Destroyed
~
Chapter 20: Forgive me my Sins
~
~
"Reason will not plead to solution,
I will end up lost in confusion.
I don't care if you really care,
As long as you don't go.."
~Cardigans
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He was dark.
She was light.
He was stubborn.
She was self confident.
He said, "I have come this far and I cannot see it end."
She said, "I will not die until you do."
"I have no reason left to be sinful," replied he.
"Then why do you continue to shout out and terrorise the world," countered she.
"Because.." started Sephiroth.
Aeris finished, "...it's what we are."
Two people, so alike and yet unalike.. and as they turned, so did the world..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Teef?"
She looked up from where she was holding Aeris' arm, out over the misty world to the man she had loved dearly in life, and let her fragile and short smile drift over her face. He looked less worse for wear, his eyes still bright but clothes ripped and the way he held himself, that had not changed apart from possibly getting more withdrawn.
He looked so desperate, taking steps towards her. She shook her head, "not now Cloud.. there will be time for talking later."
"It's been a long time, though.."
"I know.. I know."
She shifted her ruby eyes across to the other man who stood by Cloud's side, looking just as shell shocked, his mouth hanging slightly open and his smoky blue eyes no less bewildered. Of course, the world where Leon came from was slightly less optomistic about ghosts and apparitions, but there was no other way to set in motion what must be done, for good or for ill.
"Don't be afraid," she said, in her voice that sounded like it was being played backwards, sucking inwards rather than expanding outwards, giving the image that she was displaced from this existance. Indeed, Tifa now existed on a plane just overlapping that of reality.
The world of the dead.
Shaking his head, the man just stared.
Amused, the raven haired beauty looked back at the frail form of Aeris and the terrible magic and power struggles being fought over inside her body.
"Hey, Aeris," she said softly, " I know you can hear me."
The small glitter in the green eyes was all the confirmation Tifa needed, so she kept talking in the same sweet tones. "I just wanted to make sure you were allright.. your choice is coming up."
She hesitated.. then swept on.
"It's not an easy choice I know, but by now you should know what to do. If you don't, then don't worry.. I promise, i'd give up my soul to lift you up."
The eyes softened for a mere instant, then the struggling against her ephemeral hold on Aeris' arm began again and Tifa looked down at her imaginary mailed fist, only tightening her bruising hold on the flower girl.
"It's nice where I am, you never said how beautiful it is there. I'm glad I was let into there... everyone is there. Your mother sends her love.. as do the gang."
"Get off me you shade of nothing," spat Sephiroth's voice and with a wrench of magic that passed through Tifa's ghostly image, the martial artist staggered and vanished like a breeze, only to re-appear in a winded fashion over by the green blaze.
"That.. mildly stung," she laughed softly, straightening with a slightly put out look.
"I can think of worse spells," another voice added.
The look that came over Leon's face wrenched Tifa's heart.. but it had to be done...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
His hand tightened into a fist then with a lurch and a cry he ran forwards, arms outstretched the grab the small girl who walked towards Tifa, but with the whispering winds and autumn scents on the air, he passed right through the ghost and found himself holding nothing but the thin air.
The shade turned to him with her pinball smile that lit up her dark eyes, the soft brown hair and her favoured blue overcoat hanging down to her ankles. Her skin was ivory still and the sense of fun she exuded had not lessened with death.
"Rinoa!" he cried hoarsely.
"Squall.. don't do that, you could hurt yourself!" and she laughed.
His sorceress, his best friend. How.. why?
A thousand other questions crashed down in his head with strange urgency but all he found himself able to say was, "Rin.."
"Squall," she began softly, "Normally I would have passed on if I didn't have some part in all of this. You have a duty to do now, don't fail it. You know your duty right? Save her, like you would have saved me."
"But.. don't go again." His hand reached for her again and passed uselessly through, to his own sorrow. He knew in his head it was futile to even try to pull her back to the land of the living but deep down he was desperate to, needed to.
"I do what I must.. would you deny me peace?"
"No!"
She flicked hair over one shoulder and smiled enigmatically, "You'll see Squall.."
"Will I..?" he replied miserably, and looked back at Cloud who was loosening his sword, and then turning he made his way back across to the shadowy man.
Cloud glanced up past the flicks of his blond hair and smiled sadly, "They still stay with us, even in death. They're right though, we can't stop, stopping would deny them all they need after all."
"Whatever," grumbled Leon and touched the griever pendant that hung down his chest, licking over his old wounds and new burns. But Cloud was right, how could he deny his Sorceress all that she wanted? Shutting his eyes, he burnt the image of her wings on her back into his mind, burnt there his sworn duty and his fervent promise, burnt away all his tears that he needed to shed. Now, there was no turning back.
"Let's end this," he said, as about them, magic began to fall.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Rinoa watched him for the barest of moments, then with her sad smile and a last nod to Squall in encouragment, she looked back at Tifa.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am Sorceress."
Rin made a small gesture. "Where is she?"
A hand waved in the direction of the wall, "she got knocked out, just there."
"Ahh, I see her."
Tifa hesitated, then spoke up, "Rinoa. Why her?"
"I need an heir to rest in peace, I must.. she'll understand. I won't be long," and so saying she hurried across the uneven floor to where the ninja lay curled up.
She seemed ever so small now that Rinoa had a chance to look down on her, almost curled up in her foetal position, one hand tucked behind her head where a nasty lump was rising with dreadful certainty. Her face was softened in repose and less hardship filled, the nose seemed less bold and her eyelashes awfully long on her flawless tanned cheeks. It was a hard thing to do, but Yuffie..was all she had left.
Placing her hands on the girl, she sighed.. as even as she transferred over her powers and rights as a sorceress to the sleeping girl who would remain unawares for a while about her true self, she dissipated on the winds, a trickle of blue at first.. but soon a flood of colour sweeping up over the horizon, and out through the lifestream to her eternal peace...
At last.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The first rocks that fell were aimed at Cloud's head, one managing to brush past his now unarmoured shoulder with acute accuracy and causing the mercenary to stop and wince, holding onto his arm.
Leon fared better, dodging with better agility and winding his way towards her with snaking ability that left him mildy impressed by the man's determination. However, it did him little good for the closer he got, the more chance it gave Sephiroth.
Watching him close the distance, he let the frost weave up Aeris' arms and lifting them with a shrill cry of fury, she unleashed her might of magic, the fire lancing over the ceiling and then bringing it razing down over the already tumbledown room. The lifestream behind crackled and fizzled with the magic, like it reacted to it with gusto. Taking this as a cautionary sign, he pushed the Cetra's body into a roll that muscles were unused to doing, but augmented by his own martial knowledge and magic she managed to make it back to her feet.
Just in time for the buster sword to clang off the arm shields she had automatically erected with the thrill of battle.
Snarling, Seph made Aeris reach for the blade, and kick her foot out with excrutiating force for Cloud's knee. Both bodies jolted as it connected and the soldier danced away with a yelp of pain, reaching down for where the ridge of the Cetra's boots had bitten deeply enough to draw blood.
The next attack came from behind, a slamming attack that she was less prepared for and the force of it took her from her feet and slammed her body into the wall.
As she was being ground there, Seph took a moment to re-assess the situation. Clearly he was at a disadvantage here, for as strong as this Cetra was in magic, she was no match for anything purely physical.
Still, he could always exhaust her magic.
Lifting a hand above his head, sparks began to trickle between her delicate fingers, sparks that slowly grew to great bolts of electricity, lancing out over the arena where they fought and slamming into the walls as well as the men, even passing through the shade of Tifa much to the shades shock. Where they struck rock they sparked and tore off chunks.
One flew hard enough and grazed Aeris' shoulder and the sudden flood of pain took Seph off guard.
~ Damn your useless body, Cetra! ~
~* Whats the matter, Seph.. not liking it? *~
Snarling and cursing in tongues and words best left unsaid or mimicked, he clapped the Cetra's hand to the wound and looked out with glittering green eyes, and then down at the prone body of Leon.
Lifting her free hand, a knife of ice burst from the palm and bled down the icy shaft. Leaning down, Seph pressed the tip of it to under Leon's neck, the electricity apparantly having overloaded his nerves for the moment.
"This will teach you to mess with a g-"
He never got to finish his taunting and gloating as a blade sliced into her calf.
Screaming she slashed out with the dagger and tripped over her own dress hem, sliding backwards and turning over onto her side with a groan of bruised pain.
~* Cloud! I know what you need to do! *~
~ I'll be damned if I let you.. ~
Pushing her/himself up, Sephiroth looked up in anger at Cloud, and then just as the blond man was coming about for another whip with the sword, she snaked out a hand and whispered. Time slowed to jelly and to his obvious disgust his blow was slowed also to half the time, giving Aeris time to stand up and bring her arm about with a snapping motion.
The ice dagger sliced over Cloud's chest and cut deep into the metallic arm, ruining it and leaving shards of metal poking out everywhere.
In that time, Leon recovered and lifted his sword arm, but Aeris moved over and pressed her foot down on his wrist.
"Oh, now isn't this sweet.."
~* CLOUD!!!! *~
It was never sure if the scream reached him properly.
Maybe it was magic.
Maybe it was fate.
But what etched itself forever into Leon's mind, Aeris' and Cloud's was the moment when the buster sword came slicing through Aeris' middle, stuck there much like the masamune had so long ago.
She convulsed in shock, and brought her hand down to her middle and the growing stain.
It was then that Sephiroth fled her body, and ran towards it's only other mind it had ever touched.
Cloud.
Blood dripped down in some kind of strange blood magic ritual onto Leon's shocked and upturned face, as much to his horror a strange smile lit Aeris' face and whitening surely she fell slowly down to her knees, the support of the buster sword vanished from her middle.
"Not banishement, binding.. Cloud."
Wordlessly he grabbed a hold of her and pressed her to his chest, as she looked up and over his shoulder with failing eyesight at the shadowy figure of Cloud. He stared back down, finally the master of the spirit inside him.. he knew what he must do. Tifa stood a little behind him, with the sweet smile she had always reserved for Aeris.
"I love you, Aeris," she mouthed, as Cloud turned and ran through her.
As often it did, time slowed for the Cetra.
It forze the tears sliding down her cheeks.
It deadened the air.
It made Cloud's mad dash seem almost imperceptibly slow, as he flung himself and Sephiroth into the pit of the magic and time.
~ I made my choice.. be proud of me.. ~
Shutting her eyes in slow motion, she felt the dissolving of Cloud as his dominant will forced Sephiroth down.. and threading her last magic into it, the binding and banishing spell, she knew for certain that now Sephiroth would never come back, his soul forever joined to the lifestream, never to reborn and never to be let loose.
The tears so slow fell, as did the drops of blood, the world about her fading slowly too..
Everything but the sunshine in her mind.. everything but..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Putting a hand to her head, Yuffie slowly sat up then nursed with no amount of pain expressable, the dull ache that came from hitting her head. As she felt groggily sick for some other reason she couldn't put her finger on, the ninja girl took one look about the cavern, seeing no Cloud.. but a Leon hugging Aeris. With a smile she hurriedly got to her feet and even forgot to curse Cid-style at the throbbing pain it caused.
Happiness over her face she hobbled over to Leon, "we did it, we got Aeris back."
He was silent, and circling round she chittered on, "hey say something."
Nothing.
Then she saw it, the wound in Aeris' back, and with a gasp she almost collapsed onto her knees with sudden panic. "Aeris!"
The girl mumbled, faint upon Leon's shoulder and tickled by his brown hair.
"Yuffie.. magic.." he gasped hoarsely.
"I..I.."
But she tried anyway, looking for the Materia.. even as Aeris' eyes slid shut..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He was dark.
She was light.
He had his faith restored.
She had her love restored.
He said, "I trust in you. You gave me the choice, a long time ago. Facing upto him also meant realising I had to go too, as the last remaining clone. The longer I lingered, so would he. Nothing was seen clearly to begin with."
She said, "I couldn't let him destroy you and everything we had all worked so hard for, I couldn't see it all crumble under us like a house of cards. I wanted so badly to see you again but the more I saw, the less it hurt. The more I realised I had been healed, inside and out."
"I'm glad for everything we had." he replied.
"I'm finally able to rest," she sighed.
He was Cloud.
She was Aeris.
"... are you sure that's what you want?" asked the third party.
~
Chapter 20: Forgive me my Sins
~
~
"Reason will not plead to solution,
I will end up lost in confusion.
I don't care if you really care,
As long as you don't go.."
~Cardigans
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He was dark.
She was light.
He was stubborn.
She was self confident.
He said, "I have come this far and I cannot see it end."
She said, "I will not die until you do."
"I have no reason left to be sinful," replied he.
"Then why do you continue to shout out and terrorise the world," countered she.
"Because.." started Sephiroth.
Aeris finished, "...it's what we are."
Two people, so alike and yet unalike.. and as they turned, so did the world..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Teef?"
She looked up from where she was holding Aeris' arm, out over the misty world to the man she had loved dearly in life, and let her fragile and short smile drift over her face. He looked less worse for wear, his eyes still bright but clothes ripped and the way he held himself, that had not changed apart from possibly getting more withdrawn.
He looked so desperate, taking steps towards her. She shook her head, "not now Cloud.. there will be time for talking later."
"It's been a long time, though.."
"I know.. I know."
She shifted her ruby eyes across to the other man who stood by Cloud's side, looking just as shell shocked, his mouth hanging slightly open and his smoky blue eyes no less bewildered. Of course, the world where Leon came from was slightly less optomistic about ghosts and apparitions, but there was no other way to set in motion what must be done, for good or for ill.
"Don't be afraid," she said, in her voice that sounded like it was being played backwards, sucking inwards rather than expanding outwards, giving the image that she was displaced from this existance. Indeed, Tifa now existed on a plane just overlapping that of reality.
The world of the dead.
Shaking his head, the man just stared.
Amused, the raven haired beauty looked back at the frail form of Aeris and the terrible magic and power struggles being fought over inside her body.
"Hey, Aeris," she said softly, " I know you can hear me."
The small glitter in the green eyes was all the confirmation Tifa needed, so she kept talking in the same sweet tones. "I just wanted to make sure you were allright.. your choice is coming up."
She hesitated.. then swept on.
"It's not an easy choice I know, but by now you should know what to do. If you don't, then don't worry.. I promise, i'd give up my soul to lift you up."
The eyes softened for a mere instant, then the struggling against her ephemeral hold on Aeris' arm began again and Tifa looked down at her imaginary mailed fist, only tightening her bruising hold on the flower girl.
"It's nice where I am, you never said how beautiful it is there. I'm glad I was let into there... everyone is there. Your mother sends her love.. as do the gang."
"Get off me you shade of nothing," spat Sephiroth's voice and with a wrench of magic that passed through Tifa's ghostly image, the martial artist staggered and vanished like a breeze, only to re-appear in a winded fashion over by the green blaze.
"That.. mildly stung," she laughed softly, straightening with a slightly put out look.
"I can think of worse spells," another voice added.
The look that came over Leon's face wrenched Tifa's heart.. but it had to be done...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
His hand tightened into a fist then with a lurch and a cry he ran forwards, arms outstretched the grab the small girl who walked towards Tifa, but with the whispering winds and autumn scents on the air, he passed right through the ghost and found himself holding nothing but the thin air.
The shade turned to him with her pinball smile that lit up her dark eyes, the soft brown hair and her favoured blue overcoat hanging down to her ankles. Her skin was ivory still and the sense of fun she exuded had not lessened with death.
"Rinoa!" he cried hoarsely.
"Squall.. don't do that, you could hurt yourself!" and she laughed.
His sorceress, his best friend. How.. why?
A thousand other questions crashed down in his head with strange urgency but all he found himself able to say was, "Rin.."
"Squall," she began softly, "Normally I would have passed on if I didn't have some part in all of this. You have a duty to do now, don't fail it. You know your duty right? Save her, like you would have saved me."
"But.. don't go again." His hand reached for her again and passed uselessly through, to his own sorrow. He knew in his head it was futile to even try to pull her back to the land of the living but deep down he was desperate to, needed to.
"I do what I must.. would you deny me peace?"
"No!"
She flicked hair over one shoulder and smiled enigmatically, "You'll see Squall.."
"Will I..?" he replied miserably, and looked back at Cloud who was loosening his sword, and then turning he made his way back across to the shadowy man.
Cloud glanced up past the flicks of his blond hair and smiled sadly, "They still stay with us, even in death. They're right though, we can't stop, stopping would deny them all they need after all."
"Whatever," grumbled Leon and touched the griever pendant that hung down his chest, licking over his old wounds and new burns. But Cloud was right, how could he deny his Sorceress all that she wanted? Shutting his eyes, he burnt the image of her wings on her back into his mind, burnt there his sworn duty and his fervent promise, burnt away all his tears that he needed to shed. Now, there was no turning back.
"Let's end this," he said, as about them, magic began to fall.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Rinoa watched him for the barest of moments, then with her sad smile and a last nod to Squall in encouragment, she looked back at Tifa.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am Sorceress."
Rin made a small gesture. "Where is she?"
A hand waved in the direction of the wall, "she got knocked out, just there."
"Ahh, I see her."
Tifa hesitated, then spoke up, "Rinoa. Why her?"
"I need an heir to rest in peace, I must.. she'll understand. I won't be long," and so saying she hurried across the uneven floor to where the ninja lay curled up.
She seemed ever so small now that Rinoa had a chance to look down on her, almost curled up in her foetal position, one hand tucked behind her head where a nasty lump was rising with dreadful certainty. Her face was softened in repose and less hardship filled, the nose seemed less bold and her eyelashes awfully long on her flawless tanned cheeks. It was a hard thing to do, but Yuffie..was all she had left.
Placing her hands on the girl, she sighed.. as even as she transferred over her powers and rights as a sorceress to the sleeping girl who would remain unawares for a while about her true self, she dissipated on the winds, a trickle of blue at first.. but soon a flood of colour sweeping up over the horizon, and out through the lifestream to her eternal peace...
At last.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The first rocks that fell were aimed at Cloud's head, one managing to brush past his now unarmoured shoulder with acute accuracy and causing the mercenary to stop and wince, holding onto his arm.
Leon fared better, dodging with better agility and winding his way towards her with snaking ability that left him mildy impressed by the man's determination. However, it did him little good for the closer he got, the more chance it gave Sephiroth.
Watching him close the distance, he let the frost weave up Aeris' arms and lifting them with a shrill cry of fury, she unleashed her might of magic, the fire lancing over the ceiling and then bringing it razing down over the already tumbledown room. The lifestream behind crackled and fizzled with the magic, like it reacted to it with gusto. Taking this as a cautionary sign, he pushed the Cetra's body into a roll that muscles were unused to doing, but augmented by his own martial knowledge and magic she managed to make it back to her feet.
Just in time for the buster sword to clang off the arm shields she had automatically erected with the thrill of battle.
Snarling, Seph made Aeris reach for the blade, and kick her foot out with excrutiating force for Cloud's knee. Both bodies jolted as it connected and the soldier danced away with a yelp of pain, reaching down for where the ridge of the Cetra's boots had bitten deeply enough to draw blood.
The next attack came from behind, a slamming attack that she was less prepared for and the force of it took her from her feet and slammed her body into the wall.
As she was being ground there, Seph took a moment to re-assess the situation. Clearly he was at a disadvantage here, for as strong as this Cetra was in magic, she was no match for anything purely physical.
Still, he could always exhaust her magic.
Lifting a hand above his head, sparks began to trickle between her delicate fingers, sparks that slowly grew to great bolts of electricity, lancing out over the arena where they fought and slamming into the walls as well as the men, even passing through the shade of Tifa much to the shades shock. Where they struck rock they sparked and tore off chunks.
One flew hard enough and grazed Aeris' shoulder and the sudden flood of pain took Seph off guard.
~ Damn your useless body, Cetra! ~
~* Whats the matter, Seph.. not liking it? *~
Snarling and cursing in tongues and words best left unsaid or mimicked, he clapped the Cetra's hand to the wound and looked out with glittering green eyes, and then down at the prone body of Leon.
Lifting her free hand, a knife of ice burst from the palm and bled down the icy shaft. Leaning down, Seph pressed the tip of it to under Leon's neck, the electricity apparantly having overloaded his nerves for the moment.
"This will teach you to mess with a g-"
He never got to finish his taunting and gloating as a blade sliced into her calf.
Screaming she slashed out with the dagger and tripped over her own dress hem, sliding backwards and turning over onto her side with a groan of bruised pain.
~* Cloud! I know what you need to do! *~
~ I'll be damned if I let you.. ~
Pushing her/himself up, Sephiroth looked up in anger at Cloud, and then just as the blond man was coming about for another whip with the sword, she snaked out a hand and whispered. Time slowed to jelly and to his obvious disgust his blow was slowed also to half the time, giving Aeris time to stand up and bring her arm about with a snapping motion.
The ice dagger sliced over Cloud's chest and cut deep into the metallic arm, ruining it and leaving shards of metal poking out everywhere.
In that time, Leon recovered and lifted his sword arm, but Aeris moved over and pressed her foot down on his wrist.
"Oh, now isn't this sweet.."
~* CLOUD!!!! *~
It was never sure if the scream reached him properly.
Maybe it was magic.
Maybe it was fate.
But what etched itself forever into Leon's mind, Aeris' and Cloud's was the moment when the buster sword came slicing through Aeris' middle, stuck there much like the masamune had so long ago.
She convulsed in shock, and brought her hand down to her middle and the growing stain.
It was then that Sephiroth fled her body, and ran towards it's only other mind it had ever touched.
Cloud.
Blood dripped down in some kind of strange blood magic ritual onto Leon's shocked and upturned face, as much to his horror a strange smile lit Aeris' face and whitening surely she fell slowly down to her knees, the support of the buster sword vanished from her middle.
"Not banishement, binding.. Cloud."
Wordlessly he grabbed a hold of her and pressed her to his chest, as she looked up and over his shoulder with failing eyesight at the shadowy figure of Cloud. He stared back down, finally the master of the spirit inside him.. he knew what he must do. Tifa stood a little behind him, with the sweet smile she had always reserved for Aeris.
"I love you, Aeris," she mouthed, as Cloud turned and ran through her.
As often it did, time slowed for the Cetra.
It forze the tears sliding down her cheeks.
It deadened the air.
It made Cloud's mad dash seem almost imperceptibly slow, as he flung himself and Sephiroth into the pit of the magic and time.
~ I made my choice.. be proud of me.. ~
Shutting her eyes in slow motion, she felt the dissolving of Cloud as his dominant will forced Sephiroth down.. and threading her last magic into it, the binding and banishing spell, she knew for certain that now Sephiroth would never come back, his soul forever joined to the lifestream, never to reborn and never to be let loose.
The tears so slow fell, as did the drops of blood, the world about her fading slowly too..
Everything but the sunshine in her mind.. everything but..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Putting a hand to her head, Yuffie slowly sat up then nursed with no amount of pain expressable, the dull ache that came from hitting her head. As she felt groggily sick for some other reason she couldn't put her finger on, the ninja girl took one look about the cavern, seeing no Cloud.. but a Leon hugging Aeris. With a smile she hurriedly got to her feet and even forgot to curse Cid-style at the throbbing pain it caused.
Happiness over her face she hobbled over to Leon, "we did it, we got Aeris back."
He was silent, and circling round she chittered on, "hey say something."
Nothing.
Then she saw it, the wound in Aeris' back, and with a gasp she almost collapsed onto her knees with sudden panic. "Aeris!"
The girl mumbled, faint upon Leon's shoulder and tickled by his brown hair.
"Yuffie.. magic.." he gasped hoarsely.
"I..I.."
But she tried anyway, looking for the Materia.. even as Aeris' eyes slid shut..
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He was dark.
She was light.
He had his faith restored.
She had her love restored.
He said, "I trust in you. You gave me the choice, a long time ago. Facing upto him also meant realising I had to go too, as the last remaining clone. The longer I lingered, so would he. Nothing was seen clearly to begin with."
She said, "I couldn't let him destroy you and everything we had all worked so hard for, I couldn't see it all crumble under us like a house of cards. I wanted so badly to see you again but the more I saw, the less it hurt. The more I realised I had been healed, inside and out."
"I'm glad for everything we had." he replied.
"I'm finally able to rest," she sighed.
He was Cloud.
She was Aeris.
"... are you sure that's what you want?" asked the third party.