I was writing in my journal before it happened.
I could hear Cid and Barret arguing in the background as I wrote. Staring back at freshly written words, I read.
--With a simple action, a world can change.
With a simple word, a life can change.
What action would do such a thing?
What word would do such a thing?
The answers are the same.
What is this answer? --
I was about to make the last characters with my pen as it happened.
Now that her eyes are open, and I see Cloud staring back into them, I know the answer now more than ever.
Love.
Cloud loves Aeris. Not in THAT way. but in such a way that words can only begin to describe it. Perhaps I could try.
Like feathers on the back of a gust of wind, like words strung together that say nothing but mean everything, like the swirl of a galaxy that holds the meaning of life, like the first gasp of breath from a newborn child.
That kind of love. So great, even death cannot stop it.
I came up behind Cloud and grasped his hand. Aeris's eyes were open, and, with a shudder, she took her first breath.
I started crying. I knew what that meant. I had that same kind of love for her. And as I saw the look in Barret and Cid's eyes, I knew that they did as well.
I knelt by the bed, now grasping her hand. "Aeris?"
She just laid there and looked blankly at me as if I wasn't there.
"Aeris. it's me, Tifa. You know me! Come on."
"I knew it." Cid whispered.
"What?" I looked back.
"She's been gone too long. her thoughts and feelings, in other words, her mind, has left her, but her spirit hasn't, that's why she came back."
I stared at him in horror. "So she's without.her soul?"
"Sort of. but since her spirit is still there. there's hope."
"What can we do?"
"It's like amnesia crossed with a coma. We talk to her. but she won't respond, until.she returns."
"She WILL come back.right?"
"I read about this in a book in Shinra Library. but it is rare."
"How rare?"
He gave me a grave look.
"It has been reported to happen.once."
"So she might NEVER come back!? She'll just be this empty.thing for what's left of her life? No memories, no thoughts, no feelings, no life worth living?!"
Cid looked down. "This is why nobody uses Phoenix Downs to revive the dead, only the near-dead. But we have to remember, no matter how little, there is still hope."
I looked back at Aeris. She had no thoughts. No feelings. She was Aeris, but only an empty shell. I started to get upset. This was too overwhelming. She was here, but.not.here. I was glad she couldn't be afraid, but a part of me wanted her to be. At least that fear would be Aeris.
"God, I can't take this!" Barret ran downstairs.
Cid looked at me. "I'll get him."
I looked at Cloud. He was looking at Aeris in such a way that it reminded me of what he looked like when we lost her.
"She's still.gone."
I said, "There's still hope though." "I thought, when I was diving deep into that pool, chasing after that waving pink ribbon, that when I came back here, so would Aeris. I thought that I would hear her voice, and know that she was alright.I thought that I could change our future. and that I could grasp the fact that our love for Aeris could reverse a blow of Septhroth's sword."
"Cloud."
I turned him towards me, and had him look straight into my eyes.
"There is still hope."
He smiled. "There is still hope."
I could hear Cid and Barret arguing in the background as I wrote. Staring back at freshly written words, I read.
--With a simple action, a world can change.
With a simple word, a life can change.
What action would do such a thing?
What word would do such a thing?
The answers are the same.
What is this answer? --
I was about to make the last characters with my pen as it happened.
Now that her eyes are open, and I see Cloud staring back into them, I know the answer now more than ever.
Love.
Cloud loves Aeris. Not in THAT way. but in such a way that words can only begin to describe it. Perhaps I could try.
Like feathers on the back of a gust of wind, like words strung together that say nothing but mean everything, like the swirl of a galaxy that holds the meaning of life, like the first gasp of breath from a newborn child.
That kind of love. So great, even death cannot stop it.
I came up behind Cloud and grasped his hand. Aeris's eyes were open, and, with a shudder, she took her first breath.
I started crying. I knew what that meant. I had that same kind of love for her. And as I saw the look in Barret and Cid's eyes, I knew that they did as well.
I knelt by the bed, now grasping her hand. "Aeris?"
She just laid there and looked blankly at me as if I wasn't there.
"Aeris. it's me, Tifa. You know me! Come on."
"I knew it." Cid whispered.
"What?" I looked back.
"She's been gone too long. her thoughts and feelings, in other words, her mind, has left her, but her spirit hasn't, that's why she came back."
I stared at him in horror. "So she's without.her soul?"
"Sort of. but since her spirit is still there. there's hope."
"What can we do?"
"It's like amnesia crossed with a coma. We talk to her. but she won't respond, until.she returns."
"She WILL come back.right?"
"I read about this in a book in Shinra Library. but it is rare."
"How rare?"
He gave me a grave look.
"It has been reported to happen.once."
"So she might NEVER come back!? She'll just be this empty.thing for what's left of her life? No memories, no thoughts, no feelings, no life worth living?!"
Cid looked down. "This is why nobody uses Phoenix Downs to revive the dead, only the near-dead. But we have to remember, no matter how little, there is still hope."
I looked back at Aeris. She had no thoughts. No feelings. She was Aeris, but only an empty shell. I started to get upset. This was too overwhelming. She was here, but.not.here. I was glad she couldn't be afraid, but a part of me wanted her to be. At least that fear would be Aeris.
"God, I can't take this!" Barret ran downstairs.
Cid looked at me. "I'll get him."
I looked at Cloud. He was looking at Aeris in such a way that it reminded me of what he looked like when we lost her.
"She's still.gone."
I said, "There's still hope though." "I thought, when I was diving deep into that pool, chasing after that waving pink ribbon, that when I came back here, so would Aeris. I thought that I would hear her voice, and know that she was alright.I thought that I could change our future. and that I could grasp the fact that our love for Aeris could reverse a blow of Septhroth's sword."
"Cloud."
I turned him towards me, and had him look straight into my eyes.
"There is still hope."
He smiled. "There is still hope."
