Slowly Sephiroth turned around to face the owner of the voice. She stood in the shadows just off to one side of the steps, lips curled upwards in a faint smirk; it amused her that she had managed to catch him off-guard.
"Talya," he murmured in recognition.
Though she was surprised that he remembered her, she did not show it. She stepped out into the sunlight and made a mock bow. "Glad to be of service, my liege." Upon straightening, she took a moment to look him over. "You've barely changed at all," she remarked.
Sephiroth let go the chocobo's reigns, studying her with a frown. "Neither have you."
She could tell that he was catching on quickly, but for the moment, she did not care. It surprised her, how glad she felt to see him again. She walked in a small circle around him while he eyed her warily. "I'll admit, I think your hair's a little longer, and the clothes are a definite change..." She came to a stop just in front of him. "But you're still the same."
His face remained unreadable as he watched her. At length he stated, "You're like Vincent."
"Me? Like Vincent?" She laughed, and his expression darkened, as if to say, 'you know what I meant.' "All right, fine, you got me. Hojo did perform the same experiment," she conceded. "But at least I got to keep my arm."
Sephiroth was not amused. "Why are you here?" he asked guardedly.
"I heard you'd come back to life, and I decided to pay you a visit," Talya explained, knowing that that would not be enough for him. "We were friends, weren't we? Don't you trust me at all?"
"I don't know you anymore," he stated. "And you're lying."
"What reason do I have to lie?"
He shook his head, and his eyes remained closed to her. It seemed that there wasn't much left of the boy she had once known, and she didn't like it one bit. "I don't know," he replied, "but you're uneasy."
"I guess it's because I haven't seen you in... what? Seventeen years?" He did not reply, and she went on, "So, where were you off to this fine morning? It looked like you were in a hurry."
"What business is it of yours?"
"Can't I just be curious?" she demanded, starting to get a little frustrated. "Honestly, you're treating me like a stranger."
"I don't know how else to treat you," he said coldly. "You have not come to see an old friend, so until you explain your real reason, you are a stranger to me."
"Look, Seph, it wasn't that hard to figure out that you were here. You being who you are, you can't pass through a town without people noticing you."
"You know that's not why I don't trust you." With a sigh, he turned back to the chocobo. "Do what you will. I am leaving."
"Wait!"
He looked at her over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Can't we at least talk for a while? Like old times?" she pleaded, finding that this was what she actually wanted from him. Yes, it was a convenient excuse to keep him here, but that was not why she had said it.
Sephiroth studied her face for a moment, and eventually he nodded. "I suppose talking can't hurt," he conceded.
Talya relaxed, smiling. "Thanks. Now, why don't we sit down? There's no point standing around if we don't have to."
The two of them sat down on the stairs, Sephiroth a few steps above her, his gaze still fixed on her warily.
"I guess you've got your memory back now," she said. "You wouldn't remember me otherwise."
"Actually, I don't remember much of anything. Things are coming back to me slowly, so I do remember that we were friends, but I don't recall how we parted."
"Oh?" she wondered, twisting to look up at him. "So, you don't remember Meteor?"
He shook his head.
"Then did..." She caught herself and rephrased the question. "How do you know about it? Did someone tell you?"
"Vincent did."
"Oh, I see. Where is he now? One would think he'd stick with you." He would have done anything for his Lucrecia, she thought, so of course he would look after her son.
"He stayed behind," Sephiroth answered cautiously. "Had something to look after."
"Oh, you're just full of answers!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands in exasperation.
"For all I know, you still work for Hojo," he replied.
Talya turned around to look at him. "Hojo's dead," she stated flatly. "You can't be doing work for a dead person, now can you?"
"I as dead a month ago, so don't expect me to believe that until I see his lifeless body for myself."
"Hojo was human. Humans generally stay dead."
Sephiroth sounded unconvinced. "Was he human, really? I wouldn't put it past him to inject himself with Jenova cells."
"Seph, you know what Jenova does to normal people. You think Hojo wanted to lose what little sanity he did possess?"
"He may not have been brilliant, but he wasn't stupid. If it was the only way to hold onto his life, he would have used it without hesitation."
Talya frowned, hating that she was losing this argument, badly. Damn his brilliance. He barely remembered anything, and he still managed to out-think her. "Even if you were right, what makes you think I'd still be working for him?"
"You tell me," he said coldly, getting to his feet. "I never understood why you did it."
She leapt to her feet as he started back up the steps. "Where are you going? I thought you were leaving."
"No doubt you'd follow me if I left, so it really doesn't matter where I go." He paused and glanced back at her. "You should have known that you could never trick me into going with you. I suppose your only other option is to take me by force, isn't it? Do you have reinforcements of some kind? Because you know you cannot beat me on your own."
Talya fell silent. There was nothing to say; he had already figured everything out, despite the fact that she had told him nothing. Her mere appearance seemed to have been enough to tip him off. She watched him go back into the village, relieved in some small way that he had foiled this attempt. She hadn't expected it to work, really; maybe she had just wanted to see him.
But she could not just give this up, and so she followed him into Cosmo Canyon to wait for the right opportunity.
Sephiroth did not have to look to know that Talya had followed him into the village and would seek what information she could find from its inhabitants. So he went straight to the person who knew the most about him and who would speak it the most readily: Katrina.
As he neared the door to their room, he could hear her grumbling in annoyance about how he had left without saying goodbye. Had he not just run into Talya, he might have been amused. He rapped on the door to gain her permission to enter.
She stopped mid-sentence. "Who is it?" she asked, sounding puzzled.
"Well, it can't be me," he said dryly, "because apparently I already left."
"Sephiroth? Well, come in already, why don't you?"
He entered the room, closing the door firmly behind him.
Katrina was on her feet, walking towards him with a grin on her face. "I'm glad you decided to stay until I was awa--"
"Not now," he interrupted.
She blinked, stopping in the middle of the room, and her smile faded.
"A woman has come into the village; she's a Turk, and her name is Talya--although she probably won't tell you that. She's a redhead, wearing a green shirt. She's going to want to know things about me, possibly Vincent and Aeris, too. Don't tell her anything, understand? Pretend you don't know me."
"What's this all about?" Katrina asked in confusion.
"When last I saw her, she worked for Hojo. She claims that he's dead, but I don't trust her. If Hojo is alive, he'll want me back. Aeris, too. I am not about to let him have us."
She nodded in understanding. "I won't say a word. I promise."
"Good," he said, turning to go.
"Are you leaving now?"
He paused and shook his head. "No, I can't now. I am going to ask Vincent to meet me here; there is safety in numbers."
"But there's no way anyone could take you by force," Katrina stated. "You're Sephiroth, aren't you? You almost became a god five years ago."
"That was then," was all he said before leaving the room. The truth of the matter was that he did not remember how to cast most of the spells he must have known before. His Masamune alone would not save him if there were others besides Talya.
He made his way to the highest level of the village, where the observatory was, and sat down at its edge. There was no one there, which was exactly what he wanted. He pulled out his PHS and called Vincent.
"(Yes?)" came Vincent's voice over the line after only one ring. He spoke quietly, as though he did not want anyone nearby to hear. Perhaps Aeris was sleeping, and he did not wish to wake her.
"It's Sephiroth. I have a few things to ask of you."
"(Go ahead.)"
The swordsman hesitated. "First, how is Aeris?"
"(She has not yet recovered in full, but she is strong enough to be travelling. We are currently on our way to Costa del Sol.)"
"That's good," Sephiroth said, genuinely glad to hear it. "Secondly... You knew a Talya, did you not?"
"(What does she have to do with you?)" came the guarded question.
"She was assigned to Hojo while I was in his care, and she's come to Cosmo Canyon. She hasn't aged; whatever Hojo did to you, he repeated the experiment on her."
"(What does she want?)"
"She would not tell me the truth. I think that... Is it possible that Hojo is still alive? Did he have Jenova in him?"
There was a long pause. "(Yes, he did have Jenova in him.)"
"Then I think he has sent Talya here to take me back. He'll want Aeris back, too, I'm sure." He frowned. "He knows my abilities, and my limits. I doubt that Talya is all that he has."
"(I know what you would ask of me, but I cannot leave Aeris on her own.)"
Sephiroth thought for a moment. However foolish he felt admitting it to himself, he did not want to be on his own now. He did not want to go back to the Professor. "You are taking her to see Cloud, aren't you? Can he not protect her?"
"(I will see what I can do.)"
"Right." He was about to end the call when something occurred to him. "Vincent?"
"(Yes...?)"
"Don't tell Aeris any of this unless you have to. I don't want to involve her unnecessarily."
"(I won't then.)" "Thank you." With that, Sephiroth turned off the PHS and put it away. He looked down at the village below with some ambivolence. A part of him appreciated the opportunity to stay here longer, but a part of him felt that he ought not to get too attached. After all, once he had done what little he could to atone, he would no longer have any valid purpose to stay on this planet. He would take his own life once this was finished with; there was no point in forming attachments when he would soon be leaving.
A sudden knock on the door startled Tifa from her sleep. She rolled over, glancing at the clock. Almost nine o'clock, on a Sunday morning. Unsurprisingly, Cloud was still asleep beside her, snoring quietly. At times he was a very deep sleeper, she had discovered over the years. She, on the other hand, woke at the slightest noise.
Again came the knock on the door, not impatient, but insistant nevertheless.
Tifa groaned and rolled out of bed, snatching up her bathrobe from where she had discarded it and pulling it on as she walked to the door. Whoever it was, didn't they realize that it was a Sunday? Honestly, who in their right mind came calling at this hour on a Sunday? Muttering under her breath, she opened the door, ready to give the caller a piece of her mind. When she saw the visitor, however, her mouth simply dropped open, and she staggered, gripping the doorknob to keep herself from falling.
"Hi, Tifa," came a cheerful voice that she hadn't heard in over five years now.
"Aeris?" Tifa spluttered in disbelief. This had to be a dream.
"Don't bother pinching yourself," Aeris said with a laugh. "You're not dreaming. I'll explain in a minute, but... where's Cloud?"
Tifa kept staring, and she reached out a hand to touch the Cetra's shoulder, trying to reassure herself that her friend was really real. Finding living flesh beneath her fingers, she withdrew the hand and shook her head wordlessly. Countless questions flashed through her mind as she tried to comprehend this. How on earth could Aeris be standing here outside her door? Aeris had died. She had seen Aeris die.
At length a smile found its way to her face, and she embraced the Cetra warmly. When she drew back, she motioned Aeris inside and called down the hall, "Cloud! You won't believe who's here!" Once she heard the loud grumbling that signified Cloud was awake, Tifa turned back to close the door and started when she saw Vincent. "O-oh," she said in sheepish surprise. "Sorry, Vincent. I didn't notice you there. Come on in."
Just as Tifa was about to usher their guests into the living room, Cloud emerged from the bedroom, clad in a large T-shirt and boxer shorts. He raked a hand through his messy shock of blond hair and started to ask Tifa what was going on, but stopped dead when he caught sight of Aeris. He made several attempts to speak, but could not get any words out. Finally, he looked to Tifa for an explanation, but she only shook her head and smiled.
"Cloud," Aeris said quietly, "it's good to see you again." She did not move closer to him, and it seemed to Tifa that she was trying to restrain herself. Vincent must have told her about their marriage; they had sent him an invitation, though he hadn't come to the wedding.
"A... Aeris?" Cloud managed finally. When she smiled, he crossed the distance between them and hugged her close, probably trying to prove to himself, as Tifa had, that she was really back. He pulled away, searching her face for answers. "Wha... Why... How did you...?"
"Why don't we sit down, and then I'll explain?" Aeris suggested.
Cloud nodded shakily, and the four of them went to the living room. Aeris took a seat on one couch, while Tifa and Cloud sat down facing her. Vincent remained standing just inside the doorway. He hasn't changed one bit, Tifa thought to herself before giving Aeris her attention.
"I know it's hard for you to understand," she began. "Sometimes I have trouble believing it myself, but... You both know about Sephiroth, right?"
Both nodded, and Cloud's mouth tightened into a frown. Tifa remembered him telling her about the call earlier that week, and since then it had been a constant worry in the back of her mind. She wondered what it had to do with Aeris.
"Well, a few days ago, he decided that he wanted to do what he could to make up for his past mistakes."
Tifa exchanged looks with Cloud; why would Sephiroth want to help anyone?
"So," Aeris went on, "the first thing he did was to go to the City of the Ancients to revive me."
"And it worked?" Cloud asked, before realizing what a stupid question it was and grimacing.
Both women laughed aloud. "I don't think Cloud's entirely awake yet," Tifa said, nudging him.
It took Cloud a moment to recover from his embarrassment, and then he asked, "So, did you part ways from there?"
Aeris shook her head. "Well, we spent the night in Bone Village, and Sephiroth moved on from there. I stayed behind, partly because I needed to get my strength back, and partly because... well... It was hard being near him."
"Why didn't Vincent go with?" Tifa queried.
"Can we really trust him to be on his own?" Cloud asked at the same time.
"Vincent stayed behind because I needed someone to look after me," Aeris answered, seeming somewhat vexed by the questions. "And Sephiroth isn't the same man now that he was five years ago. He's... I think he's back to whoever he was before all that. I know it's hard for either of you to even consider trusting him, but in this life, he's done nothing but good."
Tifa found herself hesitant to accept this, but after a moment she realized something: if Aeris trusted her killer, then there was no reason for anyone else to fear him. However reassuring this was, Tifa still felt uncomfortable, if for different reasons. There was a tension in the air, strung between Aeris and Cloud. She knew that they had feelings for each other that they had never voiced, and they could not voice them now because of her presence.
"I'm going to take a shower," she announced. That, she decided, would give them enough opportunity to say whatever needed saying, and she would be able to untangle her own thoughts.
Tifa nodded minutely to Aeris, gave Vincent a meaningful look as she passed him, and walked down the hall to the bathroom. Yes, a shower would be lovely.
After Tifa left, Vincent, too, stepped out of the room, leaving Aeris alone with Cloud. She realized that Tifa had wanted them to have some time alone, but nevertheless she felt guilty about the whole matter. Even being here, she felt as though she were betraying her friend; she could tell that her arrival was stirring up old feelings for Cloud. It wasn't fair to Tifa, but neither was it fair to leave them in the dark about her ressurection.
It was all very complicated, and for a moment she only wanted to leave. She had let them know, so it was done with, right? But a glance into Cloud's eyes told her that she could not leave yet. The three of them had to get things straightened out as best they could.
Only, she didn't know where to begin or what to say. "I'm sorry," she said at length, "but I had to let you know, and... I wanted to see you. I missed you."
Cloud was not looking at her; his gaze was fixed on the table between them, and it was obvious that he was trying to find the right words to express himself. She waited patiently, and eventually he began, haltingly, "At first I thought... that maybe, somehow, you would come back. So I waited. Months went by, and then years, and there was nothing, no sign that I might finally get the chance to tell you... how I felt." He shook his head.
"Tifa... she never once left my side, but I could tell that she was suffering from the same kind of waiting that I was." At last he looked up at Aeris, his expression pained. "And I couldn't let that happen to her. I thought, if we were together like this, that we wouldn't both have to be waiting. I thought that she could help me forget you, and that, even if I don't love her like I love you, I could still help her."
"...and was it enough?" Aeris asked softly.
Cloud did not reply. He turned to look at the bathroom door across the hall, avoiding her gaze.
She sighed. "I never had much hope... for returning, I mean. I always had this absurd fantasy, that the Planet would take special pity on me, but I certainly never believed it." She lowered her gaze, fingering the rip in her dress. "When I left for the City, I was so sure that I'd see you again. I didn't think Sephiroth would..."
She stopped herself to keep the memory at bay and shook her head. "I shouldn't have gone off on my own. I should have trusted you to protect me. It was my own fault, really."
At this, Cloud looked at her in startlement. "No, Aeris," he said quickly, shaking his head. "It was never your fault. I was the one who gave the Black Materia to Sephiroth. If it hadn't been for my weakness, you would never have had to try and summon Holy. I was there when you died, and still I couldn't protect you. In fact, I almost..." He trailed off, ashamed.
"Cloud, please don't blame yourself. That's the last thing I want you to do."
He met her gaze seriously. "Then return the favor. I don't want you blaming yourself either."
Aeris nodded gratefully and then slowly stood. "I should leave soon," she said, her eyes on the bathroom door.
Cloud got to his feet in alarm. "Aeris--"
"No, Cloud, I can't stay. Tifa needs you, and if I stay here, I'll only mess things up between the two of you. That's why I should go, before something happens that we'll all regret."
She started for the door, but Cloud grabbed her wrist, and she turned to meet his gaze.
"Please, Aeris. Just once, I want to..."
This was why Tifa had left them alone, she knew. For this moment, they had her sanction, if only for one moment. A part of her wanted to refuse, out of loyalty to her friend, but the part that wanted this one moment was stronger. Surely, if Tifa didn't have to see--just once wouldn't hurt anything.
"All right," Aeris consented.
He let go her wrist and, hesitantly, slipped an arm about her waist, pulling her closer. She slid her arms about his neck and closed her eyes as his lips found hers.
Once, she had dreamt of this moment often, but as time went on and she had seen him marry Tifa, she had grown less and less hopeful. At length it had been nothing more than a wistful fantasy, something that had no possibility of coming true. And yet, here she was, held close in his arms, and the feelings she had developed for him all those years ago were still as strong as before. She felt so safe in these arms, and she never wanted him to let go.
But they could only allow themselves a moment. Just one moment, because they both knew that Tifa needed him more than she did.
They pulled back from each other, her hands still on his shoulders and his at her waist, and she dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be," he told her. "You leave all your regrets here, and then... you're going to forget about me and find someone new."
She looked up to meet his gaze, smiling faintly. "I'll try. And you--you've already got Tifa. Learn to love her, Cloud; maybe then, neither of you will be waiting anymore."
He nodded, and then she broke away from him, not knowing what to say anymore. She noticed that the shower had stopped, and she turned back to Cloud uncertainly.
"You don't have to leave so soon," he told her. "Surely, for a while... you can--"
"No. I have to go."
"Go where?" Tifa asked.
Aeris blinked, turning to see her standing in the bathroom doorway, clad again in her bathrobe, her long dark hair spilling down her back in wet locks.
The Cetra faltered. "I... I don't know."
Tifa glanced back and forth between the two. "Well, I'm sure Cloud wouldn't mind if you stayed here, right, Cloud?"
He did not reply; however he felt, he had to know that Aeris was right.
"Tifa," Aeris said quietly, "I can't, and you know it."
The brunette sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "Wishful thinking, I guess. I just don't like the idea of turning you out into the world, without any certainties at all."
"It's okay, Tifa. I... have other friends to turn to, besides you. Besides, I'm sure Vincent will be willing to put up with me for a while longer." She thought she saw him standing just around the corner. "Right?"
Both Cloud and Tifa seemed startled when he came to stand in the hall with them. The ex-Turk met Aeris's gaze and nodded silently.
Tifa seemed hesitant to accept this, but at length she nodded. "All right. But, don't leave so soon. You can at least spend the night, can't you?"
"All right," Aeris agreed, fingering the tear in her dress.
Her friend seemed to notice this, and she smiled. "Aeris, why don't we find you some new clothes?" she suggested. "Yours look a little worn-out."
Aeris smiled sheepishly. "I guess they do. Do you think I could borrow some of yours for a while?"
Tifa looked shocked by the suggestion. "Borrow? There's no need for that; we'll go shopping," she declared. When Aeris smiled, she added, "Just let me go get dressed."
Once she had disappeared down the hall, Aeris turned to Cloud with a smirk. "I assume you don't want to come with, right?"
He coughed and shook his head. "No, you two go ahead."
Some minutes later, Tifa returned, now dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.
Aeris nodded, and the two women left the villa and headed out into the streets. Costa del Sol had grown considerably in the past five years, the Cetra noted. Rather than being a relatively small resort town off the harbor, it now sported a number of new neighborhoods and shopping districts. There were even a few cars parked along the roads, and once or twice, a convertible whizzed past them as they walked.
"A lot has changed," she remarked to her friend. "I guess it's because of all the refugees from Midgar... What's it like there nowadays? In Midgar, I mean."
"I don't know," Tifa replied, shaking her head. "Barret's there, along with the handful of people who decided to stay, but we haven't paid him a visit in years."
"Mm," Aeris said absently. Tifa took her inside a fair-sized shop (at least thrice the size of the one in Sector 6), and they began browsing the isles. Every now and then, one of them would hold up some article of clothing for inspection, and the other would think for a moment before shaking her head.
"Are you sure you'll be all right with Vincent?" Tifa asked abruptly after they had been searching for a while.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he's not really the best of company," the brunette answered as she rifled through one of the racks, pulling out a dress for Aeris's examination. "I've always found him sort of depressing, and he barely even speaks."
Aeris shrugged, and they moved on. "I'll be fine," she said. "He's a lot nicer than he seems."
"I find that hard to believe. I mean, I guess it says something that he's agreed to look after you, but still, he doesn't seem to care."
"He does care, Tifa. He's just gotten very good at hiding it." She paused, frowning disinterestedly at a red dress that she happened to have in her hands. "And, you know," she went on as she put it back, "I was watching all of you, from the Promised Land, and... I saw his nightmare. He really suffered through a lot, back then, and I think I can understand what it's done to him."
"That was thirty-five years ago, Aeris," Tifa pointed out with a frown. "It seems a little pathetic that he still hasn't gotten over it."
Aeris shook her head. "I don't think it seems that way to him. You remember, don't you? When we first woke him, he didn't seem to realize how much time had passed. And then, he relives it all whenever he closes his eyes; he couldn't forget it even if he wanted to."
She pulled a black dress from the rack, peered at it for a moment, and then held it up for Tifa to see. "What do you think?"
"Black?" the brunette asked, startled.
"What? You don't think I'd look good in black?"
"Well, um," Tifa faltered. "You just don't seem like the type to wear black."
Aeris shrugged and put it back, deciding not to explain to her friend that at the moment, she felt it would suit her very well indeed.
They moved on, and at length Tifa spoke again. "So you're absolutely fine with Vincent?"
"Yes, Tifa, I am. I don't know why you're so worried about it. He's our friend, isn't he?"
"You barely knew each other, Aeris. I have a hard time understanding his reasons for helping you."
Aeris faltered. "I guess I can see what you mean. I'd probably be wondering the same thing, if I hadn't seen him with Lucrecia. He opened up for her. He smiled for her. I'd like to think that that Vincent is still in him somewhere, and... I want to help him, if I can."
"I'm not sure he can be helped," Tifa said skeptically.
"Maybe not, but I have to try. He deserves more than the life he's living now."
Tifa glanced at her uncertainly and did not reply. They spoke little for the rest of the outing, save to comment on one outfit or another, and it saddened Aeris that her friend did not seem to understand. She conceded, though, that she had thought the same of Vincent five years prior. It was only after her own ordeal in the Promised Land that she had come to sympathize with him.
"So you're going, huh?" Reno asked from the doorway to their room.
Elena glanced up from her packing. "Yeah."
"Look, just because one of Rude's old drinking buddies thinks he saw her in Costa del Sol, doesn't mean it's true. Dead people just don't come back to life. That's what dead means."
The blond went back to her closet to grab another shirt and stuff it in her duffel bag. "I still have to go."
"I don't understand why it even matters to you," the redhead went on, watching her. "I'm not even sure you ever met the girl; why's it so important for you to see her?"
"It's none of your business, Reno," she told him, flashing him an irritated look.
He studied her carefully, trying to figure this out. "Does it have something to do with Tseng? I know he used to be a friend of hers."
She kept her mouth shut with some difficulty and zipped her bag closed.
"Okay, so I'm right then. What did he want you to tell her? Was it his dying request that you communicate his feelings for another woman?" he added with a smirk.
Elena whirled on him, putting her fists on her hips. "Damnit, Reno! Just because you were madly in love with her doesn't mean everyone else was, too!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Me? In love with that Ancient?" He snorted loudly. "Sure she was easy on the eyes, but that's taking it a little far. You don't see me running off across the ocean just because of some impossible rumor that she's alive again."
She glared at him, willing him to shut up. It didn't work.
"What is this called? Projecting? You just don't wanna admit that you had this insane crush on Tseng, and haven't gotten over it yet. It's cute, but also really pathetic. In love with a dead guy who never even looked at you. Huh!"
Shouldering her bag, she walked to the doorway. "You'd better go straight to Hell when you die," she told him. "Now get out of my way. I'm leaving."
"Sure thing," he said, stepping aside with a grin, as though he couldn't care less.
Elena kicked him hard in the shin as she walked past, gaining some satisfaction from his stifled yelp.
"Oi, Laney!" he called after her, some vexation in his voice. "When're you coming back?"
"A week, maybe," she answered over her shoulder, "but preferably never."
"Okay. See ya!"
Stifling the urge to run back and strangle him, Elena left their apartment and headed for the harbor.
Author's Notes
And after a lovely Sephiroth/Talya scene, we're back to Aeris. You know, originally there were about three full pages of angst accompanying the kiss Cloud and Aeris share, but I decided I ought to tone that down and make it more private. P Seriously, there was even something ressembling an essay on Vincent in that mess. Just, totally... unnecessary. I also did far more point-of-view switching than was normal or healthy.
The scene with Reno and Elena is one of those that's gone through so many changes that it scarcely ressembles the original. I really didn't have a good grasp of Reno back then. I think it was my first time writing him, as in all the roleplays I'd done, my friend Rax had been the one to do him. Come to think of it, she'd also done Elena. Huh. Anyway, I decided I wanted to paint Reno as much more of a jackass than I did originally, because he's so much more fun that way.