Epilogue
"I now pronounce you man and wife" The vicar formally pronounced. "You may now kiss the bride"
Cloud smiled and raised Tifa's veil, in the silence he kissed Tifa, who returned it with equal passion. All of rocket town, and most of the population in the surrounding villages, had turned out for this momentous event. Most of the group was there as well except Reeve and the Turks who had to go back to Kalm to finish helping all those who had been affected by Meteor. Everyone cheered as they saw the kiss and Aeris, holding the train of Tifa's wedding dress smiled. Barret and Cid sat nearby, and argued between each other on how long Cloud and Tifa would be kissing. A thread of the Lifestream rose up between the couple as they finished the kiss.
"That's a sign from the Planet." Aeris told the stunned spectators. Over the last few weeks the people still hadn't accepted the fact that the members of Avalanche were Cetra, and they were still having problems accepting Sephiroth, who sat nearby.
"The planet blesses this union" Vincent added.
The cheer that went up from the ordinary people almost deafened Avalanche. Cloud looked round "Where's our sister?" he asked Sephiroth, who was looking entirely too innocent for his peace of mind.
"No idea" Sephiroth replied, hiding a smile.
Cloud shook his head and, taking Tifa's hand, walking out of the church saw what Sephiroth had been hiding. High in the sky, fireworks were exploding, they lit up the sky so brightly, it looked like the sky was on fire. Sephiroth walked away, to discover where the fireworks were being set.
"Angel, I think you're carrying this a bit too far" Sephiroth admonished his sister when he found her. She was holding a lit cord, which she was using to light the fireworks.
"What me?" she replied mischievously bursting into laughter at his stern expression "This is just a happy day. I want people to remember it; it's our brother getting married after all. This will help them remember."
"I think they will remember this wedding for a long time, I know I will" Red commented when Angel and Sephiroth returned to the celebration. He turned to them "What're you two going to do next?"
"I think I'll go and help Reeve. I need to do something to gain people's trust again. By helping the refugees I can do something to compensate for all the death I've caused." Sephiroth told him "And I'll be learning more about the Planet, from your elders."
"What about you Angel?" Red asked, "Have you made plans on where to go?"
"I haven't" Angel replied, "Kalm's too close to Midgar, and I've missed a lot of time. I don't have anywhere to live now. Shin-ra is all I knew before I woke."
Yuffie overheard the conversation as she walked past. "You can come to live at Wutai" she said, "You'd be welcome there, and my father would love to learn the fighting arts off you."
"Thanks Yuffie, although I'm not sure I want to live in a large town. Not everyone knows about what's just happened, and because I look like my brother, I'll be a target. My presence will cause unrest, something your father doesn't need in his town. Until the word has spread, it'll be hard to live anywhere. Even the people here are wary of me." Angel walked away, wondering about the future, she remembered seeing a high cliff nearby and headed in that direction. She needed to clear her thoughts and that place was perfect for looking at the stars.
"What's up with her?" Cid asked as he watched Angel leave the party.
"She's not sure on what to do next. Sephiroth here does, but she doesn't" Red replied.
"I'd better go and talk to her" Sephiroth began to walk after his sister.
"Sephiroth, she needs time. She'll find a solution, count on it" Cid told him. Then he spotted the new couple, and went over to talk to them. "Congratulations, it took you long enough, didn't it"
"Get lost Cid" Tifa said taking a swipe at him "I don't see you and Shera getting married yet"
Cid turned red and wandered off cursing aloud about loud-mouthed youngsters.
"Tifa!" Sephiroth said coming over "How's my sister-in-law?"
"Huh?" Tifa said in confusion, Cloud hid a smile.
"Cloud is my brother, so that technically makes you my sister-in-law" Sephiroth replied.
Tifa laughed getting the point that Sephiroth was making. "I'm fine Sephiroth, just very, very, happy"
"Hey, what ya doin' standin around" Barret called over "Let's party"
Angel sat outside Rocket Town later that night, watching the stars from her vantage point on a nearby cliff. She wondered what she could do. Sephiroth had responsibilities now, he was going to help Reeve, but something told her that was not what she should do. Angel couldn't explain it, but the path Sephiroth had chosen didn't feel right for her to follow, which was strange seeing that before she had been lost, they had done the same things. She also didn't want to live in Yuffies' town. That also didn't feel right, it was as if there was something she had to do, but she didn't know what it was.
Angel was so deep in thought that she didn't notice Vincent, who had seen her leave the party, walk up behind her.
"Why did you leave the celebration?" Vincent asked when he reached her.
Angel jumped and turned round. When she saw Vincent, she smiled "I can't sneak away can I?" she smiled. "I needed time to think about what I'm going to do next"
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone has somewhere to go, or something to do, but I don't" Angel tried to explain, "I've had offers by both Yuffie and Reeve, but they don't feel right."
"You're welcome in any town" Vincent said misunderstanding what she was saying.
"It's not that, I have a responsibility to protect the planet, but now that the threat is gone, what do I do?" She said turning to face him. "Red has responsibilities to Cosmo canyon, Barret has Marlene, Seph is helping Reeve with the Midgar refugees, Cloud has Tifa. The offers that I've got, don't feel like the path I should take, so I don't have a purpose. "
"Why don't you live in the Ancient City" Vincent asked "There's a lot of work to be done there, but if it's rebuilt, maybe you could teach people about how to protect the planet."
"But, that's what goes on at Cosmo Canyon" Angel protested.
"Cosmo Canyon studies the Planet and the stars. It holds information about everything. However what you are doing is teaching people about the Cetra, about how the Planet needs to be protected and about how to stop the Jenova if another ever turns up here." Vincent smiled "Cosmo Canyon will help you in the quest for knowledge. They'll know how important it is to have two places to learn and teach. Cosmo canyon can only hold so many people."
"I'll think about it" Angel replied thoughtfully, turning back to look at the stars.
"You do that, and you know I'll help you if you wish me to"
"Thanks Vincent" Angel said, turning her head to look at Vincent again, but he had already vanished into the night.
The next day Cloud, Tifa and Angel were standing outside of Rocket Town. The other members of Avalanche had gone home earlier that day or in the case of Cid, sleeping off a hangover from the party. Vincent waited further away, on his Gold chocobo, for Angel to leave on her long trip north.
"You won't change your mind?" Cloud asked as he held onto the reins of his Gold chocobo. He'd decided to give the bird to his sister so then she could travel north, without having to wait for Cid to recover.
Angel shook her head "No, I'm going to restore the Ancient city for scholars to visit and learn about the ancients." she answered. "Vincent's going to help me set up before coming back to finish his business"
"Well, you'll come to visit us sometime?" Tifa enquired. "I don't want to lose contact with a friend"
"Of course I'll come to visit Tifa. You're family now and besides someone has to help Seph train Cloud" Angel said smirking as Cloud glared at her. Tifa laughed at Cloud's expression.
"Training?" Cloud continued to glare.
"You do want to learn our fighting style don't you?" Angel asked as she mounted the chocobo. "If you need me, you have my PHS number."
Cloud and Tifa watched as Angel and Vincent rode out of sight. Once they vanished over the horizon Tifa sighed, "Well, at least everything's back to normal now" she said leaning on Cloud.
"Normal?" Cloud asked as he hugged his wife. "Not so normal for me!" he grinned.
"Oh you!" Tifa laughed and kissed her husband. "You know what I mean, we're married at last.. now we can have fun!"
"Sure! Lets go inside" Cloud replied as they walked back into Rocket town, smiling.