))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

This next chapter is really two chapters in length, but I couldn't find a good spot to split the two. So instead of cutting it randomly in the middle, I decided to keep it as one chapter.

Enter chapter 23, the longest single chapter I've written yet.

))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

We entered the pool with an oddly quiet splash. I again felt the green liquid envelop my body followed by the strange feeling that I no longer needed to breathe. I looked at Tifa who had suddenly stopped twitching and instead was staring straight at me.

Did this mean something? Was she staring at me…like she was waiting for me to do something?

I held her body close to me…

Nothing happened.

I held her hand…

Nothing happened.

Then the thought occurred to me that she might be dead. In a panic my hand grabbed her neck…trying to feel for a pulse.

I let out a sigh as I felt it was still there, although I knew that if we stayed a whole lot longer, her heart probably would stop beating. That's why I had told Vincent to yank us out of the pool after ten minutes…and here I was already coming on one minute in the Life stream, still clueless as to what to do.

"Tifa…you have to tell me what to do. What did you do to enter my mind last time?" For the first time since she had been originally poisoned a year ago, she looked at me as if she knew what I was saying. I looked at her mouth to see if by some miracle they would move and release an answer to my question. But her lips stayed half open as they always did, not uttering a sound. But still I waited and stared at them, hoping that maybe they would utter some clue.

That's it!

Though she had said nothing, I think I knew what to do.

For the first time in over a year, I kissed her. I let all my emotion into this kiss, trying to maybe awake her, like in the old fairy tales.

Suddenly my mind, or my heart, imagined that she was better, and that she had awakened from this spell that had overtaken her body, and that we were kissing on a beach with no one around but the shore and the waves. I imagined she was smiling and laughing and that she was herself again. I imagined that somehow I had managed to pull her mind back together while we were in the Life stream, and that we had enjoyed each others company to the end of our days.

Suddenly my thoughts melted away and I felt my mind drift down a long tunnel. It was full of memory—living images of the past. Some I recognized and some I didn't. There was Gold Saucer and the roller coaster…and there went Midgar and a picture of Rufus' dead corpse…there went Cosmo Canyon…there went…

…a picture of me. Suddenly the movement of the tunnel stopped and I stared at this living portrait of myself. It was exact in every detail…almost as if I was looking at myself through a mirror. One thing was different though, I was not in my usual battle garb of blue pants and shirt with a sheathed sword on my back. Instead I was wearing a tuxedo, with a dark blue cumber bun and bowtie. "How can this be?" I said to myself. "I've never worn a tux before. Ever. Unless…"

I put two and two together real fast.

Suddenly the life like image of me moved aside and I felt myself launch into a large room. I was dropped in the middle of an expansive white circular room surrounded by an old white picket fence, with three gates, aged from use, or lack thereof. The air was stale, and all about me everything had a greenish hue. Even the sky was pale green instead of the vivid blue that I was used to. Above each of the three gates in the fence were large transparent images of Tifa's head. Each one was twitching back and forth in the familiar motion I had seen her do for the past year.

"I've done it…somehow I got into Tifa's mind."

I didn't have time to exactly figure out how I had managed to enter her mind, because I knew that time was not on my side. I looked around for some tool, some clue, some guess as to where to go and what to do. Finding nothing, I decided to go through the first gate. I pushed it open and followed the narrow path. I heard two voices talking quietly to each other, and suddenly I saw the world around me turn dark. Star's appeared in the sky, and suddenly two small people appeared in front of me, sitting. They took no notice of my presence, though I was only feet away. I guess that they can't see me, so like an invisible eavesdropper, I listened to their conversation.

The two small people, a boy with short blond hair and a girl with long brown hair and a turquoise dress, were starring at the stars when suddenly the girl spoke saying, "Cloud, why are you going to leave?" I then realized who the two people were. The small girl was Tifa as I remembered her when she was probably six or seven years old, and the blonde kid was myself at roughly the same age. I heard my young self answer, "I'm going because I want to be big and strong. I'm going to join SOLDIER and make a name for myself—to become rich and famous." There was a pause as Tifa lowered her head in dismay. "Then promise me something Cloud," she said. "Huh? What?" I answered. "Promise me that after you've gone and become strong and famous and respected, that you'll come back for me and take me away somewhere…away from this town." "Why?" I heard myself ask. "Because," she answered, "I'm not happy here. I want to go away from this town. I want to live life and see the world! Promise me!" I was quiet for a moment. "Promise me that you will, Cloud! I won't let you go until you do!" I remembered that part pretty good. Tifa was a lot bigger and stronger then me at the time, and I knew that she meant what she said by 'I won't let you go until you do, Cloud.' That was the reason I had made the promise originally—because I was intimidated by her. I saw myself nod and Tifa turn away and smile, though I noticed a single tear run down her cheek.

Suddenly, as if the lights have come on in a dark room, the memory disappeared and I found myself standing at the end of the path. Out of seemingly no where a voice said, "Do you remember your promise Cloud? Do you remember?" "Yes, I do. Now more then ever," I responded without thinking. "Then why don't you keep your promises?" "I do," I said. "And I plan to keep that promise to you, Tifa." By now I had recognized the voice as Tifa's. I waited and didn't hear any reply from her, so I turned and walked down the long, narrow, brick path. As I passed through the gate I noticed that the transparent head over the gate was no longer tossing side to side.

I walked to the second gate. As I passed through I noticed that the path was much shorter, and that the brick that had been lining the path seemed corroded and weakly structured. I walked along the path and once again found myself in the middle of a changing landscape. I reached the end of the short path and found myself looking at a scene from downtown Midgar. There was Tifa, carrying some groceries down by sector six, and suddenly I appeared. I was far ahead and walking fast with my head bowed low. Tifa suddenly called for me and sped ahead to try and catch me, but I apparently took no notice. I walked on down the street while Tifa suddenly got caught by a large crowd of people. She pushed her way through only to find me gone. Her face in panic, she went searching for me. Eventually after a few moments she found me walking past sector seven, seemingly without any direction. Again she called for me and sped after me, but suddenly she stopped, because I had entered the old church. Aerieth's church.

Tifa paused for a moment, unsure of what to do, but she decided to walk forward slowly. She reached the door of the church and put her ear to it. Suddenly my voice became loud and distinct. "Why Aerieth?…Why did you have to die?…I wasn't good enough…If only you were here, I would tell you how much I miss you…" Tifa took her head away from the door suddenly, and then sped off down the street with tears in her eyes.

I then remembered this scene. It had taken place about a week after the end of the war. It, if I remember right, was the first time I had entered Aerieth's old church since I had first met her, and it would soon become a habit. Tifa must have seen me and followed me, though I never knew it.

Once again the scenery changed back to the worn path, followed by Tifa's clear voice. "I saw you enter the church and I instantly knew that you were still stuck on her, but I had to be sure. When I heard what you were saying in there, I knew you loved her, and I fell into despair, because I knew that you didn't love me, and that you loved her instead. Do you love her, Cloud?" "I thought I did," I responded. "But many things have happened that you don't know about. When you've gotten better I'll tell you about them in detail. But for now, just know that I have finally come to terms with her death. And, though I care for her deeply and still do, I don't love her." "Then who do you love?" Tifa's voice answered. "You," I responded.

The voice again did not reply, so I turned around and walked back up the short path. It seemed to me that the ground was not as rough as when I first came down it.

Passing through the gate I glanced above me at the transparent head of Tifa. It, like the other had stopped tossing its head back and forth. Walking towards the final gate I wondered if what I was doing was having any effect on Tifa. I seemed to be solving something, but going through memories of Tifa's past was not what I expected to do when piecing together Tifa's mind. On the other hand, I hadn't really known what exactly to expect. It's not like I've probed somebody's mind before.

I walked back into the circular room, and pushed open the final gate, not knowing what to expect.

The path was lined with pink wood and yellow flowers that seemed to be withering away. I walked on and slowly the scenery changed before me.

I was in Aerieth's room. I was sitting on a bed, with Tifa lying next to me.

I recognized this memory right away, and I remember it clearly too. This was the night that we had discovered our mutually similar dreams, and also when we had kissed for the first time.

I saw the whole conversation unfold, this time through Tifa's eyes. I heard myself renew the promise that I had given to her years before. Suddenly the memory paused. It did not end, but like in a movie, it paused and remained in place. "What happened next Cloud?" I heard Tifa's voice say. "Uh…I led you down the steps?" I then saw that brief memory. Then once again, the memory paused just as we passed through the door. "And what happened next, Cloud?" "I…uh…I held your hand." And just like that, I saw my hand reach for hers and be received. "Why did you do that, Cloud?" I heard Tifa's voice say after the memory paused again. "Why did I do what?" I asked. "Hold my hand…" she responded. "Ummm…" I thought hard.

Why had I reached for her hand? It seemed natural at the time. Tifa had always been an attractive girl, and now that I knew for sure that she loved me, it seemed like a proper step in furthering our relationship. Without me saying anything, suddenly the memory flew forward into the next day. I saw myself through a window, which I quickly recognized as Aerieth's upstairs balcony window. I was talking to Red XIII. I remembered this fairly clear too. This was when I had discovered the possibility of bringing Aerieth back to life. I listened to the conversation, all the way until I smiled at the thought of Aerieth's return. And then abruptly, the point of view changed so that I saw Tifa, on her knees next to the window. I heard he say through sobs, "No….no….I've lost him…again…to her…but this time…for the last time…"

The scene paused. "Why did you lead me on, Cloud? Why did you lead me to believe that you loved me when you in truth love her?" I heard Tifa's voice ask. "I don't love Aerieth," I said again. "I've already told you that. There are many things I need to tell you about and I don't think now is the time to say them. But if you want the truth, then here's why I held your hand and led you on, as you say. I've always liked you, Tifa. Ever since I was a kid, you've always treated me different, like I was a real person. That night, when I found out just how much you cared for me, I decided to take a chance and hold your hand. And you received it. I was falling in love with you, Tifa. That's why." "Then why did you smile and forget about me when you believed Aerieth was coming back?" she responded.

Again I paused in thought at this. And once again, as I debated how to answer this question, the memory moved forward. I was sitting at the table talking to Barrett and Red XIII. Tifa was no where to be seen at first, but then I saw her hiding against the banister on the stairs. I heard Red XIII say, "Well I know it's difficult for you Cloud, but you really just have to ask yourself, do you love her?" And then I heard myself say, "Do I love Tifa?" There was a short pause, followed by words I will always regret, "Love is a strong word…"

"Why did you lead me on when you didn't love me? Why is love so beyond you?" she asked. "At the time Tifa," I responded quickly, "I was confused. You and Aerieth meant the world to me. When I learned of the possibility of her return, my feelings became confused and muddled. I thought that I had been falling for you that night, and yet, I believed at the time that before Aerieth died, that I was falling in love with her also. That made me wonder if I really was in love with either of you…it made me wonder what love was. That's why I said that 'Love is a strong word,' because my emotions were confused, and I didn't know who I cared for more, or even if I really loved either of you."

The memory faded away and I saw myself back on the wooden path. "Do you know what it is to love, Cloud? Do you really?" This time, I knew the question outright. "I may not have then, but I have since learned the answer to that question. I love you, Tifa. I love you with all my heart. And the past year with you has only confirmed what I now know." There was a brief silence. "What has happened over the past year?" Tifa's voice seemed more interested and less monotone than it had been. "Well…you've had a bad case of Life stream poisoning. I've taken care of you for the past year." Suddenly all around me fragmented memories appeared. They were sketchy, mixed, confused, and changed back and forth extremely rapidly, but I knew what they were. They were the fragmented recollections of the past year. "These memories are all the memories that you have gained over the past year," I explained. "The reason why they are so confused and disjointed is because of the Life stream poisoning. You have to learn to defeat it Tifa. You have to take control of your mind!"

I heard Tifa's voice start muttering to herself. "A year? Life stream poisoning?" This time the voice seemed to be coming from behind me, instead of coming from an unknown source. "Why did I…? Was it because of…?" The voice began to fade away. I sprinted after its unseen source back up the path. "Why can't I remember?" she said. "YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER!" I screamed, still sprinting after the voice. "Where have I been? Why can't I think straight? Why are my thoughts so jumbled?" "YOU HAVE TO PULL THEM BACK TOGETHER!!!" I screamed.

I reached the gate and flung it open.

The room had changed. It was still large, circular, and the white fence and gates were still there, but the center of the room was different. It now had a small earthen hill in the middle of it. It was covered in yellow daffodils, which were pointing away from its top. And on its top, was Tifa, kneeling, her head in her hands.

I walked slowly forward. I walked up the small hill, through the flowers, creating a small path. Tifa was muttering to herself. "Tifa…" I said. She stopped muttering but didn't move. "Tifa, I'm here." "Cloud?" She looked up.

There were those eyes that I have longed to see stare back at me for over a year.

"Wh-where am I?" she asked. "Don't you know? Can't you remember?" I said. "Remember?" she asked confused. Suddenly all around her a green storm began to appear and envelop her body. It seemed to be gathering from the green sky about us, and it looked like it was trying to envelop her, or swallow her or something, almost as if it was trying to prevent me from talking with her. "Re…member?" she said it a faint voice. "I can't….what am I supposed…to…forget?" Realizing that this magical storm was having some kind of effect on mind, I screamed, "No, Tifa! You can't forget! You must remember who you are!" "Remem—I am Tifa…Tifa?…where am…?" "Fight it Tifa! Get past the Life stream poisoning!" "…why can't I…I can't move…" "Because the Life stream is affecting your mind. Get past it! You can beat it! Break it down! REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE! REMEMBER WHAT WE HAVE!!" "…we…Cloud?"

With that the mysterious green storm that was enveloping Tifa began to shoot rapid lightning bolts at her body. I heard her yelp with each strike, and the world around me began to fall apart, to give in. "Don't give in, Tifa! You can beat it!" I yelled. "I…don't know…I can't…" she said, even more faintly.

"I LOVE YOU TIFA!!!!!!!!!!"

In an instant the world of Tifa's mind froze in its tracks. The green storm that enveloped her, though it still released its rapid lightning bolts, seemed to have no effect on her at all. The three large transparent heads over each gate suddenly turned and stared at me.

"You can beat it, Tifa. I did once. You showed me how. I know you can do it. Do it for me. I don't want to live without you anymore…"

I heard her scream. It was not a scream of pain, but rather the way somebody screams when they have reached the end of their rope and are trying to summon within themselves the last bit of strength their body can give—to hold on a little longer. The green storm suddenly began to fade and dissipate before my eyes, and the screaming became louder and more desperate.

After what seemed like hours of this ear-piercing scream, suddenly it stopped, and the green storm finally disappeared before my eyes. Tifa lay lying on the ground apparently dead. Before I could reach out to her, the three floating heads all started moving towards her unconscious body. They shrunk and entered Tifa's head, one by one. When the final transparent head sunk into Tifa's mind, she groaned. "Tifa! It's me, Cloud. Are you alright?" She started to get up, and I lifted her to her feet. "Cloud?" "Yah, it's me." I responded. She paused to look at her hands. She moved each finger individually, and then, she gazed up at me.

She smiled. "I'm back."

Overjoyed, we embraced. We jumped and laughed and hugged and screamed in excitement. "Are you truly back?" I asked. "Because of you, Cloud." She responded. I let go of her. I looked at her perfect face. "I have so much to tell you, Tifa…" "I know," she said. I smiled and felt her presence and her love for me as we looked at each other while in each others arms. I leaned down…she leaned up towards me…

SMACK!

"CLOUD!!! ARE YOU OKAY?! WAKE UP, MAN!!"

"Oww…what the heck just hit me?" I said. I opened my eyes and saw a familiar face in a dark red and black outfit standing over me. "Vincent?" I said, as his face became more and more clear and less hazy. He sighed. "Good…you're okay." "Of course I'm okay," I said, leaning up and getting up to my feet. "Where is Tifa?" I asked. Behind his mask I could see him smile. He moved aside.

And there was Tifa, standing and smiling back at me.

I looked at her, but couldn't find the strength to move. I opened my mouth, but couldn't find the words to speak. Tifa walked forward, and placed her finger on my lips to silence my attempt. "Later," she said. She then put her arms around my neck, pressed her body against mine, and kissed me.

It's difficult to describe in words how happy I felt right then. Tifa was back. She was back! The miracle I had dreamed about for a year had finally happened! Here she was her mind in order, and her love, all in the proper place.

We unlocked and I stared into her eyes. Her glowing eyes…

Glowing eyes?

I laughed. "What?" she asked, smiling. "Tifa, I think you need to have a look at the mirror…"