Epilogue:

The moon and Meteor both reached their critical points soon after they collided, tearing each other apart with brutal ferocity. Their cores cracked and fissured, spilling rock outward in every direction. Meteor was devastated and thrown across the planet's atmosphere, its small pieces flowing around the moon as it continued to sail towards the deep reaches of space. Particles of stone and metal screeched downwards, the planet's gravitational pulling them in until the heavens were aglow with its red hot snow. The sky shone pink with falling debris, each piece burned up harmlessly and turning to ash before touching the ground.

Xanien looked onward, breathing a sigh of relief as the sky returned to normal and the sun's rays coated the planet's surface. Slowly the darkness left and the soft white clouds returned to untumultuous skies. He looked around, seeing delicate flurries of light coat the ground, and then suddenly, a solitary flower bloomed at his toes. The hero reached down, gently touching the silky leaves of the plant and cried. He had done it. It was over . . .

Xanien fell onto his back and started laughing hysterically, the tension leaving his body instantly. He closed his eyes and laughed harder, feeling unheard of warmth flow through his veins. Cloud and Squall could see their friends again in their minds, their memories . . . they were all smiling.

From the single flower, life on the planet spread like wildfire. Green exploded all over the ground and then the colors of the rainbow followed on the petals of thousands of flowers. Trees sprung to life, years of growth accumulating on their bark in a matter of seconds. Foliage created shade over the soft soil and then the first cool breeze blew again. Xanien sat up, his eyes spread wide open as a chill ran down his spine. The sight was too much for him . . . the miracle of life.

Far off in the distance, a fountain of green light spread upwards over the horizon and into the sky. Xanien was entranced and was surprised when the pillar shattered and ran along the ground in all directions. The buildings from Cloud's world vaporized, and so did every other sign that it had ever existed. With a thunderous boom, space and time returned to normal. The buildings of Esthar returned, just as shiny and new as before, and the oceans flowed again with clean water. All over the world, things were being returned to the way they were. Xanien's time was done.

"You've done it," the voice commended happily, "return and receive your rewards."

Xanien dematerialized from the rolling plains on which he stood, appearing back in limbo once again. An invisible finger dragged itself over his body, making a line straight through his body. He closed his eyes, the touch putting him at piece. Without pain or strife, the god like entity split apart into his two separate beings: Cloud and Squall. They both opened their eyes to a wonderful sight, darkness. But it wasn't the world that was dark, it was because somebody's warm hands were covering them.

"It can't be . . ." Cloud mouthed, but feeling a warm body press against his back, he knew it to be true. The hands came off and he shouted, twisting around to pick up Tifa, "I thought I had lost you," he continued, holding back a tear.

Tifa was already crying, tears falling from her cheeks as well, "I was thinking the same about you," she said, hugging Cloud tightly. They looked at each other, neither saying a word for a few minutes but their eyes were locked together, deep in thought. Cloud closed his eyes and kissed Tifa on the lips, the raven haired beauty equally reciprocating the feeling as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

Squall and Rinoa's foreheads touched, both standing in each others embrace as they enjoyed a long awaited reunion. "I didn't think it was possible . . . I shouldn't be standing here right now, holding you-"

Rinoa had put her finger to his lips, silencing him, "Don't underestimate the power of miracles."

"I didn't think I would ever see you again, I-"

"You can stop worrying," Rinoa whispered, her arms moving around Squall's waist as she hugged him and placed her head against his chest, "everything is going to be alright."

Squall kept quiet and put his arm around her, his other hand holding her head as they felt each others hearts beat.

Red shook his body back and forth as one would if a dog was wet, but he was doing it to make sure everything was okay. He couldn't believe his luck, and neither could Cid and Vincent. Yuffie was jumping up and down, clutching at Barret who had his hand behind his head and eyes closed, enjoying a hearty laugh. Even Irvine had been given a second chance, wasting no time as he talked to both Quistis and Selphie with his arms around them. They looked at him sternly as he tried cracking a joke and the gunmen felt dejected, but a few seconds later both girls burst out into laughter.

"Your lives were a gift from the planet. You all performed exceptionally well, given the circumstances that you faced. You fought on despite all the odds being against you and triumphed over great evil. I will send you back to your respective homes now and leave you with this message; Enjoy life's everyday miracles and cherish your loved ones to the best of your ability, you'll never know when it will end." The voice spoke to them, one last time.

Irvine was hugging Selphie and Quistis after they had stopped laughing, "Well, I'm glad that you girls are okay. You had me worried." They all cried tears of happiness and Irvine could leave finally feeling like he was the player he wanted to be. Still attached to each other, they departed into their own dimension.

"It was nice working with you Vincent," Laguna yelled across the room where Squall was as he waved goodbye, his back half turned to the former Turk.

"Likewise," Vincent replied coldly. He reluctantly let a corner of his mouth rise, indicating the hint of a smile. Laguna seemed shocked at first, but began to laugh when he saw this. The massive arm of Ward quickly grabbed Laguna's and brought them through the dimensional portal that they had arrived in the first place. People were starting to disappear back to their own times now that everything was returning to normal.

"You go on ahead Tifa, I got something I want to say to Squall," Cloud said, rubbing his love's shoulders. Squall noticed and did the same thing.

"Okay, see you soon!" Rinoa and Tifa said to Squall and Cloud as they walked into different dimensional rips. Once everybody else was gone, Cloud and Squall started to walks towards each other, meeting halfway.

"You know, you're not such a jerk once somebody gets to know you," Cloud joked as he grabbed the SeeD captain's shoulder.

"HA! And you aren't that bad yourself man . . ." Squall laughed, smiling easily once again. They both stood silent there for a few seconds, glancing everywhere but at each other, "Well . . ."

"Have a good life Squall," Cloud interrupted as he extended his hand to Squall, "I know that we didn't get off to a good start but . . ." They looked at each other weird for a fleeting moment, both uncomfortable with this type of situation. They had been through so much since the beginning of it all, what was the proper way to say goodbye to someone that was not only a good friend, but a part of you?

"Umm, I am gonna miss you man," Cloud and Squall shook hands for a few moments, and then gave each other an awkward hug afterwards. Their eyes darted around quickly after that, making sure that no one was left and looking.

"Me too buddy, Me too," Squall said as he tiptoed backwards. He turned around and walked, grinning and waving while he slipped slowly away from view into a portal.

Cloud was alone now, and he knew that he was next. He was the final one to go. Time rippled before his eyes and fluctuated, creating a puddle in space but he didn't walk through it, at least not yet, "Wait, before I go I want to see who you are," he asked. There was something familiar about the voice, something calming. How it spoke to him filled his heart and urged him on, even at the darkest moments of the trials. There was a deep, long silence as the entity contemplated this request. Cloud awaited an answer, he was willing to stay for eternity in order to find out if his thoughts were right or not.

"Very well," the voice answered in an apprehensive tone.

An accumulation of clouds began to circle around a solitary cloud above the golden-haired hero and build in length and mass. Pulsating greenish white light shone downwards from the middle and split the puffs of white apart. An angel floated gracefully down form above, its wings outstretched but unmoving, being carried by the light. A white aura around her constricted his view but he was able to make out a few of her more distinct features. The angel had glistening, bright white wings that dripped with dew and long, brown hair that curled ever so slightly at the tips. Cloud could only see her from behind at the moment, but as the anticipation built, his heart raced inside his chest.

He moved his lips but nothing came out. On his second try, he barely managed, "What's your name?" Cloud questioned her in a tone that a child would ask a friendly stranger.

But this was no stranger . . .

She turned around ever so slowly, revealing the rest of the features that she was composed of. Her head was looking down at the ground but Cloud could see the outline of it. His eyes swelled with tears when he caught the delicate features of her beautiful face. It was a face that Cloud had dreamt about every night since she had left him, the one that had caused him many nightmares, but at the same time brought him hope. Her soft cheekbones and parted lips, her dainty structure, her soothing aquamarine eyes, it was . . .

"Aeris," she said blankly into his weakened stature, "I was known as Aeris at one time in my life."

As though something had awakened inside both of them, they stared deeply into each other's eyes. He was looking for her soul, to somehow try to save it, and she was looking for a way to say farewell to him. Cloud gulped and never took his eyes off her, even as he started to fade from the heavenly place. Someone once told him that life is not a product of time, but rather of moments. If he could have chosen any moment to live in, it would be this one. But moments do not last forever . . .

"Come with me!" he pleaded, holding out his hand like she had done for him.

She winced and closed her eyes, so tempted to do the same, but she couldn't. "Goodbye Cloud," Aeris said hurtfully, turning away from him.

"I love you," Cloud said, almost mouthing it with a heavy heart in tow. His comment forced a solitary tear to surrender from her eye and fall down her cheek, dripping down into nothingness.

She waved her hand without facing the direction of Cloud and finished transporting him back to his own time. As he was disappearing, she turned back around and smiled. She wanted to be with him again, to join him again in his adventures, but how could she tell Cloud? How could Aeris bring herself to reveal the secret . . . that it had been her own hands that had brought Sephiroth back to life and caused the Time Compression?

THE END?