Chapter 26

EPILOGUE

Epilogue #1 :

I move my foot outside the time chamber and quickly recognize a place where various stuff are scattered around, absolutely suitable to be called 'laboratory workshop'. I soon catch a rough, familiar visage. His never-put-off cigar is getting shorter than I saw it last time. He only greets me with his arched eyebrow, but I can tell he is quite happy to see me, again.

"How things went, Uncle Cid ?", I ask him, the mighty-ass kickin'-stubborn head, Cid Highwind. At a moment, he just remains silent, only gazing at me deeply.

"Guess my invention worked well…", he mutters, rubbing his chin as his attention is already drawn out into something else than my question. His lip forms an upward curve, not really much, but he meant it. "Welcome home, kid !", finally he opens his arms widely.

"Umm…where am I now ? I mean, in time dimension term…", I ask him hesitantly. Uncle Cid only runs his hand through his hair, knocking his old spectacle. "You're still in the same place, but in another time dimension….", he replies, "but don't worry about it. When you went traveling, you were in another time dimension…but now….". Uncle Cid then shows outside with his thumb.

I can't wait to see what he points with his thumb. I quickly dash out, passing him with rush. "Really…?", I ask him, disbelieved. When I reach the door, I can see what happens outside.

Contrary to this great-havoc laboratory, there is a beautiful garden I never see before. I can't remember this garden existed when I left this place, traveling through the time. However, the most assuring view is a couple sitting together at the garden bench. The male covers the female with his arm. They look so close, so warm, so romantic, although they are old enough, about 40 something.

My eyes stick on the couple, smiling at them contently, although they can't see me. Relieving things about the couple are their figures. The male has blonde spiky hair, and the female has long honey brown hair. Eventually, the female giggles in middle of their conversation, making the male smile. The pink nuance of the female's skirt triggers my memory about my recent adventure. I recall how beautiful she was, when she was single, and was about 20 something. Funny thing is, I just saw her past no more than an hour ago.

Noticing the couple, I can only ignite a sentence in my brain : I finally did it ! She's alive now, no more pain, sorrow, or anything bad else that may befall on them, my father and mother. I know they're happy now, so am I. I just can't forget someone I met in my adventure. I ever thought that I wouldn't be born at all, that I would be disappeared in some point in my time travel. Those nasty things would be happened if that someone still held her decision, but I just can't blame her if she still did it. Now, as a matter of fact, she didn't. I don't know how, but somehow I know, I have great debt to her, an unpaid one.

"Thank you, Auntie Tifa….thank you very much…..", I whisper to the fresh air gratefully.

Epilogue #2 :

"So you're husband and wife now ????".

Everyone's mouths are opened, very surprised. Cloud moves his arm to cover Aeris' shoulder. "Yeah…", he replies shortly, does not have bright idea to explain to his buddies. Silence comes up for a moment, until Cait Sith hops and claps his hand loudly.

"Yipppeeeeyyyy !!! My fortune-telling was right !! Now you all see ? They are really stars, perfect to each other !!! We must congratulate them !!!". The cat turns to the others, and it seems his words attract others' attention. It is Red XIII who steps forward and speaks up, "Cait Sith is right…we have a couple now. If they're happy, then we're happy too…". He stops in front of Aeris and Cloud. "Congratulation, Cloud, Aeris, may you live happily together !".

Aeris kneels, smiling nicely at her fellow specimen. "Thanks very much, Nanaki…", she holds Red's paw. The wise beast only nods his head, his eyes tell her that he really meant his words.

"I wish ya best luck, spiky-head, and don't lose her again…", Barret pats Cloud's shoulder. Cloud nods to Barret and hugs him warmly. "Thanks, Barret…", Cloud responds. If it was not because of Barret who dragged him into their first adventure, the story would be different.

Cid shows his thumb to the couple, while Shera is smiling meaningfully to Aeris. Yuffie congratulates Cloud and Aeris in her cheerful manner, and Vincent only looks at them solemnly.

Aeris and Cloud then look at each other, smiling. Now they feel their burdens are lifted, but not all. As if Yuffie understands the point, she speaks up with low voice, "She's not here…She went somewhere….". Unable to continue her sentence, Yuffie just shrugs her shoulder, signing that she does not know whether she did the right thing.

Epilogue #3 (1.5 years later) :

"Look, Honey ! Our hero has shown up to this world, but he is still nameless !", Aeris pinches Cloud's cheek softly. Cloud sweeps her hair as response, chuckling softly. Eventually he gives a quick kiss on her forehead.

"Yeah…I know…our son…", he looks down into baby basket where a baby sleeps peacefully in it. Aeris leans her head on his shoulder. Her eyes gaze to their sleeping baby. "His hair is blonde, curious enough if his hair will be spiky like his father", she giggles a while. "But he has his mother's emerald green eyes…a caring and peaceful eyes….I believe that", Cloud adds.

"Vic….Vic Strife…that would be a good name, I guess", Cloud mutters. Aeris glances at her husband and nods her head as agreement. "Yes…Vic…and I'll call him Viccie as nick name…".

"Let's hope he will be our guiding light….", Cloud slowly leaves the basket and starts to leave the baby room. Aeris follows him quietly, her eyes still stick on their son. Before she closes the door, she smiles, a meaningful one to the little baby.

"You know what, Honey…", Aeris holds Cloud's hand once they are in bedroom. Cloud looks at her, giving his attention. At a moment, Aeris wants to tell him about their baby and their last adventure, but at second thought, she cancels it.

"What is it ?", Cloud asks. "Nothing…", Aeris replies with smile, and then rests her head on Cloud's thigh, "I just want to tell you that Vic would grow as great boy, and we'll be proud of him…".

"I'm sure about that too", Cloud responses and sweeps Aeris' hair lovingly before they soon fall into deep kiss.

Epilogue #4 :

A female figure is standing on the sand, gazing to the sun in west horizon. Beach wind plays her long dark hair freely, giving a silhouette of perfectly-shaped of young woman. Her face shows a deep sorrow, but still unable to hide her beautiful visage. She hangs her head down, looking at her feet, being swept by the seawater. After letting out a long sigh and deep inhale, she lifts her head up again, gazing back at the horizon.

"Cloud…I'm still waiting for you….".

THE END

AUTHOR'S POST-STORY NOTE :

Now I'm really finishing this story !!! Cheers to me, Bibie !!! ^_^. I can't believe I finish it !!! Well…now after those cliché words ^_^, I'm going to tell you other things. As I told you at the first, this is the one path of my FF7-post Meteor-trilogy. This final trilogy is CloRis actually, but I've promised to write alternate version of Lay Your Heart On Me, which is CloTif ! How 'bout that, Ah-Choo ? No, that's not sequel of this one, that CloTif ficcie would sit on the same timeframe as this CloRis ficcie. Hope I could serve you well.

See you, and thanks a lot for those reviewers !! Viva FF7 !!