"Life After Death" by idura-chan
A Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction
Author's notes: Thanks for the response, guys! I know that there aren't many Zack/Aeris fans out there, but I really appreciate the support. Here's the next installment. A little on the sappy side, but not too much. The story is shaping up slowly, so please bear with me. Thanks!
Chapter 2: The Rememberance
The sun's glare that afternoon was blinding. Cloud squinted his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "Geez, it's warmer than usual today," he muttered. It had been about a month since the Meteor incident and life was back to normal for everyone. He and Tifa returned to Nibelheim, and went back to being neighbors. They decided to become business partners and open up a restaurant and pub there. Barret was now living in Kalm with Elmyra, taking care of little Marlene. He's working very hard to become a full-time dad to the cute little kid. Cid went back to Rocket Town and started working on his abandoned automobile. His relationship with Shera was getting better too. He's more patient and attentive than ever. Cloud chuckled at the thought of Cid being polite and making tea for Shera.
Nanaki returned to Cosmo Canyon and continued learning more about the Planet, with the help and supervision of Elder Hargo. Vincent went with him and decided to broaden his knowledge as well, since going back to the Shin- Ra mansion would only bring back painful memories for him. In the Western Continent, Yuffie wanted to continue her search for materias, but then decided to help her father rebuild Wutai, changing it back to its former glory instead of a tourists' spot. Da-Chao would be proud of her. Reeve started on a plan of restructuring Midgar, creating a whole new design so that people could actually live in a more natural environment instead of the dark and gloomy slums. Cloud still remembered the stuffiness of the slums under the metal plates that Shin-Ra built. It still amazed him how people could actually live in that kind of atmosphere. The only lives that seem to radiantly bloom were Aeris' flowers in the Sector 5 church, which was the only building that was not destroyed by Meteor. Somehow Cloud wasn't surprised by that strange miracle. After he defeated Sephiroth inside the Northern Crater, he felt her presence when the Lifestream swirled around him. He felt it again when the green energy shot up from the earth and destroyed Meteor.
"Aeris..." Cloud murmured the name to no one in particular. His thoughts traveled back to the time when he and Aeris were in Wall Street, looking for a dress for him in order to get into Don Corneo's mansion. All the hassle of getting that perfect look - the wig, the tiara, and the beauty treatment at the Honeybee Inn. He couldn't help but grinned at the memory of that adventure. Then he thought about their date at the Gold Saucer. The way she looked down shyly during the gondola ride, the sparkles in her green eyes during the fireworks, and her soft delicate hand when he kissed it during that ridiculous play. His grin softened into a smile. Her death left such an impact on him and everyone else in the team. Oh, how he missed her!
Cloud suddenly jumped, startled by the shrill ringing of his PHS. "Cloud Strife." He said in a businesslike tone.
"Cloud, this is Vincent. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time. How's the restaurant coming along?" Cloud was quite surprised to hear from Vincent, but didn't say anything. He was at the restaurant's kitchen section, which was still yet to be built, when he started thinking about Aeris. In a way, he was glad Vincent had called, if not he would be having more than a tan, standing underneath the blazing sun. He jumped over a stack of cement sacks and walked over to shady tree, trying to cool his sweaty body.
"Hey, Vincent. No, I'm not busy. The restaurant's doing fine. We're almost done with everything except the kitchen. We're not sure how big we want it to be, so we're still working on its design. What about you, Vincent? Everything alright there?"
"I'm well, thank you. Nanaki and I have been reading a lot lately. I'm glad I decided to come here, Cloud. I've learned quite a lot about the history of the Planet and so forth. Anyway, there's a reason for my calling you."
"What is it, Vincent? Is there some kind of trouble? Is it Nanaki?"
Vincent gave a light chuckle, which surprised Cloud further. "No, no. Everything is fine here. It's just that...well, it's been almost a month since Aeris' departure, so Nanaki and I thought about going to the Forgotten City and have a proper memorial service for her, since we didn't have the chance to do it due to...umm...circumstances. What do you think, Cloud?"
Cloud sighed in relief after listening to Vincent. Even though it had only been a month, he was still in his warrior-mode, thinking about the welfare of his fellow comrades. He would do anything for their safety. "Has it been a month? Time sure flies by, huh?" "I think it's a great idea, Vincent. Let me tell the others. We could bring Elmyra and Marlene too. Say, isn't the Ancient Forest near Cosmo Canyon? Maybe you guys could get some flowers from there and bring them to the service. And I'll have Cid call you later today to arrange your pick-up time. Sounds good?"
"Sounds fine to me. And thank you for reminding us about the flowers. I'm sure Aeris would love it. Till tomorrow, Cloud."
"Later, Vincent." Cloud hung up and frowned thoughtfully. "You've been gone for month now, Aeris. I wonder where you are right now? Are you happy? Are you up there, watching over us?" He looked up at the sky for a few seconds and then proceeded to call his friends.
*****
Cloud and Tifa were the last ones to board the Highwind the next day. Everyone greeted each other with warm hugs. Even Yuffie wasn't acting like a brat that day. Maybe the presence of Elmyra and Marlene mellowed her behavior a little. Everyone was also dressed differently today. Their trademark battle clothes were replaced by black semi-formal attire, something special for a special occasion. Reeve left Cait Sith in Midgar, wanting to see the Forgotten City with his own eyes and also being present at the service personally. Shera was also on board, bringing her own bouquet of flowers. After the phone call with Cloud yesterday, Vincent and Nanaki immediately went to the Ancient Forest to search for flowers that were appropriate for the service. Finally they found the most beautiful pink and white roses that Aeris would surely loved to have. They managed to get a dozen of each color and distributed them among the group. Marlene received two of each as there were two dozens of flowers with only 11 people. Since Shera had her own bouquet, she gave hers to Elmyra.
The ride to Bone Village was a quiet one. Everyone was left alone to his and her thoughts about that fateful day a month ago. Barret was staring out the window when he felt a tug at his jacket. He looked down to see Marlene staring curiously at him. "What is it, Marlene? Are you feeling sick?"
Marlene shook her head and smiled. "I'm a big girl and big girls don't get sick on airplanes!" Barret grinned and lifted her to sit on his shoulder.
"That's my girl. You're a brave, big girl, aren't cha?"
Marlene nodded and grinned. "Papa, does the Flower Girl know that we're going to see her today?"
"I don't know, baby. But I have strong feeling that she does." Barret turned to his little girl and gave a small smile.
"Good. I want her to see these purrty flowers we brought her and I'm gonna be the first one to give 'em to her!"
"Yeah." Barret looked down at the pink and white rose in his left hand. "She would definitely love the roses."
*****
They made their way to the lake with Cloud in the lead. Elmyra followed behind closely, holding Marlene's hand. When they were finally by the calm lake, everyone bowed their heads and stayed silent for about a minute until Cloud spoke up. "When I met Aeris, the flower girl from the slums, I somehow knew that she was special. Not because she was a Cetra, but because of her personality. She grew a garden of flowers in her backyard and another patch of them in a church in the middle of the slums. I didn't think plants could survive more than three days in that oppressive neighborhood. Not to mention the absence of sunlight. But her flowers survived more than three days, even weeks! It was as though her mere touch brought out life in everything. She was also cheerful and optimistic about everything. She may have been weak in battles, but I think among all of us, she was the strongest. Strongest spiritually. Her selflessness saved our lives as well as the whole planet. If I could turn back time and save her from death, I would do it a heartbeat. But now I know that you cannot fight fate. Without her prayer, Meteor would have crushed us to pieces. Aeris knew that she was the only one who could do something about it. And I also think that she knew she was going to leave us forever that day." Cloud paused and looked at each person one by one. Everybody was avoiding eye contact and was staring at the deep blue lake with sad look. Then he cleared his throat and continued, this time there was a catch in his voice. "Aeris, we want you to know that things are fine here. We are moving on with our lives as best as we can. But you should also know that we would never forget you. You will always be a part of our lives and in our hearts. Wherever you are, we hope you are happy. And please don't forget about us." He let out his breath slowly, blinking back the tears that were threatening to spill. Tifa went to stand beside him and squeezed his hand for support.
Marlene looked up to her father's face for permission. Wiping away tears, the dark and muscular man nodded and brought Marlene closer to the edge of the lake. The little girl threw the roses into the water, causing ripples to disturb its calmness. "Bye, Flower Girl. We miss you," she whispered. Everyone else murmured their farewells and left their roses floating on the lake's surface. Cloud lingered behind for a few minutes, and before he turned to leave, he got down on one knee, kissed the roses in his hand and let them float away into the middle of the water. "We'll be back next month, Aeris. And we'll bring you more flowers. You take care now."
End of Chapter 2
A Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction
Author's notes: Thanks for the response, guys! I know that there aren't many Zack/Aeris fans out there, but I really appreciate the support. Here's the next installment. A little on the sappy side, but not too much. The story is shaping up slowly, so please bear with me. Thanks!
Chapter 2: The Rememberance
The sun's glare that afternoon was blinding. Cloud squinted his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "Geez, it's warmer than usual today," he muttered. It had been about a month since the Meteor incident and life was back to normal for everyone. He and Tifa returned to Nibelheim, and went back to being neighbors. They decided to become business partners and open up a restaurant and pub there. Barret was now living in Kalm with Elmyra, taking care of little Marlene. He's working very hard to become a full-time dad to the cute little kid. Cid went back to Rocket Town and started working on his abandoned automobile. His relationship with Shera was getting better too. He's more patient and attentive than ever. Cloud chuckled at the thought of Cid being polite and making tea for Shera.
Nanaki returned to Cosmo Canyon and continued learning more about the Planet, with the help and supervision of Elder Hargo. Vincent went with him and decided to broaden his knowledge as well, since going back to the Shin- Ra mansion would only bring back painful memories for him. In the Western Continent, Yuffie wanted to continue her search for materias, but then decided to help her father rebuild Wutai, changing it back to its former glory instead of a tourists' spot. Da-Chao would be proud of her. Reeve started on a plan of restructuring Midgar, creating a whole new design so that people could actually live in a more natural environment instead of the dark and gloomy slums. Cloud still remembered the stuffiness of the slums under the metal plates that Shin-Ra built. It still amazed him how people could actually live in that kind of atmosphere. The only lives that seem to radiantly bloom were Aeris' flowers in the Sector 5 church, which was the only building that was not destroyed by Meteor. Somehow Cloud wasn't surprised by that strange miracle. After he defeated Sephiroth inside the Northern Crater, he felt her presence when the Lifestream swirled around him. He felt it again when the green energy shot up from the earth and destroyed Meteor.
"Aeris..." Cloud murmured the name to no one in particular. His thoughts traveled back to the time when he and Aeris were in Wall Street, looking for a dress for him in order to get into Don Corneo's mansion. All the hassle of getting that perfect look - the wig, the tiara, and the beauty treatment at the Honeybee Inn. He couldn't help but grinned at the memory of that adventure. Then he thought about their date at the Gold Saucer. The way she looked down shyly during the gondola ride, the sparkles in her green eyes during the fireworks, and her soft delicate hand when he kissed it during that ridiculous play. His grin softened into a smile. Her death left such an impact on him and everyone else in the team. Oh, how he missed her!
Cloud suddenly jumped, startled by the shrill ringing of his PHS. "Cloud Strife." He said in a businesslike tone.
"Cloud, this is Vincent. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time. How's the restaurant coming along?" Cloud was quite surprised to hear from Vincent, but didn't say anything. He was at the restaurant's kitchen section, which was still yet to be built, when he started thinking about Aeris. In a way, he was glad Vincent had called, if not he would be having more than a tan, standing underneath the blazing sun. He jumped over a stack of cement sacks and walked over to shady tree, trying to cool his sweaty body.
"Hey, Vincent. No, I'm not busy. The restaurant's doing fine. We're almost done with everything except the kitchen. We're not sure how big we want it to be, so we're still working on its design. What about you, Vincent? Everything alright there?"
"I'm well, thank you. Nanaki and I have been reading a lot lately. I'm glad I decided to come here, Cloud. I've learned quite a lot about the history of the Planet and so forth. Anyway, there's a reason for my calling you."
"What is it, Vincent? Is there some kind of trouble? Is it Nanaki?"
Vincent gave a light chuckle, which surprised Cloud further. "No, no. Everything is fine here. It's just that...well, it's been almost a month since Aeris' departure, so Nanaki and I thought about going to the Forgotten City and have a proper memorial service for her, since we didn't have the chance to do it due to...umm...circumstances. What do you think, Cloud?"
Cloud sighed in relief after listening to Vincent. Even though it had only been a month, he was still in his warrior-mode, thinking about the welfare of his fellow comrades. He would do anything for their safety. "Has it been a month? Time sure flies by, huh?" "I think it's a great idea, Vincent. Let me tell the others. We could bring Elmyra and Marlene too. Say, isn't the Ancient Forest near Cosmo Canyon? Maybe you guys could get some flowers from there and bring them to the service. And I'll have Cid call you later today to arrange your pick-up time. Sounds good?"
"Sounds fine to me. And thank you for reminding us about the flowers. I'm sure Aeris would love it. Till tomorrow, Cloud."
"Later, Vincent." Cloud hung up and frowned thoughtfully. "You've been gone for month now, Aeris. I wonder where you are right now? Are you happy? Are you up there, watching over us?" He looked up at the sky for a few seconds and then proceeded to call his friends.
*****
Cloud and Tifa were the last ones to board the Highwind the next day. Everyone greeted each other with warm hugs. Even Yuffie wasn't acting like a brat that day. Maybe the presence of Elmyra and Marlene mellowed her behavior a little. Everyone was also dressed differently today. Their trademark battle clothes were replaced by black semi-formal attire, something special for a special occasion. Reeve left Cait Sith in Midgar, wanting to see the Forgotten City with his own eyes and also being present at the service personally. Shera was also on board, bringing her own bouquet of flowers. After the phone call with Cloud yesterday, Vincent and Nanaki immediately went to the Ancient Forest to search for flowers that were appropriate for the service. Finally they found the most beautiful pink and white roses that Aeris would surely loved to have. They managed to get a dozen of each color and distributed them among the group. Marlene received two of each as there were two dozens of flowers with only 11 people. Since Shera had her own bouquet, she gave hers to Elmyra.
The ride to Bone Village was a quiet one. Everyone was left alone to his and her thoughts about that fateful day a month ago. Barret was staring out the window when he felt a tug at his jacket. He looked down to see Marlene staring curiously at him. "What is it, Marlene? Are you feeling sick?"
Marlene shook her head and smiled. "I'm a big girl and big girls don't get sick on airplanes!" Barret grinned and lifted her to sit on his shoulder.
"That's my girl. You're a brave, big girl, aren't cha?"
Marlene nodded and grinned. "Papa, does the Flower Girl know that we're going to see her today?"
"I don't know, baby. But I have strong feeling that she does." Barret turned to his little girl and gave a small smile.
"Good. I want her to see these purrty flowers we brought her and I'm gonna be the first one to give 'em to her!"
"Yeah." Barret looked down at the pink and white rose in his left hand. "She would definitely love the roses."
*****
They made their way to the lake with Cloud in the lead. Elmyra followed behind closely, holding Marlene's hand. When they were finally by the calm lake, everyone bowed their heads and stayed silent for about a minute until Cloud spoke up. "When I met Aeris, the flower girl from the slums, I somehow knew that she was special. Not because she was a Cetra, but because of her personality. She grew a garden of flowers in her backyard and another patch of them in a church in the middle of the slums. I didn't think plants could survive more than three days in that oppressive neighborhood. Not to mention the absence of sunlight. But her flowers survived more than three days, even weeks! It was as though her mere touch brought out life in everything. She was also cheerful and optimistic about everything. She may have been weak in battles, but I think among all of us, she was the strongest. Strongest spiritually. Her selflessness saved our lives as well as the whole planet. If I could turn back time and save her from death, I would do it a heartbeat. But now I know that you cannot fight fate. Without her prayer, Meteor would have crushed us to pieces. Aeris knew that she was the only one who could do something about it. And I also think that she knew she was going to leave us forever that day." Cloud paused and looked at each person one by one. Everybody was avoiding eye contact and was staring at the deep blue lake with sad look. Then he cleared his throat and continued, this time there was a catch in his voice. "Aeris, we want you to know that things are fine here. We are moving on with our lives as best as we can. But you should also know that we would never forget you. You will always be a part of our lives and in our hearts. Wherever you are, we hope you are happy. And please don't forget about us." He let out his breath slowly, blinking back the tears that were threatening to spill. Tifa went to stand beside him and squeezed his hand for support.
Marlene looked up to her father's face for permission. Wiping away tears, the dark and muscular man nodded and brought Marlene closer to the edge of the lake. The little girl threw the roses into the water, causing ripples to disturb its calmness. "Bye, Flower Girl. We miss you," she whispered. Everyone else murmured their farewells and left their roses floating on the lake's surface. Cloud lingered behind for a few minutes, and before he turned to leave, he got down on one knee, kissed the roses in his hand and let them float away into the middle of the water. "We'll be back next month, Aeris. And we'll bring you more flowers. You take care now."
End of Chapter 2