White light streamed down from somewhere in the high ceiling to illuminate a bed of golden flowers and green leaves growing where the floorboards had been broken some time ago. The yellow petals seemed to glow in the light, brighter even than the stained glass windows. An unadorned altar stood plainly beyond the flowers, openly conceding to the greater brilliance of the blossoms. It did not seem strange in the slightest that they were growing in the middle of winter.
Sephiroth found himself staring. He had never seen this church before, never been in this part of Midgar, what had been the Sector 5 slums nine years ago. "It is beautiful, Aeris," he said.
"You think so...?" she asked, walking ahead of him and turning in a slow circle to view the whole church. "Of course, someone fixed it up while I was dead. So many of the beams and boards were broken or falling apart."
Aeris stopped in the sunlight, a grin spreading across her face as she tilted her face upwards. The sun hit her face, made her pale skin glow white, and highlighted strands of her hair, making them seem as strands of gold and copper. Her green eyes were half-closed, but sparkled behind black lashes.
He was dimly aware that she was speaking. "The skylight used to be a hole in the ceiling, you know. Cloud made it when he fell through the roof." She giggled and looked back at him. Her laughter faded, and she tilted her head in amusement at his expression.
Sephiroth started. "Hmm?"
She shook her head in dismissal of the thought, though her amused expression remained. "Why are you still standing by the door anyway? Come on in. You're quite welcome here."
He glanced around. "But this is--"
"A holy place?" Aeris walked back to him to take his hand. "Why do you always feel like you don't belong in places like this, Sephiroth?"
"For the same reasons why I always used to think I did not belong with you," he replied. "I suppose I should feel more comfortable here since you accepted me a long time ago. Still..." He shook his head.
"You're just not used to being in places like this," she assured him. She looked him over and giggled. "Or maybe it's the black. You do look a little out of place."
Sephiroth arched an eyebrow. "What, you think I should wear white instead?"
Aeris tilted her head. "Hmm. You probably would look good in white. But black does seem to suit you." She shrugged, smiled. "But then, what does it matter, right?"
He nodded, studying her face for as long as he could without being accused of staring before letting his gaze wander around the church.
"Are you ready to meet Mom?" Aeris asked after a moment.
"I think I would like to have a closer look at your flowers first," he said, letting go of her hand and striding towards the sunlit flowerbed.
She trailed after. "Nervous?"
He crouched down beside the yellow blossoms. "Why should I be nervous?"
"Well, she does act more like a normal mother than Ifalna," Aeris said. "She didn't approve of my liking Cloud even. She probably won't like you first off... But I want her to understand how happy I'll be with you, so I can't just never let the two of you meet. Does that make sense?"
Sephiroth nodded without looking up at her where she stood. "You do not want Elmyra to worry that you're in a bad relationship, which is most likely what she will think considering my past."
She dropped down beside him, head bent to study her flowers. "Mmhmm."
"Did you tell her we were coming?"
"I asked Barret to tell her, so hopefully I won't end up startling her like I did last time." She glanced at him. "Are you ready to go?"
"Just a moment," he murmured. He reached out, gently breaking the stem of one golden blossom and handing it to her. "This would look lovely in your hair," he said.
Aeris blinked, then laughed softly. "Would it?" She took the flower and deftly braided it into a section of her hair so that the yellow petals brushed against the side of her cheek. It did indeed look lovely.
Sephiroth smiled slightly, then stood and offered his hand. She took it firmly and let him pull her to her feet. She took the lead as they walked from the church and through the salvaged and repaired buildings of Sector 5.
He was surprised again by the simple beauty of Elmyra's house. It did not look as though it belonged in the slums, but he was certain it was the house Aeris had grown up in. More of the golden blossoms bloomed around it, and in a fenced garden across a little brook.
She led him to the door and knocked with her free hand.
The woman who answered the door appeared to be in her fifties, with streaks of grey in her tight bun of brown hair. Her eyes were brown, too, with wrinkles in the corners around them. She was nothing remarkable, but she did indeed look motherly.
"Hello, Aeris," she greeted, her eyes slipped to Sephiroth and she eyed him with a frown.
"Hi, Mom," Aeris replied, ignoring the disapproving look. "This is Sephiroth. Sephiroth, this is Elmyra Gainsborough, my foster mother."
He bowed his head respectfully. "I am pleased to meet you, Mrs. Gainsborough."
She hesitated, apparently finding nothing inappropriate with his behavior so far. "Come on in, both of you," she said finally, ushering them inside and closing the door behind them. "Can I get you anything?"
"No, thanks. We're fine," Aeris answered. "How have you been, Mom?"
"All right, save for worrying about you constantly. I wasn't hearing wonderful things about you from your friends. I mean, goodness, four years!"
She smiled in reassurance. "But I'm doing wonderfully now that Sephiroth's back."
"Yes, well..." Again the disapproving glance at the swordsman. "What do you two plan on doing with yourselves?"
"We're going to get married sometime soon, I expect," Aeris answered. "We haven't figured out when yet."
Elmyra blinked. "Married?"
She nodded brightly. "Yes. Did you expect us to wait? I've waited long enough, don't you think?"
"Yes, yes, but..." Her eyes flicked towards Sephiroth.
"You would rather she chose someone else," the swordsman finished quietly. "Quite understandable and even sensible of you."
"Well, I mean..." Elmyra fumbled, taken aback by his frankness. "That's not quite what I..."
"It's all right, Mom," Aeris interrupted. "We all know you don't think very highly of him after all that's happened. That's why we're here: to set you at ease with the idea of us as a couple."
The woman nodded. "In that case, there's something I want to know. If you are such a wonderful person, Sephiroth, why did you kill my daughter?"
"Mom--" Aeris began, shock and worry threaded through her voice; she had not expected something so spiteful from her mother, and she knew how painful it was for him to consider it.
"Aeris, it is all right," he interrupted, voice calm and betraying none of his inner torture, though his eyes were downcast. "It is a valid question afterall... Except, Mrs. Gainsborough, that you expect me to give you excuses, and I have none to offer."
"But you must have a reason at least," Elmyra insisted.
Sephiroth sighed. "I killed her because I was not strong enough to stop myself. I was not strong enough to go against Jenova. But those are not reasons, are they? Jenova had her reasons for wanting her dead, but I did not. And that is why it was so terrible; I did not even want to do it, and yet I ignored those feelings." He nearly scoffed in self-mockery, but decided against it. "It did not even accomplish anything, save the taking of another life."
He felt Aeris squeeze his hand. "Jenova's wishes meant a lot to you then, and you couldn't even remember me," she reminded him. "Of course you wouldn't go against her."
He glanced at her, and her smile was nearly enough to make the pain vanish.
Elmyra looked back and forth between the two. "I think I can see why he needs you, Aeris, but I can't comprehend why you're so terribly attached to him. Unless it's just as it always was, with you wanting to help everyone, no matter who they were."
She shook her head. "I want to help him, yes, but not just because he's hurt. He's as much a comfort to me as I am to him." A sad smile crossed her face and her tone turned reflective. "I know you heard me some of those nights when I cried myself to sleep. Even though, come morning, I pretended I hadn't cried and you pretended you hadn't heard."
The woman nodded. "Yes, I did. I probably should have done something, but you were so determined to convince me you were happy that I couldn't. Quite frankly, you've always baffled me."
"And that's exactly it," Aeris stated. "I've always baffled everyone, and that's always set me apart. Alone." She was smiling now. "But Sephiroth understands me. You probably think we're so different and you're probably wondering how on earth we could even be friends, let alone lovers, but you'd be surprised how many of the same things we've gone through."
"Oh? Like what?"
Her smile faded just the slightest bit. "A lot of painful things, actually... Misunderstanding is only one of them. We've both been specimens of Professor Hojo. We've both been used. We've both sacrificed. We've both been lonely. I think that counts for quite a bit."
Elmyra faltered. "One wouldn't think such things of Shinra's great general. One would think..." She trailed off.
"...that he had been well off, yes?" Sephiroth asked. "Content with all the perquisites of his position? It is a common misconception, though if I was unhappy, it was probably my own fault."
"Why do you say that?"
"I had always been taught to ignore my emotions, so I did. I was foolish to accept that doctrine."
"Always?" the woman queried, looking surprised. It was the least suspicious expression he had seen directed towards him so far. "You mean that you were brought up that way?"
Sephiroth nodded. "Of course," he replied, as if it were common knowledge. "Hojo wanted to create a perfect being, and, to him, that meant one lacking emotions."
Elmyra was looking at him uncertainly now, as if she found herself sympathizing with him in spite of herself. "That does seem rather tragic," she admitted.
He shrugged and looked away. He was glad, at least, that he had not earned her pity. Sympathy, perhaps, but not pity.
"What about your parents?" she asked suddenly. "Didn't they object to this whole thing?"
At that, he had to scoff. "Hojo was my father, and my mother was dead. Of course there was no one to object. I was born for the experiment, afterall."
"How cruel," Elmyra exclaimed.
Sephiroth glanced at her. "Don't misunderstand. I did not have it as hard as it sounds. I could have escaped if I had wanted."
"Then why didn't you?"
He shook his head. He did not want to answer.
"Why didn't you?" she repeated.
"Mom," Aeris cut in finally. "You don't realize how personal a question that is... Perhaps we should switch to a more suitable topic. Something less... painful."
Sephiroth looked at her, smiling minutely in gratitude.
"Yes, yes, you're probably right," Elmyra agreed hurriedly. "What shall we talk about?"
"Have you heard about the party we're throwing at Tifa's bar?" Aeris asked.
The woman shook her head. "No, I haven't. What's it for?"
"Sephiroth's birthday, actually," she replied with a smile. "It's the first one he'll celebrate..."
Elmyra turned to him. "How old will you be turning?"
He shifted uncertainly and glanced at Aeris. "...how old will I be?"
She laughed. "Well, if you'd never died, you'd be forty this year. But, you know... take fourteen years out of that, and you're only twenty-six."
"And you?"
"I would have been thirty-two this year, but I guess I'll be turning twenty-seven. Which makes me older than you," she teased, grinning.
"Hmph," he said, though he permitted himself a small smirk.
"Anyway," Aeris went on, turning back to her mother. "Are you going to the party?"
"Me?" Elmyra queried. "Of course not! It's for you and all your friends, not your parents."
"Sephiroth's mother is going to be there, and she's older than you are. Well, sort of..."
She blinked. "Sephiroth's mother? But I thought he said she had died..."
"Oh, dear..." Aeris murmured, then went on to explain. "I revived her, you see, four years ago. I did it for Vincent; he's one of my friends from Avalanche, and he was in love with her back when she was alive before. It's sort of complicated..."
"I can see that," Elmyra said flatly.
"So anyway, Lucrecia will be there. She doesn't look her age at all, but what does that matter? You'd like her, Mom, you would. And Vincent will be there, and Cid and Shera, and Barret..."
The woman nodded. "I suppose I'll come, if you think I should."
Aeris smiled. "Oh, by the way, how is Marlene? How old is she now? Thirteen? Gods, it seems like only yesterday that she was a little girl, only four years old..."
"Indeed it does. Yes, she's thirteen, but she hasn't yet become a rebellious teenager, thank heavens. She's always been such a sweet little girl."
Sephiroth was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. "Who is Marlene?" he inquired.
"That's right," Aeris said. "You don't know her. She's Barret's adopted daughter. You'll have to meet her if she goes to the party."
"And why is that?"
"Because you'll be needing some experience with children before you have any of your own," Elmyra stated.
He blinked rapidly. "Excuse me?"
"I will be wanting grandchildren, you know."
Sephiroth looked to Aeris for help, but she was laughing silently, holding her side. "I, ah, hadn't thought of it, Mrs. Gainsborough..." he faltered.
To his surprise, Elmyra smiled in amusement and started laughing quietly along with Aeris. Why did they both find his discomfort with the subject so amusing?
"Seph," Aeris managed finally, "you are so incredibly adorable when you blush."
He eyed her quizzically for a moment, then shook his head. "Whatever."
She took a deep breath, then let it out. "Well. Mom, do you mind entertaining Sephiroth for a while? I've got to go out and buy him something for his birthday. Haven't had a chance yet, you know."
Sephiroth looked at her with astonishment. "But Aeris, you don't need to get me anything. Besides, you already--"
"Hush," she interrupted. "I won't get into that argument with you again. And I was going to give that to you whenever you got back. It's not a birthday present."
He sighed. "All right..."
She stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back soon." She nodded to Elmyra. "I'll see you later, Mom."
The woman nodded mutely, and both she and Sephiroth watched as Aeris disappeared out the door. The stared at it for a moment, then turned uneasily to look at each other.
"Well," said Elmyra.
The swordsman fidgeted.
"Well," she repeated. "Have you had any girlfriends before Aeris?"
He shook his head.
"Hm. That's surprising, considering how handsome you are."
He shrugged. "I was never interested in women before."
"Aeris has had two boyfriends before," Elmyra stated.
Sephiroth nodded, wondering if there was any point to this conversation. Elmyra truly vexed him. "Yes, she told me. And I knew both of them."
"Did you? Well, I suppose you were all in SOLDIER, weren't you?"
"Cloud wasn't."
"But he said..."
The swordsman looked away. "He thought he had been in SOLDIER, but he was only a trooper. He suffered some memory difficulties..."
"Memory difficulties?" she persisted. "What from?"
"From when I burned down his hometown," Sephiroth replied flatly.
"Oh."
He glanced at her. She seemed to be trying to find a safe topic.
"So, why are you interested in Aeris if you weren't interested in any other women?" she asked.
"You have to ask?" he said, mildly surprised. "Surely you've realized that Aeris is different from the others. She is... perfect. No one has ever treated me as she has. To think, I expected her to hate me like everyone else..."
"Hardly everyone hates you," Elmyra told him. "Otherwise, why would you even be here now, hmm? Aeris said all the people you killed were going to decide if you lived or not. Obviously, most of them don't hate you, even though you murdered them."
"One of Aeris's miracles of understanding, I'm sure." He nodded half to himself. "You must be quite disappointed in me. You never wanted her to fall for a SOLDIER, and I was SOLDIER's general; you wanted her boyfriend to be gentle, and I have been far from it; you wanted him to be amicable, and I am quite cold."
She blinked. "Was Aeris talking about my expectations for you?"
Sephiroth shook his head. "Hardly at all. She only said you would probably dislike me, which is no surprise."
"Then how did you guess all those other things?"
He hesitated, finding that he really did not know. "I suppose... judging by your manner..."
Elmyra nodded slowly. "I think I'm beginning to see it now."
"See what?"
"Why she chose you. You're almost as good as figuring people out as she is, aren't you?"
"No, not really," he said, wondering not how she had managed to get that impression, but how he had managed to give it. They had hardly talked of anything of importance. Then again, she had merely said he was good at understanding people, and he had always been able to read between the lines. Emotions had been what confused him. Not so much anymore, though.
"Modest, too," Elmyra added. "I must say, you're not what I expected."
"What were you expecting?" he asked, curious.
"Someone arrogant and commanding. Certainly you're not--what did you say?--amicable, but you are sort of gentle, in your own way."
Sephiroth refrained from scoffing and simply looked away again.
"By the way," she went on, "what was it that Aeris gave to you?"
"Ah... a materia, actually," he answered slowly.
"Materia?" Emyra repeated. "What kind of materia?"
He drew it carefully from the pocket where he had been keeping it--a poor place for it, he thought, and he would have to figure out something more suitable--and held it in his open palm to show her.
"A white materia!" she exclaimed. "I've never seen that kind before, unless... no, no... She always used to wear that in her hair. I remember now. But I've never seen another like it."
Sephiroth replaced the orb in his pocket. "That is because there isn't another like it. It is the only White Materia, and it summons Holy. Aeris used it when I summoned Meteor... I really don't know why she gave it to me."
Elmyra smiled kindly, an expression he had not expected from her. "She used to wear it like a good luck charm. Maybe she's decided that she doesn't need it anymore."
"I hope she doesn't."
Aeris was off greeting their guests as they came in, one or two at a time, a broad smile on her face, cheerful and genuine. Sephiroth had stayed at her side for a time, but had since retreated to a corner of the bar where he was out of the way, but still able to watch her.
The bar was not as spacious as some, but, as Aeris had remarked, bigger than Tifa's old Seventh Heaven in Midgar. It stood on a corner, at an intersection between two streets. A dim yellow light permeated the room. There were two counters that met at a right angle, bar stools placed evenly along them. Tifa had left the way behind the counters open so that the guests had access to whatever liquor she had back there, and whatever happened to be in the refrigerator.
There was also space enough for two fair-sized tables on either side of the room. There were a few native plants potted and placed about the room, a poster of an ocean scene spanning one wall, and a jukebox near where Aeris stood at the entrance.
"E-excuse me..." a shy little voice started.
He shifted his gaze to look at the speaker; she was a tiny slip of a girl, a child with large brown eyes and dark brown hair in braids just past her shoulders and straight bangs across her forehead. Marlene, he guessed, judging by her age.
"Excuse me," she repeated with greater confidence. "You're Sephiroth, aren't you?"
The question amused him; of course she knew he was Sephiroth. Everyone did. "Yes," he answered.
She smiled hesitantly. "I'm Marlene."
He nodded. "Barret's daughter, I assume." The two seemed like complete opposites, Barret and Marlene.
"Yes," she replied, eagerly. His recognition seemed to encourage her. "I thought I'd come say hi. I mean, this is supposed to be your party, isn't it? And here you are in the corner..."
The swordsman shrugged. "I prefer not to draw much attention."
"But isn't that really the point of a birthday party?" Marlene asked, somewhat puzzled, as she hopped up onto a barstool near him.
"This is my first," he confided. "I would not know."
"Oh, I see. Well... I'm shy myself, but you should really just let loose and enjoy yourself, you know?"
Sephiroth nodded towards the door. "I am waiting for Aeris."
The girl glanced her way, then looked back at him. "I heard that Aeris waited a whole four years for you to come back to life," she said brightly. "I think that's awfully romantic, don't you?"
He tilted his head. "Do all young girls have such strange notions?" he asked.
"Strange notions?" she repeated. "What do you mean?"
"How could subjecting oneself to four years of loneliness possibly be romantic?"
Marlene answered almost matter-of-factly, "Oh, easily. It's more of a tragic romanticism, though, I think. I mean, I know it had to be hard on her to be alone that long, but it's touching, too. And it should be especially so for you, considering she did it for you."
He shook his head. "It would be very selfish of me to appreciate that kind of sacrifice... I almost wish she had not waited."
"How can you say that? You wanted to come back and find her off with some other guy?"
"Yes."
She frowned, considering this for a long moment, then finally shook her head. "I don't get it."
"Perhaps you will understand when you fall in love," he suggested.
The girl sighed. "That's what everyone tells me. 'Oh, you'll understand when you're in love,' they say. How hard can it be to explain?"
Sephiroth shrugged. "I could probably explain it to you, and when I was through, you would nod and say, 'Ah yes, that seems logical.' But years later, you would experience love for yourself, and you would find it just as confusing as before, if not more so. So why endeavor to comprehend it without experiencing it first?"
"So it's different for everybody, right?" Marlene concluded uncertainly.
"I suppose. But it is easier to understand motives and reasons once you have gone through it, even if it was quite different for you."
She smiled a little. "I'll probably end up looking back at what I think now and wondering how I could ever be so silly, won't I?"
"Quite possibly," he agreed.
"Do you?"
He blinked. "Do I what?"
"Think what you used to believe is pretty stupid now."
"Of course."
She swiveled back and forth on the stool. "Sephiroth?"
His gaze had wandered to Aeris, who looked about ready to seek him out, but now he looked back at the girl. "Yes?"
"Can I call you Seph?"
A pause. "Certainly."
Marlene smiled. "You know what? I've heard too many stories to count about you, from Papa, from Cloud, from Tifa, but it's hard to believe them all now. I hope I fall in love with someone as nice as you."
Sephiroth stared at her in astonishment, failing to notice that Aeris was close enough to overhear now. "Nice?" he queried. "Whatever gave you that impression?"
"What?" she asked, not seeming to realize how absurd it was to everyone to attribute kindness to him. "You don't treat me like just some kid, and you're honest. I think it's nice."
"I didn't mean for it to seem that way..." he faltered.
The girl blinked. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, don't try to find any logic in that," Aeris said, startling the two. "Sephiroth thinks he has some sort of reputation to protect, that's all." Her laughing gaze met Sephiroth's, and he raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"He can't possibly want people to think he's evil, can he?" Marlene asked.
"Of course not," she replied. "That's why it's so illogical."
"But Aeris," Sephiroth said with a faint smirk, "what am I supposed to do when you are always telling people how nice I am?" He waved a hand in Marlene's direction. "If you keep it up, I'll have friends, and then we'll never have any time to ourselves."
Aeris laughed. "Is that how it is? And I suppose you're worried about having admirers, too, hmm?"
The question caught him a bit off guard, but he recovered quickly. "I know you wouldn't want to make anyone jealous. You have probably had enough of love triangles, yes?"
"You're right, of course," she replied smoothly, then shook her head. "Oh, poor Marlene, we've left her quite bewildered."
The girl smiled shyly. "It's all right, Miss Aeris. I think I'll leave you two be..."
"I don't blame you. And call me Aeris," she added.
Marlene nodded. "All right... Aeris. I'll talk to you later, Seph." She hopped off the stool and wandered off, quite probably to find someone closer to her age.
"So everyone is here?" Sephiroth asked, surveying the room.
"Yes," she answered. "And I must say, you certainly have a knack for finding the most obscure and unobtrusive corners."
"Really? Then how did you find me so quickly?"
"Because I know you."
He raised an eyebrow.
She relented. "All right, all right. I watched you to see where you went."
He smirked. "That's what I thought."
"Have you talked to anyone besides Marlene?" Aeris asked.
The swordsman shook his head. "I have not sought them out."
"I'm sure they'd all like to talk to you. It has been four years for all of us, you'll remember, even if it only seemed like a week at most to you."
He nodded. "I know. I wanted to wait for you."
"Worried about how some of them might react?" she wondered.
"No; merely uncertain, and I would rather be with you anyway."
She placed her hands on her hips. "You've been with me constantly for two weeks straight, and they haven't seen you in years."
"The latter point is valid," Sephiroth told her quietly, "but I can never get enough of you."
A smile softened her expression. "I know how you feel. But you ought to at least..." She trailed off, glancing to her left with a start as Minerva walked a few steps past her and stopped, staring at Sephiroth. A moment later, she closed the distance between them, and hugged him, a gesture that surprised Sephiroth before he realized that she had had years to get used to this. He returned the embrace.
Reno was standing awkwardly a little behind Aeris, and she turned, took him by the arm, and quietly led him away.
Minerva pulled away, glancing at them, then returned her gaze to Sephiroth. "...I missed you," she said.
He wasn't sure how to respond to that; he hadn't been conscious enough to miss her. He had missed Aeris though... vaguely, in dreamlike waverings of emotion and blurred mental images. "I am sorry," he said.
She shook her head. "You did nothing to apologize for. I'm only glad that you are back. It would have been nice to have you around..."
"At first, I suppose," Sephiroth reflected, "but I am sure you have long since adjusted to your new life."
"For the most part, yes," she replied. "There are some things I doubt I'll ever get used to, though."
He nodded. "Now that I'm back... you and Reno will marry, yes?"
"Yes. Reno and Elena have been trying to get me involved in the wedding plans, but I really don't care enough about that sort of thing. I have heard little girls plan their weddings from young ages, but... why bother with plans? Would it not be better unrehearsed, spontaneous, natural...?"
"I have not thought much about weddings."
Minerva tilted her head. "What of your own? Or does Aeris not consider it so important?"
"We have talked a little about it, casually," he admitted. "She does not seem to want anything grand or fancy, though I can tell it will be a very significant event to her."
"It seems to mean a lot to everyone," she remarked. "I feel as though I've missed something."
"Perhaps you have to be raised with the idea of marriage as a great event. It is supposed to bind two people together spiritually, or something of the sort... You would probably get more specific answers from Reno; I never cared to learn much on the subject."
"I will ask him later."
Sephiroth nodded. "What else has been going on?"
"Well..." She considered this, then a slight smile crossed her face. "Lately, Reno has been trying to get me to start a musical career. He is only half-joking, but I find the idea quite amusing."
"You would be good at it, if you could get past your embarrassment," he said. "However... there aren't really many entertainers anymore, are there?"
"More writers than anything," Minerva answered. "They do not have to worry about censorship anymore. Television is a fairly small market now, or so they tell me. Very few stations, very few movies. There are theaters, though, for plays and concerts. We've never gone to any."
"I wonder if Aeris would like to go," Sephiroth mused.
"If you ever stay in Junon for any length of time, perhaps we can all go out to see a play," she suggested.
He nodded. "That sounds... pleasant. I will mention it to her."
They both noticed Reno approaching at the same time. "Hi," he said, not quite casually. "Aeris said it was prolly okay for me to intrude on your conversation now."
"You mean 'join in,'" Minerva corrected.
"Yeah, whatever." He shrugged and turned back to Sephiroth. "I didn't get a chance to say how great it is to have you back and all. I don't think I've ever seen Aeris's spirits so high. I'll be looking forward to seeing more of you guys."
"As will I," the swordsman replied.
The redhead shifted. "I did wanna bring up one thing, though... I dunno if Elena will actually find the nerve to bother you about it, but, you know, when she heard you were alive, she got her hopes up again. Thinking that you'll bring Tseng back and everything."
"I did tell her I would try," said Sephiroth, "but I do not know if I will be able to now... I am not nearly as powerful. Aeris may have to be the one to do it, if she is willing, and, perhaps more importantly, if the Planet is willing."
"Well, the Planet never had any objections before, did it?" Reno asked.
"I suppose Aeris did not tell anyone about how busy it has been. It could not even find the time or energy to spare to speak to her until about a month ago."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Minerva answered, "Extracting a soul from the Lifestream means taking energy from the Planet. Somewhat like drawing blood from a human. If the Planet has been overworked, it is already weak enough without Sephiroth or Aeris reviving more people. You should really pay more attention to planet study, Reno."
"Sorry," he apologized sincerely. "My memory's not as great as yours. It probably doesn't help that I'm only human."
"No, it probably doesn't," she agreed, "though it is hard to imagine having a limited memory..."
Sephiroth said nothing. He certainly had no trouble imagining it. He did not even need to imagine, only remember.
"Anyway," Reno said, "I think I saw Delphine and Katrina looking for us. Haven't seen them in a while. You wanna go say hi?"
Minerva nodded. "All right." She offered Sephiroth a smile. "I just realized... it is nice to be certain that no dangers will find you between now and our next meeting."
"Indeed it is," he murmured.
"Later, Seph." Reno grinned, knowing how the casual remark sounded just after Minerva's words.
Sephiroth shook his head, amused, and watched the two walk away.
Several minutes elapsed before Aeris rejoined him. "Barret caught sight of me," she said by way of explanation. "It's been a very long time indeed since I've seen him. He can get pretty emotional sometimes... It always manages to surprise me."
He nodded a bit, but could think of no reply. Aeris seemed content with the silence. Finally, though, he decided to speak his mind. "It was a little late, you know."
"Hmm?" she asked.
"What Elmyra said about needing experience..."
"What do you mean?"
He nodded towards Minerva; he could see her across the room with Reno, Katrina, and Delphine. "Do you know who her father is?"
Aeris blinked, then looked at him with understanding. "Oh, Sephiroth. You didn't even know, so what could you have done? Besides, I think you're doing a fine job now. I noticed how she always went to you for advice."
"But that works both ways," he said. "I ask advice of her as well."
"It doesn't matter. And anyway, you seemed to get along well with Marlene, too. In fact, she seemed quite smitten with you."
He raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I think she has a crush on you."
Sephiroth scoffed. "Nonsense. She is only thirteen."
Aeris looked amused. "I guess you wouldn't have ever had a crush, Seph. Teens get them frequently, and age really isn't a factor."
"Apparently not."
"Seriously, though, since you brought it up... what do you think? About having children, I mean."
"Honestly? I'm afraid I make a terrible father. You would have to raise the children by yourself; I have no idea what to do with them."
"Nonsense," she insisted. "Just do the opposite of everything your father did, and you'll do fine."
"Will I really?" he asked.
She smiled reassuringly. "Of course. I'll help you."
He nodded slightly, but did not have time to reply before a small figure tackled him, making him start and nearly hurt her--until he realized that it was Yuffie, her arms around him in a violent hug.
"Why do you have to pick obscure corners to hang out in?" she demanded when she drew back. "I've been looking for you since I came in."
Sephiroth merely looked at her blankly for a long moment, taking a step back and calming himself.
She blinked, then grinned sheepishly. "Sorry if I scared you," she apologized.
He shook his head slowly. "It's all right..."
"But, Gods, it's good to see you." Yuffie's tone of voice took on the mock sternness again. "You made everybody so worried; you'd better not die again."
"I do not plan on it," he replied.
Aeris took hold of his arm in a possessive gesture. "I won't let him," she said with a grin.
The ninja grinned back. "That's good to know. Do you think you can get him to join the rest of us? It's his party, afterall, isn't it?"
"Hmm... He seems pretty rooted to this spot," she admitted. "He does like corners."
"Come on, Seph," said Yuffie. "Or do we have to drag you?"
He raised an eyebrow, surveying her petite figure. "Do you honestly think that you could?"
The ninja drew herself up, trying to seem taller. "You underestimate the great Yuffie Kisaragi."
"Besides," Aeris added, casting her friend an amused look, "it can't be any harder than moving your dead body."
"I was not resisting then," Sephiroth stated.
"Oh? Then we do have to drag you...?"
He laughed and shook his head. "No. I will go willingly."
Aeris smiled, and Yuffie led the two out to a table where many of the others were hanging out. "Sephiroth's finally come out of hiding, guys," the ninja announced to the group. She poked him. "Come on, say hello."
The swordsman blinked at her, then tilted his head and looked back at the others. "Ah... hello."
"Welcome back to the world of the living," Katrina said.
"I don't think you've met Delphine," Aeris added, gesturing to the girl beside Katrina. "She's a friend of ours. From Bone Village, but she moved to Cosmo Canyon a year or so ago."
Sephiroth inclined his head. "It is nice to meet you, Delphine."
"I'm honored to meet you, Sephiroth," she replied. "I've heard a lot about you from everyone."
"Really?" he asked. "They must have exaggerated in some way then, for you to be 'honored.'"
"Oh, don't be silly," Aeris laughed. "You're better than any story about you."
He glanced at her, then pulled a chair out from the table, gesturing for her to sit down.
"Thank you," she said, sitting next to Katrina.
There was one empty chair at the table, on the other side of her, and Yuffie motioned for Sephiroth to take it when he glanced at her uncertainly. She then perched on the edge of the table near where Nanaki sat. Also around the table were Minerva, Reno, Rude, Elena, Tifa, and Cloud. Everyone sat close together, some practically on top of each other.
"So, when's the wedding?" Katrina asked.
"That would be a better question to ask Reno and Minerva, I think," Sephiroth replied.
"Neh, we were thinking in a couple weeks," Reno said, shrugging, "but we don't have anything concrete yet."
"Besides," Aeris put in quietly, "we don't want a big celebration. I was just thinking of having a quiet little wedding..."
"But you're going to invite all of us, right?" Yuffie demanded.
She started. "Is it really that important to everyone?"
"Of course," said Nanaki. "We all want to see you get married. But, if you do not want to make a big deal of it, that is quite all right. We will get over it."
"I guess... Well, when I was younger, it did seem like a wedding should be an extravagant event," Aeris admitted, "but now, it all seems so simple. So I want to keep it that way." She added, laughing, "I hope I'm not ruining anyone's plans for it."
"No, I don't think anybody got that far yet," Katrina assured her. "We've anticipated the day, sure, but we weren't gonna plan it for you."
Reno leaned across the table and said suddenly, "Hey, Cloud, Tifa, what're you guys doin' at this table? You're already married."
"You thought they were gonna hang out with all the old people?" Elena asked him, pointing to another table occupied by Lucrecia, Vincent, Cid, Shera, Elmyra, Barret, Marlene, and Reeve.
"Old people?" Rude asked of her. "Reeve, for one, is younger than me, and that girl is hardly old."
"Well, they're at the wrong table," Elena stated.
Reno rolled his eyes. "No, Elena, I didn't expect them to hang out with the 'old people.' I was just commenting on how the rest of us aren't tied down yet."
"Yet," Katrina emphasized.
"The only couple that's married," Tifa mused. "That won't be a title we get to keep for long, but we can at least claim to be the only couple with a kid for a little longer."
"For a little longer, yes," Aeris said, glancing at Sephiroth with a little smile.
He was glad she had decided not to mention Minerva, but the remark made him shift uncomfortably.
The others laughed, and Aeris laughed along with them, leaning against Sephiroth. Eventually, he put an arm around her and chuckled quietly. It probably was amusing, he had to admit. For him, the humor was in the fact that everyone kept embarrassing him with the same references.
"Anyway," said Yuffie, "I hope you guys aren't going to stay in the City of the Ancients."
Aeris shook her head. "No, I packed up all my things and brought them with me. Maybe we'll go there every now and then, but not to stay."
"That's good to know," Cloud remarked.
"Then where are you headed?"
"Actually, Yuffie, we thought we might like to live in Wutai."
The ninja blinked, and her eyes flicked to Sephiroth. "Really?"
"Yes," he replied. "I have a lot of things to make up for there, if you'll let me."
"Oh, sure," she said eagerly. "I could use your help. And... well, we do have a guest room you guys can use till you can get a house of your own."
Aeris smiled. "That sounds lovely, Yuffie."
She grinned and said boastfully to the others, "You guys should all be jealous. I get to have Aeris and Sephiroth living under my roof."
"We are very envious indeed," Minerva said.
"Hey, Seph," Marlene asked, having gotten up from the other table and come to lean over his shoulder. "When are you gonna open your presents?"
He looked at her blankly for a moment. "Presents?"
"Well, I got you something," Yuffie put in, surprising him. He had not expected anything from anyone besides Aeris. "I dunno about everybody else."
"I got him something also," said Nanaki.
"We did, too," Reno added.
Aeris smiled up at Sephiroth. "You know I got you something, love, but I can't really give it to you now."
"What is it?" he asked, a bit confused and curious.
She waggled a finger at him. "Tsk, tsk. I can't tell you. It'll ruin the surprise. You'll just have to wait."
"All right."
"But you can open the other ones now," Yuffie said. "Is that okay with everybody?"
The question was met with agreement.
"Just see if anyone over there has anything for him," Tifa added, nodding towards the other table.
"I already asked," said Marlene, hopping up onto the table next to Yuffie. "They didn't. And they wanted me to drag Sephiroth over to say hi to them after he opened the ones he had, but I really don't know how I'm supposed to manage that."
"We could do it, I'll bet. Just you and me." Yuffie looked Sephiroth over and amended, "Well. Maybe Aeris, too."
He shook his head. "You don't have to drag me anywhere."
"Damn," she said, snapping her fingers. "I wanted to see if we actually could."
"You couldn't."
"That's what you think."
Nanaki cleared his throat. "I believe Sephiroth was going to open his gifts, yes?"
"I'll go get them," Aeris said, quickly rising and striding to the counter to retrieve a few boxes of varied sizes, neatly wrapped. She placed them in front of Sephiroth as she sat back down.
With their faces urging him on, he hesitantly chose the one on the top to open first. It was from Minerva and Reno, as the label said, though he doubted either of them had wrapped it. Minerva would not have bothered, and Reno could not have done it so neatly. Blue paper with a dull shine covered it, folded precisely and secured with tape. Probably Elena's work, he decided as he proceeded to ruin it.
Inside the narrow box lay a sort of hoop with cord spread across it like a spiderweb and black-tipped silver feathers hanging from it. He glanced up at Minerva, perplexed.
"It is a dreamcatcher," she explained. "It is supposed to catch nightmares so that you do not have them."
"Probably more for decoration now that you two're back together," Reno said with a wink. "But we thought it was kinda neat."
Sephiroth nodded appreciatively. "Thank you."
"'welcome."
He set the dreamcatcher aside and picked up the next item, from Yuffie, which was wrapped in a vibrant red which somehow made him think of fall leaves rather than blood. Inside this box lay a Wutain-style shirt of black, embroidered with a deep blue-green thread. He looked up at Yuffie.
"I guess it's more appropriate than I'd intended, since you'll be moving to Wutai," she said. "I won't say you'll fit right in because you won't, really, but at least you'll look more Wutain, though your eyes are slanted right."
"Probably because my father was Wutain," he said, surprised that he managed to say this without contempt. The absence of it made everyone comfortable with the statement, rather than anxious.
Yuffie nodded, then grinned. "As it is, I just figured you might need new clothes."
Sephiroth glanced down at himself; Aeris had done her best to mend his clothing, but it still did not look new or perfectly in tact. It looked well-worn. He looked back up, smirking. "I suppose I do. Thank you."
"No problem."
The last gift was from Nanaki, unwrapped in a plain brown cardboard box. Opening it, he found a soft robe inside, white and with red triangles trimming it. He blinked, recognizing it as the robe of a healer from times when people could still make a profession out of it. But Shinra had made materia as easy to get as newspapers, and people hadn't needed healers anymore.
He glanced at Nanaki. "A healer's robe?" he queried. "Why?"
The guardian gave him a cat-like smile. "I thought it appropriate. Aeris has told you why many times, I am sure."
Sephiroth turned to Aeris and met her green eyes. Slowly, he smiled. He looked back at Nanaki and nodded. "It is appropriate. Thank you."
"You are quite welcome."
He placed the items back in their boxes and stacked them neatly. The paper, though, he left lying half-crumpled on the table. "As for the rest of you... thank you simply for coming, and for many other things you have done."
"There's no need to thank us," Katrina said. "You've done things for us, too."
He nodded hesitantly, then got to his feet, glancing across the room. "I suppose I should go greet them, yes?"
Aeris stood also, smiling. "Yes, let's go say hello."
Taking her hand, he walked to the other table, Aeris at his side and Marlene following. "Marlene said for me to come over," he stated.
Lucrecia looked up instantly, her eyes brightening at the sight of him. "There you are, Sephiroth! Come, sit down, there's room."
Reeve moved over a seat, and Sephiroth and Aeris sat down between him and Lucrecia. Marlene remained standing, leaning over her father's shoulder. Barret's gaze was the only one mildly hostile.
"It's so wonderful to see you," Lucrecia went on. "You've been gone far too long."
He nodded. "I have."
"So, go on, tell us what you plan to do with yourselves."
"Well, we are moving to Wutai," Sephiroth answered tentatively. "Yuffie has offered us lodging in her house..."
"Her dad'll give you all hell for that," Cid warned.
The swordsman nodded. "I am aware of that."
"Can we expect a wedding any time soon?" Reeve asked, smiling.
"A marriage, yes," Aeris replied, "but no huge wedding ceremony. Sorry to disappoint."
"There's no need to apologize, dear," Lucrecia told her. "After four years, I think you deserve whatever kind of wedding you want."
"And whatever kind of life she wants afterwards," Sephiroth added quietly.
Aeris smiled at him, saying nothing. She did not need to say anything.
"Cid, you didn't tell me they made such a cute couple," Shera reproved.
"Hell, am I supposed to be a good judge about things like that?"
"Well, isn't it obvious?"
The pilot snorted. "To women, maybe."
"The man's right," Barret stated. "I mean, it's Sephiroth. Hard ta get past dat."
"I am inclined to agree with you on that," Sephiroth said with mild amusement. "My reputation precedes me."
"An' it's about as bad a reputation as you can get," Cid remarked. "But people get over it. Most of 'em. Sorta."
"Cid..." said Shera.
He glanced at her and ran a hand through his hair. "What?"
She shook her head and looked over at Sephiroth and Aeris. "Best of luck to you two. I know you haven't had much of it before."
"Looking back, I wouldn't say that..." Aeris replied. "How many other people that you know have gotten second chances at life?" She nodded to Lucrecia. "There's you, yes... but I know plenty who died young, and none of them were given life again. I think we can call ourselves lucky."
Sephiroth shook his head in disagreement. "Myself, perhaps, but it was not luck who killed you and brought you back to this world to suffer."
"Oh, yes, you're right," she said. "That was you. You killed me, and I lost you; you brought me back, and I found you."
He blinked, then laughed softly. "As always, there is no use arguing with you."
Aeris laughed, too, and leaned her head on his shoulder.