"I don't like it," Cloud muttered, watching Aeris and Sephiroth on the dance floor. The sight of her in his arms put him on edge and brought a growl to his throat.

Tifa sat beside him, a frown on her face also, but she only shook her head. "What are you going to do, Cloud? You can't keep them apart."

"I know," he replied, sighing. "But... he killed her. How can she stand to be so close to him, let alone enjoy it?"

"She seems to know him much better than anyone else," she mused. "Maybe she found something beyond his coldness that's to her liking. She does care a lot about him."

"And what about him?" he asked, shooting her a look.

"I think the Great Sephiroth has a crush on her," Yuffie said, grinning and plunking down in the chair beside Tifa.

Cloud glanced at her with an arched eyebrow. "Sephiroth? You've gotta be kidding."

"You can't tell?" the ninja asked. "I mean, look at him. He's blushing over there."

He turned his gaze back to Sephiroth and Aeris and, sure enough, the swordsman did look rather embarrassed. He frowned. The thought of them as a couple was even more to his disliking. He said nothing.

Tifa put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Cloud, lighten up. I'm sure he won't do anything to hurt her, and she's strong enough to take care of herself anyway. Besides," she added with a smile, "we're at a party. Have a little fun."

Yuffie turned to Nanaki, who lay on a bench to her left, his head just barely above the table. "Am I the only one who thinks it's cute?" she asked. The creature only blinked at her.

Cloud glanced at her with a frown, then sighed and resituated himself, looking at Tifa. "You're right. I'm just being overprotective..."

"Yeah, Cloud," Yuffie agreed. "You'd think you were her big brother or something."

He grinned sheepishly at this, but didn't reply.

The ninja got to her feet, and he noticed for the first time that she was wearing an outfit that was distinctly Wutain, though he had a feeling it was meant for a boy and not a woman. "Hey Tifa," Yuffie said, smiling broadly and extending a hand. "May I have this dance?"

Tifa laughed. "Certainly, but why aren't you asking Cloud?"

"He's not done being moody yet, so I'll pass on that," she replied. "Besides, I'm not used to dancing the girl's part, and I doubt Red can do either of them."

Laughing again, the brunette took Yuffie's outstretched hand and the two went out to join the other dancers. Cloud watched them for a few minutes, then turned to Nanaki. "What do you make of it?" he asked, knowing his friend would understand that his train of thought had never really switched from before.

"I think they are a better match than you realize," he replied simply.

"How can you say that? A murderer and his victim?"

"You should know that he is no longer a murderer, and that she has forgiven him for his deeds. You should also know that Aeris is a healer, and after all that has happened to him, a healer is exactly what Sephiroth needs. But what you don't seem to realize is that Aeris needs him also."

"What do you mean, she needs him?"

"He should know better than anyone what it is like being different, and she needs someone who can understand that, someone who she isn't afraid to confide in because he will accept all her words without laughing." He paused, then added, "That is not to say that you could not have done the same, but I believe that Sephiroth can understand her better."

Cloud nodded grudgingly, not liking the comparison between Sephiroth and himself. He turned back to the dancers, but could no longer see Sephiroth and Aeris among them. He wasn't sure whether this was to his relief or his anxiety, but he sighed and tried to relax. "When are you going to light the Candle again?"

"Around midnight," Nanaki replied. "There is a surprising amount of custom that goes with this Ceremony, even though it has occured so few times."

"Well, it is a big thing," he commented.

The creature nodded his agreement, sitting up on his forelegs. "How much longer do you plan on staying?"

"You've heard about Sephiroth's plan to go after Jenova, haven't you?" he asked.

"Yes, I have. Did you plan on aiding him?"

Cloud frowned. "He said Aeris was going to help him, and... Even if she is supposed to be stronger than me because she's a Cetra, I still want to protect her, in case her magic fails her or something..."

Nanaki nodded. "I believe it would be wise to gather everyone together tomorrow at the Candle to discuss both the recent events and Sephiroth's plans, so that everyone knows what is going on and can decide where they are going from here."

"Right again," he said, smiling a little. "What would we do without you, Nanaki?"

"Without me," he replied with a cat-like smirk, "you would never have gotten past the front gate."

"True, true..."

Tifa and Yuffie returned from their dance, all smiles and laughter, and while Tifa sat down again, Yuffie walked over to Nanaki. "Would you like to dance, Red?" she asked, barely containing a fit of giggles. Cloud glanced at Tifa with a raised eyebrow, but she only grinned.

Nanaki looked back at the ninja in a mixture of amusement and incredulity. "Yuffie, you know that being a quadraped prevents me from doing such activities."

"What about that time you had to disguise yourself as a Shinra soldier? You managed to walk around on two legs then."

He tossed his mane uncomfortably. "I would prefer not to make a fool of myself. If you wish to dance, ask someone with two legs."

"But I wanna dance with you," she replied. "And if anyone laughs, I'll... hurt them, or something." She made a few punches in the air, as if to demonstrate what she would do.

This seemed to amuse him, and he snorted a little before hopping off his bench and out of Cloud's sight. "Very well then. But I have no idea how to dance."

Yuffie grinned in triumph and headed back to the dance floor with Nanaki at her heels. "Come on, I'll show you," she said. Cloud twisted to watch them, seeing the ninja take up his front paws in her hands and instruct him. The people around them laughed, but with the two rather than at them. Yuffie shook her fist at them even as she grinned. He shook his head and turned back to Tifa with a smirk on his face.

"Watch it, Cloud," she warned, wearing a similar expression herself. "Or Yuffie might beat you up for laughing."

"Now there's a frightening thought," he said, not bothering to wipe the grin off his face.

Tifa leaned back a little in her chair. "Those two never used to get along, and now it seems like they're best friends."

He shrugged. "Yuffie's changed since then."

"You're right. Maybe Nanaki thinks of her pranks more fondly now that it's been so long."

"Yeah."

She turned and looked at him. "So how are you doing?"

He knew what the question meant. "All right, I guess... I don't like the thought of them as a couple, though."

"When I talked to Aeris the other night, she said they were just friends, but... I don't know. What did Sephiroth say about it?"

Cloud frowned. "He said he cared about her, yeah. He also said he didn't know what she saw in him."

She nodded a bit. "I don't know either, but then, I haven't spent any time with him whatsoever, so of course I wouldn't. And you can't really judge him either."

"Nanaki and Yuffie seem to think they make a good couple," he remarked, only half-joking.

"Mmhmm," Tifa agreed. "Well, I don't know about Yuffie's judgement, but Nanaki should know what he's talking about."

"Nanaki's not human."

She nodded in acknowledgement of this. "True; he doesn't see things in quite the same way that we do, but that doesn't mean he's any worse a judge of character than we."

"I guess," he admitted reluctantly. "But... anyone would be better than Sephiroth... Hell, I'd even put up with Reno! But not him."

"Cloud," she said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know you don't like him. Neither do I. You're probably even jealous of him. But Aeris likes him, and that means there's something to like in him. We may not like it, but it's not our job to protect her, and complaining about it won't do us any good."

Jealous? Was he jealous of Sephiroth? No... ...maybe. Yes. Aeris spent more time with his enemy than she did with him. No, Sephiroth wasn't his enemy. What was he now? Rival? But you're married, he told himself. Fool, you're still in love with Aeris. Tifa, I'm sorry... Cloud sighed heavily and said aloud, "I want her to be happy, but I want her to be safe, too..."

Tifa smiled reassuringly. "She'll be fine. Aeris is strong now, even without weapons or materia. And Sephiroth couldn't decieve her like this. He wouldn't bring her back only to murder her again. He wouldn't put up a false front for this long just to kill again. There's no point to it, when he's so powerful."

"You're right, you're right..." He lowered his head. "But I am jealous, too. I shouldn't be, but I am. I'm so sorry, Tifa."

She put a strong arm around him and lifted his head with her other hand. "It's all right, Cloud. I know you can't help the way you feel. I don't blame you for anything because you're doing what I wasn't strong enough to do. Maybe you'll never stop loving her; I don't know. But I'll love you anyway."

"Tifa, I..."

Yuffie's laughter startled the two from their conversation, and Tifa even pulled back a little. The ninja flopped down in her chair while Nanaki settled down on his bench again. Yuffie looked over at them, her lips quirking. "Sorry, guys. Did I interrupt something?"

Cloud blushed faintly, but Tifa only smiled and shook her head. "No, Yuffie, you didn't interrupt anything."

"Right..." the ninja said doubtfully.

"Tifa..." Cloud murmured, standing, "would you like to dance again?"

"I'd love to," she answered happily, taking his hand.

Vincent leaned against the wall, waiting for Lucrecia. Most people had already gone to the party, but they had been talking for some time, Lucrecia asking him to finish his tale which Minerva had interrupted. Aeris had come at one point to get ready--at which point they had moved to Katrina's room--reminding them of the celebration. But still they had been in no rush to go anywhere.

Yet now Lucrecia was getting ready, though exactly why she was taking so long, he did not know. Finally the knob turned and she stepped out into the hallway. She wore a white dress which he had bought for her, as well as a thin, short-sleeved brown jacket. She had tied her hair up as she used to do, and she was smiling softly at him.

"You are as beautiful as you always were," he tolde her, trying to return her smile.

"Thank you," she said quietly, walking up to him and reaching up to brush back his hair. He bent down closer to her, and she tied it back for him with a faint laugh. "There," she said, lowering her hands as he straightened. She took him by his flesh hand and headed outside.

Tens of circular tables were spread as far out from the Candle's platform as they could be, staggered so they did not quite form two rows and left some space in the middle. A small group of musicians, mostly percussionists, sat to the right of the stairs. Most of the tables were already claimed, though some empty seats remained, possibly belonging to those dancing to the music being played. The rest of the villagers stood on the outer ring of tables or among them. Many of the shops were still open and selling their various wares to the crowd.

Vincent's eyes were drawn to someone waving--Katrina. He glanced at Lucrecia, then weaved through the crowd to join the girl. She was sitting with a laid-back Cid on her right and a thoughtful, observant Miera to her left; a mottley crew, certainly.

"Hi, guys," Katrina greeted brightly.

"Hello," Lucrecia replied as she sat, turning her gaze to Cid, whom she had not met before. "I'm Lucrecia."

"Yeah, hello," he said casually. "I'm Cid Highwind."

She nodded. "Cid Highwind... You pilot the airship, don't you? Vincent told me about you."

"Wow, I didn't think Vincent talked about anyone much, let alone me."

"Well, I asked him to tell me about all of you so I wouldn't be so lost. You've been through so much together, it seems."

"I guess you could say that. 'Bout a month doesn't sound like long, but it felt like it."

"A lot can happen in a month," Lucrecia agreed.

"So where've you been all this time?"

"Dead," she replied. "Or close to it."

"Ah," he said, nodding sagely. "You're one o' those people. Right, didn't Aeris say she brought you back?"

Lucrecia nodded. "That's right."

"And you're Vince's girlfriend." He laughed at this. "Vincent with a girlfriend! I never thought I'd see the day."

"Do you have a girlfriend, Cid?" Katrina prompted.

He scratched his head in embarrassment, laughter dying. "Sort of, I guess."

Lucrecia raised an eyebrow. "'Sort of'? What does she think?"

"Hell, I don't know. I haven't asked."

"I don't know how Shera puts up with him," Vincent said aside to Lucrecia.

"Hey!" Cid protested. "I don't treat her like I used to."

"And how do you treat her now?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Less smoking, less cursing, and I get my own goddamn tea."

Lucrecia laughed a little. "I don't even want to know how much you used to curse."

"Must've been a lot," Katrina commented.

"Hell yeah," Cid agreed, grinning.

"Two-legged things are so strange," Miera said absently, speaking for the first time. "Hurting the ones they love."

The pilot snorted. "Whatever."

Lucrecia tilted her head curiously. "You think Sephiroth and Aeris do that, too?"

"Sometimes," the creature replied. "Without meaning to now perhaps, but yes, they do. And you and Vincent do as well."

She smiled faintly in regretful acknowledgement. "I suppose we do."

"Enough of this painful shit," Cid declared. "Don't you people have anything cheerful to talk about?"

"I should think Sephiroth and Aeris to be a cheerful topic," Miera said.

"Those two? More like frightening. But hey, if Aeris wants to dance with her murderer, I guess that makes 'em a perfect couple."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, then they're both crazy."

"Cid," Lucrecia said in admonishment. "Neither of them is crazy." She paused, eyes shifting towards the crowded dance floor. Vincent followed her gaze as she smiled and saw that Aeris was indeed dancing with Sephiroth... That was an improvement; for the past two days, Sephiroth had refused even to be in the same room with her. "...but I do think they're a perfect couple," Lucrecia added finally.

"Seriously?" the pilot asked with both eyebrows raised.

She nodded. "I couldn't explaining without taking forever, and I doubt you care that much. Especially if you speak of such a thing so lightly as you did."

He ran a hand through his messy blond hair and said nothing.

"On a lighter note," she went on, a smile slowly spreading on her face as she turned to look at Vincent. "I haven't danced in decades, and look! Here is my chance. Come, Vincent, let me teach you how," she said with a tug at his arm.

"Lucrecia..." he began hesitantly.

Cid's rough laughter interrupted him. "Don't tell me Vincent's shy!"

"Well, he is," Lucrecia told him patiently. "I wouldn't have him any other way. Now, come, dear, there's nothing to be afraid of. You should know I don't bite."

He stood with a nod and followed her away from the tables, the digits of his metal claw twitching anxiously, as though he did not know what to do with the limb. Lucrecia soon solved his problem by placing his flesh hand at her waist and taking up the metal hand. She treated it carefully so as not to cut herself, but the gesture made it clear that she refused to forsake any part of him, even such a crude and artificial part.

Vincent appreciated the sentiment, but he was not too certain about touching her with his claw... Well, if she could forgive all his mistakes and not call them sins, then she could accept what he had become, and he would do his best to seem worthy.

So he smiled at her.

And she laughed softly, that sound like bells in the air. It was even more beautiful than he had remembered, and certainly much better than this music here. But her gentle voice went on, explaining to him what he was to do, and he had to look down at his feet, tearing his gaze away from her face. She laughed again at his reluctance, and went on teaching.

Sephiroth risked a glance at Aeris's face as they danced. She met his gaze with an encouraging smile, and he kept his head up rather than lowering it once again. She looked beautiful, as always, with some of her hair tied back with a ribbon, keeping it out of her way, but letting it cascade down her back. She wore a golden-colored dress that laced in the back and left her shoulders and arms exposed, and the curve of her neck and along her shoulder and down her arm fascinated him for a moment before he scolded himself and shifted his gaze to the side.

The other dancers were smiling and much more at ease than he felt... although he admitted he was considerably more relaxed than when Aeris had first dragged him onto the dance floor. Being with her made him slightly nervous, but even he was certain he would not hurt her now... He only felt slightly ashamed and guilty because he could not be as carefree as she...

The current song was drawing to a close, he noted, uncertain whether he felt relief or disappointment... perhaps both at the same time. He felt a strange pleasure at having Aeris so close, at feeling her warmth, even through his gloved hands and his clothing... And yet, the contact put him on edge, as it always had. Physical contact had always meant pain before. It was difficult to tell his body that this was any different.

He released her as the music ended, lowering his hand to his side. She held on to his other, and curtsied with an amused smile on her face. "Thank you for this dance," she said politely, then straightened and led him out of the crowd, back towards the secluded corner he had occupied before. There, she stopped and let go his hand, though she did not leave.

"...was there something more you wanted?" he asked uncertainly.

She turned to face him, eyes searching. "I... I wanted to apologize. Because I don't know how I feel exactly..."

Sephiroth studied her with mild confusion. How she felt about what, exactly? And how could she be unsure of her own emotions, when she understood those belonging to others with such clarity? "What do you mean?"

Her gaze lowered until her lashes hid her eyes. "...I mean... how I feel about you."

...what was that supposed to mean? She was finally doubting whether or not she should like him at all? Or perhaps her old fears were returning. Or she did not truly mean what she had said before, about the... He shook his head slightly, frowning. "I don't understand."

Lifting her head with some effort, she met his inquisitive stare. "Well... you know, don't you? You've known it since the lab, haven't you? Maybe even before then. You know... how much you care about me. But, I'm not so sure... whether you're just a friend, or..."

He could not help but stare at her in amazement. Did she actually mean that she might...? And she knew... Well, he supposed it was obvious. He had hinted of it several times before without really meaning to. And still, neither of you will actually say it aloud. No, perhaps the words were too hard to say. Even if she already knew. The words made it final. They were irretrievable. Once said, they could not be taken back without pain inflicted.

But, what of her feelings? She was in doubt, which meant that... that perhaps someone cared for him? He knew his mother cared, and Katrina, but Aeris's affection was deeper than theirs. But what would it mean if she did...? What happened then? He did not really know. He had never imagined himself in such a position, or considered there being someone in her position. And if she didn't care for him that way? Then nothing changed. Which was fine with him.

Realizing he had been gaping at her for quite some time, he dropped his gaze, muttering an apology.

She fidgetted. "Sephiroth...?"

He shook his head and looked back at her. "Why you should be apologizing, I do not know. Whether you do or do not, it makes little difference to me." He nearly winced at how that sounded and went on. "I mean, either way is fine. Take your time in sorting out your emotions. I don't mind... I just find it hard to believe that anyone could..."

"Just a mixed up kid..." she murmured with a smile. He blinked a little, and she shook her head. "You shouldn't be surprised, but I guess even friendship is foreign enough to you."

Sephiroth nodded slightly.

"Enough of this deep talk," she said lightly. "I don't know any little trivia about you."

"Trivia?" he queried, blinking.

"Your birthday, your favorite color, that sort of thing," she replied. "But first let's find somewhere to sit down..."

He shook his head. "All the tables are occupied, and I doubt your friends would welcome me at theirs. Besides," he added, almost embarrassed, "I would rather talk with you alone..."

"Then I suppose we'll just have to stand," Aeris decided. "Unless you don't mind sitting on the ground."

He shrugged.

"I'll interpret that as an 'I don't care,'" she said, sitting down on the ground and fussing with her skirt a bit. "Come on, sit down," she invited after a moment. "You're too tall."

Sephiroth blinked, then sat down facing her. "...you've said that before," he told her.

"Have I?" she asked in surprise.

He nodded. "When you were seven..."

She smiled. "You've got a better memory than I do, that's for sure." She pushed her hair back over her shoulder. "So?"

"So what?"

"When is your birthday?"

"I don't know," he replied.

"What do you mean you don't know?" she queried, blinking.

Sephiroth sighed and looked absently out at the crowd of people. "No one ever bothered to tell me. If it were not for a reference to my age compared to yours, I would not even be certain how old I am."

The Cetra reached out to take his hand. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head slightly, looking down at her hand now. "It doesn't matter anyway..."

"Well, I want to know," she insisted, grinning. "I want to be able to say 'happy birthday' to you, maybe buy you something... Didn't Hojo's files say anything about it?"

"He blacked out the dates on the files in the Shinra mansion," he replied, "but perhaps Minerva would know..." He paused, glancing up at her. "...what about you?"

"February seventh," Aeris answered, an expression of thoughtful amusment crossing her face. "Would I count the years that passed while I was dead, do you think? Am I twenty-seven, or still twenty-two?"

He smirked a little and shook his head. "I do not know... In that case, I am either twenty-five, or thirty-five."

"Well, I don't think I've aged, and I like that idea better. You're only three years older than me that way. Although I suppose the younger the better as far as your friends go," she added.

Sephiroth tilted his head. "Why do you say that?"

"You're far too serious," she replied with a laugh. "You need someone to lighten you up a bit."

He smiled. "I think you are doing a good job at it all on your own."

"That's good to know," Aeris said. "I had feared I wasn't getting very far at all."

The music faded away and the crowd's noise level dropped considerably. People were hushing each other and eventually they all fell silent but for a few children's voices, which quickly followed suit.

Aeris glanced at Sephiroth, but he only shook his head; he did not know what was going on either. He got to his feet, helping her up with him, and looked over the heads of the crowd towards the Candle's platform, where Nanaki now sat, looking finally like the leader he had always striven to be. He turned to describe this in a low murmur to the Cetra beside him, who could not see beyond those in front of her, even by craning her neck and standing on tiptoe. The thought crossed his mind to lift her up, but he quickly dismissed it as childish and embarrassing.

"I am sure most of you have heard vague explanations for the reasons behind this ceremony," Nanaki began. "And I am sure many of you are quite curious. It is true that we are finally going to relight the Candle tonight. There is a reason behind my choosing this night as well. Forgive me if it seems I am delving into unnecessary topics.

"It is common knowledge among all of us that it was Sephiroth who called Meteor to this planet five years ago, and that it was Sephiroth whom I helped to defeat. Yet very few of you know his reasons or origins. It began many years ago, when I was still a kitten really. Scientists from Shinra discovered the being known as the Crisis from the Sky to the Cetra, and Jenova to the rest of us. Jenova was mistaken for a Cetra, and thus the Jenova Project was born out of a desire to create beings with the powers of the Cetra. And the product of that experiment? Sephiroth.

"It may come as a shock or surprise to you that he, too, was a victim. For those of you who fled from Midgar, or who have suffered losses at his hand, it may be unbelievable. But victim he was, and only one of those who suffered because of Professor Hojo. Myself and Miera you should know were among them. Many of Cloud's friends and comerades also suffered. Some of them died.

"Five days ago, when the Candle went out, my friends were trying to put an end to that. Sephiroth, who I am sure many of you saw here before then and felt relief at finding him gone, had been taken prisoner by Hojo once again. If you question Hojo's capability to do so, I will add that he had someone just as powerful under his control, and that unwilling girl had taken Aeris hostage. It was the same girl who defeated Cloud's party the night that the rains smothered our precious Candle. For those who wondered what bad news it spoke of, I believe that was it.

"But Aeris, herself the last of the Cetra, was not about to let this defeat her. I went with her to Midgar to save our friends. We freed them, but were forced to leave her behind. I do not know the exact way of it, but two of our friends whom we had found already missing were able to locate her and Sephiroth and bring them back to us.

"After a night of rest, a select few of us who still had the means to fight went to defeat Hojo. Sephiroth, Aeris, and myself went, as well as our friends Vincent and Reno, formerly of the Turks. It was a hard battle, with several moments of doubt, but we made it through. Hojo is dead, as well as his guard. But the girl, Minerva, rebelled against Hojo, and we took her back with us."

He shifted slightly, swishing his tail. "So it is in honor of our victory that we waited until today, when all of us are recovered from our wounds, to hold this ceremony and relight the Candle."

Nanaki scanned the crowd before him with is one eye. "Bugenhagen told me that it was the tradition for a Cetra to light it when it was necessary. So if Aeris would not mind doing so..."


She started where she stood and glanced briefly at Sephiroth. "I guess this means I go up there," she whispered to him. He nodded and motioned for her to go on. She let go his hand and hurried through the crowd with many a quiet 'excuse me' until she reached the Candle's platform. Nanaki smiled upon seeing her. "Sorry," she murmured softly. "I was near the back."

He nodded. "I don't mind."

Aeris hopped up the steps to join him. There were a few cheers and some clapping as she did so and she smiled sheepishly out at everyone. "I'm sorry to keep you all waiting," she said when they were quiet. "Nanaki didn't tell me."

A few laughs and admonishments. They seemed in a lighter mood now that she was there. She wondered why, but dismissed the thought and glanced down at Nanaki for guidence. He only shook his head. "You do not have to say anything," he said in a low voice, "but I think they want you to."

She nodded and turned back to the crowd. "...I may be considered the last of the Cetra now," she began with a slight falter, "but I hope it won't always be that way. And I also hope, even more than that, that no one ever has to light this fire again. This past century, especially the last few years, has been hard on the Planet, but I think now things should get better. This age is coming to a close, and a fresh one awaits us."

The crowd applauded again, and she turned to the pile of wood, concentrating in her mind and casting a fire spell upon it. The applause and cheering grew louder as the logs burst into flame and the Cosmo Candle once again burned brightly, casting its warm glow on the people of the Canyon.

Aeris turned to them briefly, bowing her head, then decended from the platform, Nanaki at her heels. She went back through the crowd, and this time people moved aside for her. She reached Sephiroth again, smiling a little.

He smiled back, glancing breifly at Nanaki. "The both of you did well..." He looked back down at the guardian of Cosmo Canyon. "...I am surprised you spoke so much of me."

Nanaki tossed his head, mane swishing. "I thought it necessary that someone try to clear your name. You are no longer the man they feared. It is time they think differently of you."

Aeris knelt down to scratch him behind the ears. "You sounded like you made speeches every day," she told him.

He shook his head and rubbed his muzzle with his paw in embarrassment. "You are only saying that... Besides, you did well yourself."

"Oh, nonsense," she laughed. "You did better."

"It was for you that they cheered," he replied.

"All the same, I think you deserve a round of applause, too," she insisted.

Nanaki snorted a little and looked up at Sephiroth. There was a silence between them, before the swordsman bowed his head. "Thank you once again. It seems I owe you for many a thing."

"Think nothing of it," the guardian replied. "Yuffie tells me you plan on fighting Jenova. I am sure that battle alone makes up for many wrong deeds. Jenova is the cause of the Planet's greatest suffering. Should you succeed, and I have no doubt that you will, I think the Planet will thank you, despite what you have done before."

"I do not have such high hopes, but I feel it is my duty to destroy her..."

Nanaki nodded. "I thought so. Well. I should be going. There are a few people I know who will not be satisfied with only what I said in my speech."

"Nanaki!" a little girl's voice exclaimed, and Kari squeezed past the last few people in her way. "I dun get it, an' neither do the rest of us! Come an' tell us 'bout it more."

Aeris smiled, glancing at the girl, then stroked Nanaki's cheek as he rubbed his face against her hand. "You go on then," she told him, straightening. "Don't let us keep you from telling stories."

He turned from her to Sephiroth, and hesitantly nudged his leg with his muzzle before turning and padding off through the crowd. Kari waved at Sephiroth and Aeris before turning to follow Nanaki. The Cetra watched them go with a smile.


"...neither of you mentioned the battle with Jenova," Sephiroth commented.

The Cetra turned back to him. "Why fill their minds with worry over that? I'm sure we'll win, so there's no need to tell them of the danger in the first place. No need to weigh down their hearts. Let them be ignorant and carefree if they can."

He nodded slightly, watching the crowd. A few people were watching them curiously, but most were talking among themselves or back up on the dance floor. Indeed, they did seem ignorant and carefree, happily caught up in their own lives with this plot involving mad scientists and the Crisis from the Sky all a distant tale, modern legend in the making that they held no part of.

"Why can't we be like them?" Aeris asked him softly.

He glanced at her. "...because of what we are; the Planet meant us for greater deeds than they, and even the humans would have us do great feats to improve their lives... Can't they see they already have more than we do? Or that what they lost, we cannot give to them?"

She turned to him with a smile on her face, and unsurpassable kindness in her deep green eyes. "They could never see what they have until they lose it, and I wouldn't wish for that... As for us... we can find comfort in their friendship, and each other's, can't we? And healing in love, however strong."

"Aeris..." he faltered, "I..."

"Hush," she said, putting a finger to his lips. "Don't start with that. You should know by now it isn't true." She moved her hand to the side of his face, and reached up to kiss him on the opposite cheek. "And anyway... I'd rather stay with you and die by your hand than live and never see you again."

He stared down at her in surprise. "You would rather..." he echoed, disbelieving.

"Yes, I would," she answered. She turned slightly and gestured to the crowd and the dancers. "You're not like them. You know what it's like to carry the fate of the world on your shoulders. They don't. And no matter how kind they are to me, no matter how much they love me or want to protect me... they can't understand that. And it's frustrated me for all my life. No one would even believe me when I said that I heard the voices of my ancestors in my head, or that the Planet spoke to me.

"Not until I met Cloud. And even then, how could they ever comprehend it? It's beyond them, no matter what I like to think. It's a capacity that they've lost over the years. It saddens me to see them so ignorant of the Planet's cries, so heedless of the warnings of their ancestors. Even my father, with all his machines and research, could not quite understand it."

"But Aeris," he said, shaking his head. "I don't hear the Planet either. I don't hear the voices of the Cetra. There is only Jenova, and Minerva, and nothing more."

She studied him for a long moment, then took his hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something." She led him through the crowd, which parted for her again, and on up the stairs leading into the oldest parts of the Canyon. The arms shop was closed, and she led him past that as well, on up the next flight of stairs into a fairly empty room, where she paused, looking around. "I know there was a switch here somewhere," she murmured to herself.

Sephiroth glanced at her, then walked over to the small barrel to find the button which Kari had pressed to open the door. With a glance at Aeris, he pushed it, and the metal door to their right slid open.

"Have you been in there, then?" she asked.

"Briefly," he replied, "and not very far."

She nodded, and led him through the door, starting down the first rope. He blinked a little, then shook his head slightly and followed her. After some time, they reached the bottom, and she took his hand again, leading him through the rock passage and past where he had stopped before with Kari. Beyond the first chamber lay a more open one, with rock bridges crossing over lakes of blood. The smell of it was even stronger here, and he nearly choked on it at first. Aeris glanced up at him, but pressed onward in silence. They passed through several more chambers without incident, and he felt once again the fear of the creatures that did live here, if 'live' was the proper term for it...

Aeris led him through one more crude doorway and out into a more open space, though the walls of the canyon rose high on either side and a rough pillar of rock dominated the center of the area. Yet it was open to the sky and the walls did not meet, allowing passage around the pillar and beyond... At the top of the cliff on the right stood a figure of one of Nanaki's kind, carved in stone.

"That's Nanaki's father, Seto," Aeris said softly. "This place was overrun by the Gi tribe many years ago, and Seto alone held them back... He recieved no great reward. Their arrows turned him to stone." She pointed upward at the figure. "See?" she asked.

He nodded, noting the arrows piercing the stone flank and shoulder of the warrior. "But this is not what you wanted me to see," he said, looking back at her.

She shook her head and moved to sit on a ledge of the pillar. "The voice of the Planet is very strong here. Here, there are no people to drown it out with their noise, and the barrier between living and dead is blurred. Close your eyes and listen. Listen well. Tell me, can't you feel it? Hear it?"

Sighing quietly, he did as he was bidden, closing his eyes and trying to listen. What was he listening for...? Nevermind that, just listen... For a time there was silence, and then he began to hear Aeris's soft breathing, feel her attention on him. He shook his head minutely and turned his attention from her, trying to remember what it felt like in the Lifestream and focusing on that instead.

Yes, he remembered that... he'd been in the Lifestream many a time, travelled it searching for knowledge, and... How had he forgotten that? Yes, he'd spoken to the Cetra, though they were always curt and fearful with him and at the time he had not understood why. He found his mind travelling that path again, searching for their words once again. He thought he found them on the edge of his hearing, but then there was a hush, as if none of them dared speak.

It's been some time since you called out to us, a voice said finally. When did you decide that you were a Cetra again?

My daughter told him, another explained. Aeris's mother?

Did she now?

She shouldn't have... He's not...

But he is. The Planet said so.

Him!? I won't stand for it, one of his kind, a Cetra, too? He is dangerous.

He's in love with Aeris, Aeris's mother cut in. Do you think he would hurt her? He's come to us for reassurance, and look what you give him. Do you want to doubt in himself?

You and your daughter were always too reckless, I say.

And all of you are too deeply rooted in your old fears. He may carry Jenova's cells, but he is not Jenova. If the Planet feels that he will come to its aid, then that should be enough to quell your fears...

Frowning slightly, Sephiroth pushed past these voices, searching for something more, something older and wiser, and yet still young in the eyes of the universe... Yet he stumbled along the way, and could not reach it. There was only the faint impression of a voice, a song, a crying, and then it was gone, and he could neither fully hear it, nor even come close to comprehending it.

He withdrew from the confusing sightless maze and opened his eyes to meet Aeris's gaze.

"I told you so," she said quietly, smiling.

"I... I can hear the Cetra," he said, "but the Planet's voice is beyond me."

Her smile faded slightly, but then she shook her head and got to her feet. "That's better for you, I think... The Planet is often cryptic and confusing, and it sometimes invades my thoughts or feelings when it is suffering too much..."

"You can feel its suffering as well, then, can't you?" he asked.

She nodded a little. "I'm used to it, though. I rarely even notice it now." She looked up at him. "I remembered that you told us you travelled the Lifestream before. I thought it was because of Jenova, but she can't do that, can she?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "I do not think so..." He was surprised to Jenova silent... Surprised, but glad.

"We're not so different then, are we?" she asked with a smile.

He frowned. "Aeris, we may be alike in what we are, and what we went through because of it, but there are still many things that set us apart, and one above all is strong in my mind. We are both victims, true, but you are also a healer, while I am also a killer. You mend things; I only tear them apart."

"You didn't used to be a killer," she said. "You were broken. If I am a healer, is it not my part to mend your broken mind and anguished soul? You didn't used to be a killer, and you aren't a killer now. You saved Katrina's life, you saved Kari's life, you returned my life to me, and who knows how many you saved by ridding the world of Hojo? And yet you did all of these things without any guidance from me."

"What are you getting at?"

The Cetra laid a hand against his chest. "You're a healer, too. Tell me you don't have any desire to aid anyone, and I will tell you that's a lie."

He looked down at her, down at her perfect face and her lovely hair and her beautiful green eyes. "...I want to aid you, Aeris," he murmured finally.

"Oh?" she queried, blinking.

"You are suffering, too," he replied. "You try not to show it, but I know I am not the only one who notices." He sighed and dropped his gaze. "Only, I am not like you... I do not know what to say to comfort you, nor do I understand your pain."

She lifted his chin with a finger, a smile on her pink lips and its sad joy touching her eyes, making them look as twin pools of knowledge. "I hurt because those around me hurt, because I cannot be with Cloud, because there are still things on this Planet with evil in their hearts, and I can do nothing to change them. There are some souls who are beyond my power, and it grieves me that it is so. Hojo was beyond me... because I hated him, too. And that hatred was a pain in my heart. Surely these are things you can understand."

He nodded slightly, gently taking her hand from his face. "Perhaps I can... But that does not make me a healer."

"Understanding is half-way there," she told him. "Seeing beyond the suffering and pulling them out of it... that's the rest of it. And the harder part for you, because I know you were never optimistic..."

Sephiroth shook his head. "I was taught to be logical and, if anything, pessimistic. One does not win a war by being optimistic..."

"...one does so by being cold and calculating?" she finished with an eyebrow raised.

He said nothing.

"You may have a few enemies now, but not everyone must be shut out. You're not protecting them or yourself by doing so."

"How am I protecting anyone by being close to them?"

"You are closest to me; would you let yourself hurt me? Would you let anyone else hurt me?"

"No..."

She smiled. "And don't worry about breaking my heart, or anyone else's. I'm sure we'd rather have you close by, then see you suffering alone. You understand me, and that's enough comfort for me now."

He nodded slowly. "I apologize again for running from you. I did not think..."

"Shh, I know. It's all right." Aeris gave a start and looked about her. She smiled sheepishly. "Should we go back to the party, do you think? Before someone misses us?"

"They did not seem to notice us before," he said.

"True," she replied, "but all the same, this isn't exactly a place we should be at any time... We ought to head back and close the door. If you want to stay away from the crowd, we can find someplace else..."

"I would not mind going back," Sephiroth admitted. "I have a liking for music..."

She blinked and tilted her head. "Do you?"

He nodded a bit. "...as does Minerva, and I believe my mother played the piano."

"How... exactly does Minerva relate to you, do you know?"

"No... But I have come to think of her as my sister."

Nodding, she smiled and took him by the hand. "Well, let's head back then." He walked at her side as they went back through the caverns of rock and blood, then climbed up ahead of her on the ropes. At the top, they shut the door behind them, and Aeris looked at him thoughtfully.

"What is it?" he asked of her.

"You said your mother played the piano... Do you...?"

He hesitated, lowering his gaze. "I... There was a piano in the Shinra mansion, and as a child I tried to teach myself, but I do not think it amounted to much..."

She shifted on her feet, looking almost shy. "There is a little piano in Bugenhagen's old study... I don't know if it's in tune, and I know it doesn't have all the octives full pianos do, but maybe..."

Blinking, he looked back up at her. "Would you like me to play for you?" he offered.

Aeris met his gaze with sparkling eyes. "If you don't mind..." she said, but it was obvious what she wanted.

"I do not know how much I can remember, but I will try," he said.

She smiled brightly, leading him on up to the top of the Canyon, and into the observatory, turning into the room on the right where Bugenhagen's machine displayed the sun and the planets surrounding it high above them.

Sephiroth glanced upward at it. "I suppose the machines here are what the windmills are for," he commented.

"Yes, I think so," she replied, turning to the side where the piano was and lightly touching his arm. There was no bench, so he looked around and finally pulled a chair in from the other room, sitting down on it and lifting the dusty cover on the keys. He pressed one, timidly, testing the sound. It seemed loud to him in the silence, and he flinched a little in spite of himself.

"It sounds fine," Aeris assured him softly, leaning on the back of the chair.

He nodded minutely and laid his fingers across the keys. Indeed, there were fewer of them, but he had rarely used them all. Finding nothing to delay it any longer, he began to play, recalling that one swirling melody from his memory so long ago, that faint recollection of piano music echoing mournfully through the mansion that may have only been a dream... He remembered it perfectly, as he had always done before his departure from Nibelheim, before Hojo's experiments ripped gaping holes in his flawless memory. And finally he was forced to let the notes fall away, as he had heard no further in that long-forgotten memory.

Aeris was silent for a long moment, and he fidgetted uncomfortably. Was it not to her liking? Did he make a mistake somewhere that had gone unnoticed? "That was beautiful," she whispered finally. "Where did you learn it from?"

"An echo of a memory," he replied softly, shaking his head. "I know nothing else really, though I suppose I could recreate a tune if I wished..."

"So you play by ear then," she concluded. "I can't really play anything... But pianos sound so beautiful..."

Sephiroth glanced at her over his shoulder. "Can you sing?" he asked.

She blinked in surprise. "Sing? Well... I don't know, really. All I ever did was hum when I worked on my flowers..." She blushed a little in embarrassment. "I could never think of any words to go with the tune..."

He eyed her thoughtfully, then turned back to the little piano, lightly tapping his fingers on the keys. "...Minerva makes up her own songs. Perhaps she could write words for your melodies if you wanted."

"Really? Do you think she would?"

He shrugged. "She seemed a little embarrassed when I overheard her singing, but I am certain you can reassure her."

She wrapped her arms loosely about him from behind, and he glanced back at her, only to turn away again at finding her face so close. "Before we go back to the party, I wanted to thank you for everything tonight, Sephiroth."

"...what have I done?" he asked in confusion.

"Well, let's see," she said with laughter like music in her voice. "You danced with me, you listened to me, spoke with me, kept me company, followed me into that awful Gi Cave, and just now you played for me. I think that deserves a thank you."

"...you have done so much for me as well," he said quietly. "Tonight, and many other times... I thank you for that, though I don't think words will ever be sufficient..."

She straightened and moved to his side to smile at him. "Your kind company alone is reward enough. Come on, let's go back down."

Standing, he did his best to return her smile and followed her back down from the deserted Canyon and into the laughing, grinning faces of the crowd.