Part
Ten: The Quest
I rematerialized in front of my spot on the edge of the Lifestream River. I concentrated as I had before and my pink flowing dress was returned to me. I leaned over the edge of the river to view my friends.
I saw Tifa arm in arm with Cid heading towards a fancy buggy. All the wedding guests were gathering around the newly wed couple. Cloud looked vacant and blank. I couldn't blame him. After all, he had just seen a ghost.
Red was with Cait Sith and Red XIII were more towards the back of the crowd watching Tifa and Cid as they readied to leave on their honeymoon. Barret was holding Marlene on his shoulder and she was waiting anxiously for Tifa to throw the bouquet. Yuffie was dragging Vincent towards the front. They arrived next to Barret and Marlene.
As soon as they reached the front Tifa said. "Ready girls?" All the women and girls in the crowd screamed with anticipation. She turned around and tossed the bouquet over her shoulder.
"Lift me daddy." Marlene said trying to reach the flowers. He lifted her up above his head and she reached her arms up in a similar way. The flowers landed in her small little hands. Some women "awed" and others "ohed"
"Daddy, I caughted the flowers. Now I can gets married, like Tifa and the airplane man." Marlene giggled and held the flowers close to her as Barret brought her onto his shoulder again.
Barret smiled then frowned at the sudden realization of what Marlene just said. "Oh no, OH HELL NO! You can't ever get married. I don't want some grimy little punk with my little girl." He said.
"Oh come on, PWEASE!" Marlene gave Barret a look like a hurt puppy. He melted.
"Ah, fine," She brightened and smiled wide kissing Barret on the cheek. "BUT, not 'till you're thirty."
"Twenty." Marlene argued and pouted.
"Alright, twenty FIVE, but NOT a year younger."
"Thank you Daddy. I can just be with you until I gets married." She kissed him on the cheek again and he kissed her forehead.
"Now, That's what I wanted to hear."
Marlene looked over at Yuffie who was whining that she didn't get the flowers. Marlene looked at the flowers and then at Yuffie and she smiled again. She tugged on Barret's vest meaning that she wanted to be lowered. He obliged and she was now at Yuffie's level.
"Yuffie, here." She handed her the flowers and Yuffie smiled her blinding smile. "I don't need dem, 'cause I gots my daddy." Then she whispered. "Until, I'm twenty five, then I can get a boy."
"Thanks, munchkin. I guess this means I'm getting' married soon." Yuffie said turning to Vincent.
Yuffie looked down at the flowers and took in the sweet fragrance of the precious bouquet. She sighed and then her view was drawn up to Vincent. She looked at the him and then the flowers and then back at him again. He raised an eyebrow and she did the same.
Yuffie leapt at Vincent jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He took her legs and supported her. Yuffie began kissing Vincent so wildly that Barret covered Marlene's eyes and closed his own.
Cid was looking out at the crowd and his eyes ran over Yuffie and Vincent, who were going engaged in a serious game of Tongue Wars. "Hmm." He looked past them as if nothing was wrong and suddenly jerked his back to see them. "OH, DEAR SWEET MOTHER OF MARIJUANNA. That's… just… DISTURBING!"
"Maybe we should be following their example." Tifa whispered to Cid. His face lit up and he jumped in the buggy. Tifa dove in after him giggling. Cid climbed over her and waved to everyone for a split second and pulled the door shut. Giggles and grunts could be heard from within the buggy as it drove off.
"Well, This was an EXTREMELY interesting event." I said walking towards my house with a smile on my face.
One Week Later
"Oh," I yawned and stretched sitting up from my bed. I chose to sleep inside that night.
Though the weather was always perfect in the Promised Land, or very near it, the wind had attained a slight chill the past few days. It still felt lovely if you were in the sun or very active, but at night it was almost cold. Not quite cold, but rather the wind had an edge to it that it did not have before. Almost as though it were awaiting a great event.
I pulled myself out of bed and straightened my dress. Another wonderful luxury in the Promised Land is that you never need to change your clothes unless you wish to. If you wished to do all the chores of normal living, such as changing clothes, working, bathing, and so on, you could, but there is no need to.
In fact, the only things not permitting in the Promised Land were evil, evil devices such as cigarettes or weapons, or an evil heart. For an evil heart would bring you to commit evil deeds. Sephiroth had a pure heart once rid of Jenova. The evil thoughts in his mind were no longer his own so he was permitted in the Promised Land.
I shook my head. I was thinking too much, as usual. I needed to my friends. I ran down to the Lifestream river without even glancing at the bagels I had left out for my breakfast.
I arrived at the river moments later and peered over the edge. The lifestream swirled and showed me a scene with Cloud addressing the rest of my friends. He seemed frantic and the others were very confused. Cloud was raving and ranting about something.
"We have to go to her, now!" Cloud said pacing in front of everyone. His eyes were dark and he looked tired.
"Slow down boy, go to who?" Cid said. He and Tifa had just come back from their honeymoon the night before.
"Aerith. I know how we can see her."
"Dammit, boy you're goin' nuts. I KNEW somethin' was wrong with you when you were off dancin' with yourself at the weddin'." Barret said as if he had been saying Cloud was crazy for years and he had just been proven right.
"Listen, I know I sound crazy." Cloud said slowly to the others. "And YEAH I haven't had much sleep in a while, BUT I am telling the TRUTH! Aerith came to me. I know how to find her."
"She is in the Promised Land, is she not?" Red XII stated in his all knowing way.
"EXACTLY! And I know how to get there."
"What? That's it he's nuts." Yuffie crossed her arms and turned up her chin at Cloud as she spoke.
"Well, okay so I don't KNOW EXACTLY, but I have an idea how to go to her." Cloud was speaking frantically.
"Oh GREAAAAT!" Cait Sith said a little too sarcastically. "YOU have an IDEEEEA. We're all gonna die."
"PLEASE, if you guys don't come I'll just go alone, I'm goin' no matter what. I want you guys to come though. Please, I need you guys there."
"AH, hell. I've been bored to death just sittin' around all the time. I need a good hopeless adventure. I'm in. Ya are crazy, but I'm in." Cid said enthusiastically.
After many skeptical looks and a moan from Yuffie, they all agreed to go and search for me.
"We leave tonight." Cloud said and walked right out of the room as if no conversation had taken place at all.
That night, my friends came to find me. My friends set out on a quest to find me again. I should just have died in peace and left them alone, but I was called to do this.
The moment I died Cloud lost the smile I worked so hard to bring him. He had never smiled again until he had danced with me and learned that we still had a chance. He had hope now, and hope has been known to work miracles.
Now, my friends had begun the quest to reunite two souls destined for love. I have a feeling this quest will bring them more than that. I think it will offer them a reward for a past quest. One quest will reward another.