serene. She suddenly felt at ease. And warm. Very warm, despite the month's weather. Was this Aeris' doing? Right then and there, I knew. I knew how you thought about him even before we went to the Gold Saucer where you told me of the date you shared with him when everyone was asleep. Another sigh escaped Tifa during her confession. But I kept on pretending that I didn't have feelings for him because you had your mark on him and I didn't stand a chance. After all, you're a diamond in the rough. A smile formed on Tifa's lips. Lips that soon began to chap and purse. Salty tears began to materialize in her eyes, despite her body's protests. When she began to speak again, her sweet-natured voice was laced with a soft cry. And then when youleft us I-I tried to take your place And I failed With a sharp inhalation and a hasty wiping of her eyes, Tifa lifted her hand off the stone and used it to tuck her hair behind her ear. Confessions were never her bag, but she had to do this. She wanted to. When we I'm talking about AVALANCHE again, were escaping the Northern Crater, Cloud told me that he knew—wanted to search for—he knew where to look. I realized something: I was in Cloud's mind—after all, I was a part of his memories—but you You're within him in a place far more sacred. You're in his heart. She felt a lump form in her throat. I loved him, or at least I thought I loved him, and he loved you. It wasn't easy, but I managed to accept that. Tifa laughed softly to herself and patted the tombstone. But to be honest, I'm glad he loves someone like you. You two deserve each other, even still. For a while, the brunette stood there in front of her friend's eternal resting place, wordlessly, basking in the silence of the peaceful atmosphere. Tears streamed down her cheeks like tiny rivulets, but for once, she didn't care for them. She finally confessed everything towards Aeris. The burden was finally lifted off her. I miss you, Aeris, she whispered, kneeling down in front of the tombstone again. Sleep well, she added, brushing specks of dirt off her friend's monument. With one final run of her hand over the gorgeous bouquet of flowers, Tifa stood and prepared to leave. She glanced at the tombstone
Here lies Aeris Gainsborough and turned, moving over the damp gravel and leaving the memorial. In tears.
~Fin~
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Squaresoft. I'm not making any money off of them. Author's Notes: I wrote this after reading so many bashing fics (they no longer make me angry, they just make me sigh and shake my head) because I felt I should express my thoughts on the relationship between Tifa and Aeris. I hope I didn't offend anyone, as I didn't intend to. I just wanted to write. Please leave a review or an e-mail at: kusanagi_aoi@hotmail.com! Flames will be pointed at, laughed at, and then thoroughly ignored. |