"Hey, Dad, I'm home!" Yuffie called as she stepped in through the front door and kicked off her shoes. As she pulled the door shut, she added under her breath, "Just in case you care." It was cruel of her, she knew; Godo did care about her. The two of them had just never gotten along very well. Much of that was due to the fact that while he had allowed himself to be subdued by the Shinra, she had not. She was stronger, and the thought shamed him. She offered a brief prayer to the gods that someday he would be proud of her instead.
She walked down the hall to her room, sliding open the door and setting down her pack. After a pause, she crept back down the hall to her father's room and stood before the door, debating whether or not she should bother. Finally, she slid it open.
Godo looked up from where he sat on his futon and smiled in that very faint, slightly condescending way he did when he wasn't really paying attention. "Hello, Yuffie."
"Hi," she replied, noting that he didn't say 'welcome back.' Had he even noticed how long she'd been gone? "I just wanted to let you know I'm back from saving the world again."
"Are you now?" he asked coolly.
Yuffie nodded, switching to a more serious tone. "The Planet is now free of both Shinra and Jenova. By the grace of the gods, it will flourish again."
He studied her for a moment, then simply nodded. "That is good."
It was frustrating. Here she was, leader of Wutai--considering Godo didn't do much besides sleep--in her home, with her father, and she was speaking in Common. She missed the clear sound of Wutain and the beauty of its words; it was as though Godo had forgotten it after the war. Maybe, she considered, maybe she could teach it to Nanaki, if only so she could speak it to someone and know that they cared and understood. She wondered if his kind had their own language, too, one that he rarely got the chance to use.
What was worse than this, though, were the limited responses Godo gave her. Not a word of curiosity, nothing to indicate he cared, not even a simple 'good job' or 'nice work.' Just that impersonal 'that is good.' He might as well have been stating that Da-chao was still standing; that probably would have been less pointless.
Yuffie suppressed a sigh and tried again. "How has Wutai fared this past week?"
"It's done well," he answered. She nearly cursed, but he went on. "Our merchants had a better week than usual. Many of the villagers asked about where you'd gone, but I couldn't tell them much."
Was that it? Was he angry because she hadn't been able to tell him what she was doing without spending hours explaining? Well, sorry, she thought angrily. It's not my fault you never wanted to listen to my stories. "It's good that trade's picking up," she said, hiding her bitterness. "As for where I went... Well, if anyone's really curious, I guess they'll stop by and ask."
Godo nodded sagely.
"It was really nice to see my friends again," she offered.
"Was it?" he asked, but this time the simple question held a hint of interest.
Yuffie nodded. "Especially Nanaki--he's the big cat from Cosmo Canyon. I used to tease him a lot, but he's really nice, and wise, and more mature than I'll ever be--you'd like him. Anyway, I got a chance to change his opinion of me, and we're really close now."
She sensed that he had nothing to say to this, and she expected him to drop the line of conversation, but he surprised her by asking, "What about your other friends?"
Progress! she thought, trying to restrain her eagerness in light of what she had to say. "Well, there was Aeris--this is kind of a long story, but... See, Sephiroth killed her five years ago, but he regenerated or something a month ago, and he revived her, to atone, I guess, only it didn't stop there. They got involved in this whole mess with Professor Hojo--one of Shinra's old scientists--which is why they called us in, and they fell in love! How ironic is that? Still, it was kind of sweet, except that after we killed Hojo, Sephiroth died fighting Jenova. Aeris is convinced he'll come back, though, because he promised her he would."
Godo nodded slowly, trying to process her story, and she realized with some embarrassment that she had been talking too fast again. "That is tragic," he allowed.
The ninja faltered. "Dad, do you think...? Aeris says Sephiroth's being judged somewhere. I asked her to tell me if I could do anything to help him out, and I was wondering if maybe you'd be willing to help, too, if we could..." Stupid, she told herself, trailing off as she saw the expression on Godo's face.
"Help Sephiroth...?" he asked, a mixture of incredulity and anger rising in his voice. She recognized the tone from when she had tried to convince him to stand up to Shinra, from when he had been deeply ashamed to call her his daughter. "Help the very man who led Shinra's armies against us?"
"I know you hate him, and I did, too," Yuffie admitted, "but I've learned to give people second chances. You shouldn't condemn a person unless you really know them. I know Sephiroth now, and I can't do that. He can be cold and precise, but he's not heartless. Far from it, he can even be compassionate. And even if I didn't believe that, I'd still want to help him, if only for Aeris's sake. She's the closest thing to an angel you'll ever find."
For a long time Godo said nothing. At length he sighed and said, "I will think about it."
Recognizing the dismissal, Yuffie inclined her head and slipped back out of his room. She doubted that he'd actually give it any thought, much less decide to help Sephiroth, but that he had left these two possibilities open was more than she could have hoped for. It used to be that when they disagreed, they'd turn immediately to shouting.
She strode back down the hallway and shoved aside the doors to her room, flopping down on the futon without bothering to change into her pajamas. Pink, she thought distastefully as she caught sight of the blanket's fabric. Although she'd long since moved back into her father's house, it seemed she didn't really spend much time here. Should really get a new blanket, Yuffie decided as she drifted off.
Despite his earlier anxiety to get home, Cid was reluctant to go straight to his house. He shuffled along the street, annoyed that it was too late for there to be any distractions on the way. When his house came into view, he frowned nervously and shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling for the little ring box. Did he really have to ask her tonight? After all, it was really late; it wouldn't hurt if he put it off until...
No. If he succumbed to that kind of thinking, it would just be the past five years all over again. It can wait 'til tomorrow, he'd told himself every single day. Hell no. He wasn't about to get into that cycle again. He picked up his pace determinedly, practically kicking open the door.
Shera jumped up from where she'd been sitting at the kitchen table, startled out of her wits. Probably she'd decided to wait up for him and might even have been dozing. Damn, he thought. Have to stop being so fucking loud.
Her expression quickly changed to joy, but she only smiled and said, "Welcome home, Cid."
He grinned, trying not to show his disappointment when she didn't run up and hug him or anything. "Thanks, Shera." After all, why should she, when all he'd ever done was push her away?
"R-right," she faltered, surprised by even a simple thanks. "Do you want some tea? You look tired."
"Sit down," he said, waving a hand as he shut the door and plopped down in a chair himself. "I'm all right, it's just been a long day is all." Realizing that only confirmed his fatigue, he added, "Well, actually, I've got something on my mind."
"Did your, er, mission go well?" she asked, sitting down and watching him cautiously.
"Most of us came out of it okay," Cid answered, leaning back, "but Aeris's goin' through hell."
"She was your friend who died, wasn't she?"
"Yeah. I told you Sephiroth brought her back. She kinda fell in love with him, which is really screwed, and he's dead at the moment, which is worse."
Shera nodded. "It sounds like a lot happened. Do you think she'll be all right?"
"She may not look it, but she's tough. 'sides, who's to say he'll stay dead? Certainly didn't the last two times."
"For her sake then, if for no other reason, I hope the pattern holds. Though from your earlier stories, I don't quite understand it."
"He was sane this time," Cid replied with a shrug. "Guess he's nicer than he looks or something."
"I suppose."
This was getting nowhere. He sat up and shoved one hand into his pocket. "Hey, Shera, I, uh..."
"Yes, Cid?"
"Shit, I should've done this years ago," he muttered, getting to his feet. He forced himself to meet her confused and uncertain gaze, got down on one knee, and thrust the ring towards her as though he couldn't stand holding the thing. "Marry me?"
She gaped at him in disbelief. "W-what?"
"Will you marry me?" he enunciated more clearly, flushing in embarrassment.
"Oh, Cid!" she exclaimed, clasping his hand rather than taking the ring. "You really mean it, don't you? Of course I will!"
He grinned in relief, and freed his hand to slip the ring on her finger. "You were startin' to scare me there," he told her, getting to his feet and pulling her along with him.
She blushed and lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I just... After all these years, I thought you--"
He lifted her head and claimed her mouth in a kiss, cutting off whatever she'd been about to say. Oh, yeah. Should've done this a long time ago.
Cid suddenly realized that they did not own a single bed. He himself slept on a couch in a cluttered back room, and he hadn't a clue where Shera slept. He'd asked her once, she'd gestured vaguely, and that had been the end of it.
He broke away, taking her hand and leading her towards his room. "Shera, I don't know where the hell you've been sleepin', but the couch'd better be big enough. We're buyin' a bed tomorrow."
She laughed as she followed him into the room and shut the door behind them.
Minerva returned with the chocobos mid-morning, looking vaguely tired, though it may have been her melancholia. Aeris bid her and Reno wait just a moment while she went back up to get some things from her room--the diary she had kept hidden under the bed, her brush from the nightstand, and a slender children's book she had kept in a drawer. To be sure, it was a fairy tail for little girls, but ever since Elmyra had first read it to her, she had kept it close, reading it every now and then, even when she had grown older.
A misunderstood peasant girl, locked away in a dungeon for no reason but her abnormality. A young guard, yet unmarred by battle, who stood by her cell day after day, talked to her, and learned to love her. One day, he stepped into the cell and confessed his love, and she sprouted a pair of glorious wings. He bid her fly far away, but she took his hand and carried him with her.
A fairy tail. A book for little girls.
But Aeris loved it all the same. She tucked it away in her bag and hurried back downstairs, embracing Elmyra again at the door. "I'll come visit longer when Sephiroth comes back," she promised. "I'll introduce the two of you."
Her mother nodded, though the thought of her daughter being in love with Sephiroth still visibly unsettled her. "All right, dear. Take care." She cast a glance at Reno and lowered her voice to add, "And watch out for him. He'll be trouble."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Reno," Aeris assured her. "He and Minerva are practically inseparable. He's only like this now because she's having trouble dealing with her brother's death..."
Looking out, she saw that her friends stood ready. "Well, Mom," she said, "it's time we were off. I'll see you later."
"Goodbye, dear."
Giving her foster mother a short wave, Aeris went to join her friends, climbing up on one of the chocobos, on which Minerva had laid Sephiroth's body. Reno and Minerva rode the other bird, the girl looking somewhat uncomfortable with the closeness and the redhead just a little too pleased.
From there they travelled north, not stopping until they reached the Sleeping Forest, where they dismounted and drew the chocobos along behind them. Aeris led the way, and the trees seemed to come alive for her, though she had no music to wake them and night was falling uncannily fast.
She paused at the crest of the slope just outside the Forest and looked down upon the City of the Ancients. A huge, stone-roofed building marked its center, and a path led out from it, branching into many others that led to homes shaped like conch shells, walls cracked and worn thin by wind and water. In some places, white structures spiraled upward only to end at nothing, looking like the bones of some great creature bleached white by the sun.
The City itself lay on a wide, flat island in the center of a lake that looked as though its surface had never been anything but ice. All around were grave and stony cliff-faces. At irregular intervals the wind would pick up and howl through this valley, lamenting its loneliness.
Before them a path stretched downward into the City, a line of pale stone discs that reminded her of a twisting spine. Aeris descended slowly, pausing when she reached the split in the path. Straight ahead was the lake where Cloud had placed her and from which Sephiroth had pulled her. She remembered how unnerved and frightened she had been to wake and look into those blue-green eyes, and she wondered how that could have been, for now she longed to feel that same gaze upon her.
By the lake's shore was the lonely shell house adorned with a bony crown. Inside that lay the crystalline staircase leading down, down, down into that place suspended in nothingness, the place where the altar sat, the place where Sephiroth had killed her. She felt faintly thankful that he had stabbed her from behind; she did not want to know how his eyes had looked as he had killed her.
"You okay?"
She shook herself and glanced at Reno. "Yes, I'm all right. I just... have some very strong memories of this place."
"You're sure this is where you want to stay?" he asked.
"Yes. This is the only place I really belong. My deathbed and the place of my rebirth..." She shook her head and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. Let's go."
Aeris turned down the right fork, finding the house that seemed in the best shape, with no holes in its curved walls. Stepping inside, she climbed the ladder to the upper floor where three beds occupied a small room. People must have stayed here since the time of the Ancients. Researchers, perhaps, before Shinra's time.
She passed her hand by one of the blue globes adorning the walls, feeling a murmur of voices compressed in one instant. It was enough to tell her that the Cetra were in an uproar; perhaps Sephiroth truly had gone to the Promised Land.
Aeris flopped back onto the nearest bed, letting her bag fall from her fingers onto the floor. Minerva walked past to lay Sephiroth's body on the far bed and went to lean against a wall. Reno tugged at her arm, but when she only shook her head, he sat down on the remaining bed.
Aeris closed her eyes in a weariness that had little to do with bodily fatigue. It was cold in here, too, she thought. After a moment she realized that she had a blanket, and she roused herself enough to crawl beneath it before closing her eyes again.
Is watching you, the Planet clipped abruptly.
"Sephiroth?" she asked, more loudly and eagerly than she had intended. Both her friends looked her way.
Yes. Call out. Does not know can hear him.
She sensed its presence fading, and she called "Wait! I wanted to ask you something."
A hesitation. Ask.
"Yuffie said she wanted to help Sephiroth somehow..."
Not dead.
"I know, but shouldn't the living have some say in his fate?"
...will see what can do. Count on nothing, but know Yuffie not only friend who wants to help.
"Thank you, my friend."
Friend, the Planet murmured, as though testing out the word. It sent a smile, then left her.
"What was that all about?" Reno asked when she had been silent for a long moment.
Aeris started, having completely forgotten about her companions. "I was talking to the Planet," she explained absently, slipping back out of the bed. "I wonder..." Leaving them both quite confused, she went down the ladder and stepped outside.
"Sephiroth?" she called softly into the wind.
A hesitant reply. Aeris...?
She smiled broadly. "It's so good to hear your voice."
I'm sorry. If I had known, I would have said something sooner.
"That's all right. The Planet said you were watching me; are you in the Promised Land then?"
Yes. I met your mother; she said she would defend me.
Aeris nodded. "She told me she would. I wish I could, though."
I know.
"Try to defend yourself, too, all right? Knowing you, you'll have more to say against yourself than anyone else..."
I will do my best, he said, though there was doubt in his words.
"Just think of all you've done for me, especially in this past life. And... remember that I love you."
There was a long pause. It is... To hear you say that... I...
She smiled ruefully. "I wish I could have told you sooner."
That's all right.
"Do you know anything more about your trial?"
Not really. I've been watching you since Ifalna showed me how; it's obvious I'm not welcome here.
"I know the feeling," she said, stifling a yawn. She did not want to let go the comfort of his voice.
You should rest, he said hesitantly. You still haven't recovered from that battle, and you've been travelling all day.
Aeris sighed. "All right, but you had better be there to talk to when I wake."
I'll try.
"Good night, Sephiroth."
Good night, Aeris. Sweet dreams.
Ifalna remembered a time, not long ago, when her daughter had sat here and watched as her killer rose from the dead and wandered blindly into a blizzard, as he blinked in confusion at the children who fled his gaze, and even as he knelt by her still body to call her back to it. Now Sephiroth had taken her place, his chin in hands as he watched with the same rapt attention, a fond smile on his face that might have made even his delicate features look boyish had there not been pain to accompany it.
With a rueful smile she left him alone in the tree house, climbing down to lean against the trunk that held it. She was glad that Aeris could at least have his voice. It would make her burden easier to bear, both now, and if they decided against Sephiroth.
Unless, she considered, her smile fading, unless with the sentence he was expelled from the Promised Land.
Saerni came to join her, silent at first, guessing her friend's thoughts. "How is he?" she asked finally.
"He's watching her quite intently," Ifalna replied. "I doubt he'd even notice if I spoke to him."
"Just like Aeris was, yes? Only it wasn't him she was watching."
"He was dead most of those five years. When he returned, she watched him then."
"Which strikes me as rather odd."
"I would dismiss it as worry and curiosity if I didn't know Aeris. But she remembers what he was like as a boy. I think she was looking for some trace of that."
Saerni nodded sagely and said nothing.
Ifalna shook her head. "I don't know how he'll manage without her during the trial."
"He still despises himself; I've seen it." Saerni glanced at her appraisingly. "It will pose a great difficulty in defending him, if that is indeed what you intend to do."
"I do."
"My friend, you are taking on a very formidable task. Many of the others are already bent on making certain he does not live again. Those few who think otherwise fall silent in the face of their arguments. They will not stand up for him."
"But the Planet has chosen to exclude those who are not involved."
Saerni shook her head. "Narsa spoke to it and convinced it to let a few of us speak in the trial. He argued that we are involved because he is in our Promised Land now, and we should have some say in whether or not he stays."
Ifalna sighed. "How many, and who?"
"Three," Saerni answered. "Narsa is one of them. The other two have not yet been chosen."
"You should be one of them, my friend."
"I requested as much."
Ifalna nodded in satisfaction. "I want to have a word with Narsa. Will you keep watch here?"
"Of course," Saerni replied. "I'll make certain no one bothers him."
"Thank you." Ifalna straightened and walked off to find Narsa. She did not have to look far; it seemed he had been on his way to see her.
Narsa had been the last of his family to die at Jenova's hands. He had barely lived to reach his twenties, never fallen in love, never had children of his own. One would think he would feel grateful to Sephiroth for finally killing the parasite, but instead he held a deep anger against the swordsman. To him, helping Jenova was unforgivable, and killing her was not nearly enough to atone. His lack of consideration for how the Planet had benefited angered her, and it must have shown on her face.
"I suppose Saerni has told you that the Planet has given me a voice in the trial," he said. "You don't seem very pleased."
"Of course I don't," she nearly snapped. "Sephiroth doesn't need any more voices speaking against him. He'll have enough to deal with as it is."
Narsa scoffed. "I know you, Ifalna. Your voice alone will prove a strong defense, and you have your daughter to use as leverage."
"Leverage!" she exclaimed indignantly, but he went on before she could get in another word.
"Sephiroth has had enough lives, enough chances. We should let his will diffuse into the Lifestream. He has served his purpose; why grant him yet another life?"
"But he has done a thing greater than any of us," Ifalna said. "Surely that deserves some reward."
Narsa shook his head. "It was only recompense for his earlier deeds. Now that he has done something to atone, we can let him die without wont of a greater punishment."
"Death would be more punishment than he deserves, and completely unjust to Aeris."
"She was given life again. That should be enough to repay her for what she did."
"But we didn't give her that life!" Ifalna said sharply. "All we have ever done is take from her. She died for the Planet, separating her from everything she held dear, and we could offer her nothing in return but an empty existence here. And now, now you want to take the man she loves away from her? Hasn't she lost enough already?"
"This is not about your daughter, Ifalna," Narsa told her coldly. "This is about Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth is tied inextricably to Aeris. You cannot judge him without affecting her."
He raised an eyebrow. "What, you think we should try them both together? Consider both of their actions? That would surely earn him a life again, one he does not deserve."
"Why doesn't he deserve it?"
"After he killed so many, you have to ask that? What vexes me most is that we are debating his life, while no one even raises a question about the lives of his victims! Are they to remain dead, when so many of them died without reason, while he, with his undeniable guilt, is allowed a fourth life?"
"His fourth? I would not call it his fourth; he has never truly gotten a chance to live before."
Narsa frowned. "I lived for fewer years than he, and still I have never asked for another life."
"He has someone waiting for him, Narsa," she replied with a gentleness that surprised even her, "someone who deserves happiness more than any of us, and without him she cannot have it. Everyone dear to you was already here."
"Again you bring your daughter into it. Have you no better argument?"
"Why shouldn't I bring her into it?" she asked. "She is the one whom this will affect the most, and yet she is denied a voice. But even without her, he would still deserve another chance, to live for himself and not anyone else, be it Shinra, or Jenova, or even our Planet. Besides, if he lives again, you won't have to deal with him here; does that answer satisfy your selfishness?"
Narsa snorted. "If he lives again, Ifalna, then eventually he will die again, and where will he end up? Here. Because by then he'll have earned the Planet's favor, and everyone else's."
"Well, then I don't see what you're so angry about, Narsa. If he earns everyone's favor, then that includes yours, doesn't it?"
"Clever," he said flatly, "but I don't want to have anything to do with him."
"No one said you had to."
He made a fierce gesture in the direction of her house. "But everyone knows he's there. You can't ignore him."
Ifalna sighed in frustration, wondering if there was anyone he would listen to. "Then you'll just have to learn to like him," she told him, "because I've a feeling he'll be back here again, permanently. Anyway, will I have to deal with others like you? Who else among us gets a voice?"
"Saerni and Ishiri," Narsa answered with a frown. "Both helped defeat Jenova the first time, and both support Sephiroth. I think the Planet is biased."
Ifalna smiled amicably. "Well, of course it's biased. Sephiroth saved its life, and Aeris is its dearest friend."
"If he didn't have so many victims to speak against him, I'd think this was a one-sided argument."
"With stubborn people like you on the opposing side? Hardly."
Narsa smiled wryly. "Probably the closest thing to a compliment I'll get from you, Ifalna. At least you agree I can put up a good argument."
She nodded. "Yes, you can. But so can I." With that she turned away from Narsa, heading back to her home. She could feel his eyes on her back, penetrating and speculative, and she hoped that Sephiroth would be able to stand up to that accusing stare in addition to all the others.
She wished Aeris could be here; her daughter had always been better at understanding and helping people than she had. Ifalna had no doubt that Aeris and Aeris alone could have saved Sephiroth. But why had she had to fall in love with him as well? If he died, Aeris, too, would die. And despite her words, Ifalna wasn't sure how well she could defend the swordsman.
From the moment she entered the clothing shop, Minerva could feel the shopkeeper's curious gaze on her, but she did her best to ignore him and went swiftly about her task. The store was fairly small, most of its items folded neatly and stacked on shelves built into the walls, and only a few racks occupied the floor.
"Sure are underdressed," the man at the counter remarked.
"The cold does not bother me," she deadpanned.
"Then why're you lookin' for a jacket?"
"It's for a friend." She found a long black coat, trimmed in places with white and red, and pulled it out for closer scrutiny. It looked warm enough, she decided, wanting to escape this man's gaze as soon as she could.
"Twenty-three, huh?" he asked.
She froze for an instant before draping the coat over one arm and moving on, giving him no reply.
"I remember that was some kinda fad in Midgar some years back, getting number tattoos. That where you're from?"
"Yes." Minerva picked up a heavy jacket for Reno, then went on the look for suitable blankets.
"You look a little young, though, to've gotten one back then," the man went on speculatively.
She suppressed a sigh of annoyance and strode across to the other side of the shop to inspect the blankets folded there. She wondered if the man was bored; perhaps he did not get many customers. Then again, she supposed she looked rather odd, with her pale skin and paler hair, her scant clothing--considering the temperature--and her tattoo.
"I hear Sephiroth started the whole thing," the man went on. "Had a number 1 tattoo, apparently. Dunno quite how anyone found out about it, but maybe they just made it up..."
Minerva walked up to the counter and dropped her things down atop it. "How much?" she asked brusquely, pretending she had not heard a thing he had said.
The man stared at her for a moment, then turned to ring the items up. "Come to think of it, you look sorta like Sephiroth, too, if you don't mind my saying so... That'll be 1500 gil."
With a wry smile, she plunked down the coins, gathered her things, and left the shop. Hoping that a change in dress might make her blend in more, she pulled on the black coat before stuffing the other items into a bag. The warmth felt surprisingly good, but it was more important to her that she avoid further questions about her tattoo; that number was one of the few things that could make her self-conscious.
The second shop she visited was somewhat larger than the first, having several aisles and a number of other customers browsing them. A middle-aged woman leaned against the counter, drawing the shopkeeper's conversation. A girl who couldn't be any older than Minerva herself stopped to stare at her as she walked past. Minerva slowed, quirking an eyebrow.
"Okay, you're not an albino," the girl decided, looking her over with furrowed brows, "so what's with the white hair?"
"You are not an alien," Minerva replied coolly, "so what's with the brown hair?"
The girl stared at her, then laughed. "Okay, okay, so I'm not the politest person in the world. You new here?"
"Yes," she answered, eyeing the girl warily. She had hazel eyes behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses, and a floppy, narrow-brimmed hat pulled over her short dark hair. Her clothes were comfortable, practical, and earthy-toned. She looked harmless enough.
"Where'd you move in?" the girl continued, but she only shrugged. "Haven't got a place yet?"
Minerva shook her head. "I am only here for supplies."
She frowned in confusion, pushing up her glasses. "So... you're headed for Snow Village?" When this earned her another shrug, she sighed. "Well, you're forthcoming."
"Excuse me for not telling my life story to a complete stranger," Minerva said dryly, turning away.
The girl followed, a sheepish grin on her face. "Sorry, sorry. I'm just curious and trying to be friendly--without succeeding, I guess. Anyway, what's your name?"
She hesitated, but what harm could it do? "Minerva."
"That's a cool name. Better than Delphine anyway. That's mine."
"Delphine is an interesting name," the silver-haired girl responded tentatively.
"Interesting? I guess I should take that as a compliment."
Minerva shrugged absently, her mind more on what she was buying. She was glad she had paid a few visits to the inn at Cosmo Canyon; otherwise she would have had no idea what humans needed as far as food went.
"Where're you from anyway?" the girl wondered.
"I... grew up in Midgar, but we've come here from Cosmo Canyon."
"Cosmo Canyon, huh? We used to talk about going there, me and my best friend, but she up and left two weeks ago. Don't know where she's gone, but I really miss her."
Minerva frowned thoughtfully. "Your friend, what is her name?"
Delphine blinked. "Er, Katrina. Why do you ask?"
"I believe I have met her. She is a friend of my brother's, and she is staying in Cosmo Canyon. We haven't spoken, though, so I could not tell you more than that."
"Well, it's good to know she's okay. I'm kinda disappointed she didn't write me, though."
"These past two weeks have been... rather tumultuous."
"Really now?" the girl wondered, and when Minerva gave her no reply she asked more timidly, "So... do you mind my asking where you're headed?"
Minerva glanced at her. If people bothered--or, rather, dared--to enter the City, Aeris likely would not have chosen to go there. "My friends and I are staying in the City of the Ancients," she said finally.
Delphine blinked. "You're kidding, right?" When she shook her head, the girl went on incredulously, "You're staying in those old ruins? And you have to trek through the Sleeping Forest just to pick up supplies?"
"The Forest isn't very wide," Minerva pointed out.
"But people get lost in there. People die in there."
"I seem to be all right."
"Well... yeah..." Delphine faltered and frowned, searching for some reason for this anomaly.
In the pause, Minerva headed for the counter with the girl trailing after. She paid for her own items and exited the shop without waiting for her unwanted companion. Some moments later, though, Delphine trotted up to walk along beside her. Minerva wondered why she bothered; she had not thought her personality that appealing.
"So really, how'd you make it through?" the girl wanted to know. "Did one of your friends wake the Forest? They must know something pretty special, 'cause I've never seen anyone wake it."
The silver-haired girl shrugged. "The trees just seemed to like her."
"Weird. What made you guys decide to stay there of all places? It's so remote."
"Exactly."
Delphine blinked. She seemed to have just caught Minerva's desire for solitude and appeared uncertain whether or not to continue. "So... how long are you staying?" she asked finally.
"I am not sure."
"What are you doing there?"
"Living."
"Just living? Won't you get bored?"
Minerva looked at her in surprise. "Why should I be bored?"
The girl blinked. "Well, I mean... What is there to do there?"
"Explore," she answered simply. "Besides, I have my friends."
Curiosity entered Delphine's voice, overcoming her desire for concrete facts and things that made sense in her world inhabited by humans alone. "What's it like there?"
Minerva faltered, not sure what the girl wanted. "Colder than here, with a strong wind..."
"No, I mean, what's it look like?"
They had walked to the northernmost part of the town, where the Forest began, thick even at the edges as though to ward off any who might wish to enter. As though to keep humans away from the sacred and almost haunted ruins of the ancient city. Minerva paused at a wide gap between two trees that might once have been the start of a path and turned back to Delphine.
"It is... in the center of a lake of ice, and the ground is equally frozen. A large circular building stands at its center, and around it are smaller buildings Reno described as 'shell-like.' Everything is blue and grey and white, but somehow it seems as though something there is alive..." She fell silent, feeling that she had already said more than she had intended.
Delphine smiled, asking no more questions. "Sounds pretty," she said. "Wish I could see it."
The silver-haired girl felt something of her regret. "Perhaps you could visit," she suggested.
"Yeah, maybe."
She faltered. "Delphine--thank you."
The girl regarded her in a surprised confusion. "What for?"
"For caring," she replied. And for letting lie what I would rather not explain to a stranger. She turned and stepped into the Forest, the roots and sparse underbrush not slowing her fluid pace.
"See you, Minerva!" Delphine called after her.
Minerva surprised herself by raising a hand in farewell, though she did not look back.
She lay beneath the blanket, cold, so cold. She curled up tighter and felt someone lay another blanket on top of her. "Thanks, Seph," she murmured sleepily.
"Seph?"
Aeris's eyes snapped open, and she looked up to see Reno standing at her bedside, his expression torn between amusement and concern. "Oh... Reno... Sorry," she fumbled, memory returning in a painful flood. There was no way Sephiroth would be at her bedside.
"It's okay," he said, shrugging it off and sitting down beside her.
She sat up, clutching both blankets tightly around her. Gods, it was cold. "Where's Minerva?" she asked, looking around.
"She left for Bone village to pick up some supplies about an hour ago."
Aeris nodded hesitantly. "Are you sure she'll be all right on her own? I mean..."
Reno snorted. "Min's not clueless. Maybe she hasn't been in many stores before, but she'll figure it out."
She shook her head. "No, that's not what I--well, maybe a little, but I was more concerned about the Forest. But I suppose she'll be all right finding her way through it. I think it just doesn't like humans. She'll probably confuse it, but hopefully it'll remember she was with me."
The redhead regarded her curiously and then shook his head. "It's weird, this Sleeping Forest thing. I'm kinda glad I never had to deal with it before."
Aeris nodded and let her gaze wander the room. Inevitably it fell on the inert form of Sephiroth, and she stared for a moment before bowing her head and whispering, "Sephiroth?"
Good morning. His voice was a gentle caress in her mind. He sounded faintly amused.
She smiled. "Saw my little blunder earlier, did you?"
"Aeris?" Reno queried, obviously confused.
She looked up. "Oh, sorry... I suppose I should explain..."
Good luck.
"Thanks," she murmured. "Well, you see... Sephiroth is part Cetra himself. The Jenova in him is far stronger, but he can hear the other Cetra, and enter the Promised Land. I think... maybe with practice he could hear the Planet, but I'm not sure. Anyway, like the other Cetra, he can speak to me."
Reno stared at her as he tried to process this. "All right," he said slowly, "so he really is an Ancient after all? That's kinda... ironic."
"It is, isn't it?"
"I guess that's nice, though, being able to at least talk to him."
Aeris nodded.
"Does being part Cetra score him any points in the afterlife?"
She hesitated, waiting for an answer.
Perhaps a few see it as a good thing, but most of them are revolted and angry to discover it. They will probably condemn me doubly for being 'one of them' and still having it in me to act cruelly.
"No, not really," she sighed. Aside, she replied, "It's disgusting to hear that they place themselves so much higher than humans that they expect every one of their kind to behave purely."
You think so...?
"It's hypocritical," she declared, forgetting to lower her voice. "They claim to be pure, and yet in condemning you, they malign that so-called purity. Surely some of them are more understanding...?"
Well, there is your mother. She is far more accepting than she was when I first met her, probably on your account. Aside from her, I have seen few Cetra, but most of them dislike my presence here. Only one, Ifalna's friend, allowed me a chance to speak. She does not seem prejudiced against me, but nor does she seem terribly supportive.
"As long as she's keeping an open mind, that's good." She remembered she was not alone when Reno fidgeted, and she looked up at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Reno. I should go outside or something..."
"No, that's all right. I'll leave." He got up before she could argue and was already halfway to the ladder when he flashed her a grin. "Tell him I said hi."
Aeris watched him start down with a smile. "He can hear you, you know."
Reno paused. "Oh." Finding some imaginary point above him to wave at, he called cheerfully, "Hey, Seph! Be not dead soon, will ya?" Then, nodding as though he had heard some response, he disappeared into the lower level.
He is certainly a good choice if you want someone to cheer you up, Sephiroth remarked.
"Yeah, he is," she agreed.
...did you really mean what you said before, about me being able to hear the Planet someday?
Aeris nodded. "I think maybe you could. The Planet doesn't sound like anything you're used to hearing. It doesn't use words. So, to really hear and understand it, you have to teach your mind to translate its images and feelings into words. My mother taught me how when I was little, but you never learned."
So you think you could teach me how to listen?
"Yes, I think so," she said with a smile. "It would probably like that."
Sephiroth seemed perplexed. Why?
"So it can have another friend. It's lonely, with no other living planets nearby and me as the only living Cetra who hears it. I don't know how much the others interact with it, but it isn't enough."
...you are quite confident that I will live again, aren't you?
"Surely they couldn't be so cruel as to condemn you after you saved the Planet."
But I also nearly destroyed it.
She tugged the blankets closer about her body, wishing she could embrace him. "They should understand. Even Cloud couldn't keep hating you once I explained everything to him. You just have to be brave and tell them some of what you've told me."
But that is--
"Too personal?" she interrupted. "You don't have to let them see so deeply, but they need to know you have emotions. They need to know how lost you were. Otherwise..."
All right. I will try. But to bear even a little of my soul to wolves is... frightening.
"You shouldn't fear them. I know you; you're strong enough to bear anything they can say. It's more than I can do."
At first all she received in return was the impression of a frown, but after a moment passed, he murmured, I hope you are right.
Hearing voices down below, Aeris guessed that Minerva had returned. "I'm going to go say hello."
All right.
Reluctant to leave the warmth of the blankets, she kept one wrapped about her like a shawl and stood. "Talk all you want," she told Sephiroth. "Even if I don't reply."
He seemed surprised. What for?
"I just want to hear your voice."
...all right.
She went to the ladder and climbed down to join her friends.
"Hey, Aeris," Reno greeted, while Minerva only nodded silently.
"Hey," she replied. She noted the two full bags the girl carried and the black coat she wore. "I hope you have something for me," she said. "It's even colder than I remember it being."
"Actually, this is yours," Minerva said, removing the coat and handing it to Aeris. "I only wore it to reduce the number of strange looks I received."
The Cetra took it gratefully and pulled it on, letting the blanket fall from her shoulders. "Thanks."
The girl shrugged, seeming a little uncomfortable.
"Why don't you two come on up?" Aeris suggested. "Until we get an actual door, it'll always be colder down here."
Reno nodded in agreement. "Min may not care, but I'm startin' to freeze."
She herded him up the ladder, making certain he was above her this time, then followed him up, Minerva coming last. Reno sat down on his bed, leaning back on his hands, and Aeris straightened her own bed before sitting down upon it. Minerva remained standing near the wall.
"So how's Sephiroth doing in the afterlife?" the redhead asked.
"He's... all right," the Cetra replied, aware of how strange it seemed to talk about the well-being of a dead man. "A little nervous, though."
That is putting it lightly, the swordsman commented.
"Sephiroth gets nervous?" Reno asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Would you not be nervous, too, if you were to face all those you had killed so that they could decide your fate?" Minerva asked him.
"Yeah, I probably would," the redhead admitted.
"But he has the Planet on his side," Aeris said. "He should be fine."
The Planet? You mean to say the Planet will take part in the trial and speak for me?
"Of course, silly," she whispered. "It's just as involved as anyone, after all. And it told me it would do what it could for you."
That is comforting to know.
She looked back at Reno and Minerva. "Sorry," she said. "It really is hard to hold two conversations at once, especially when you can only hear my replies..."
"Can't you speak to him in your mind?" Minerva asked. The redhead glanced at her, surprised that she had taken this without question. Perhaps the swordsman had told her that he had Cetra in him.
"I don't think so," Aeris said, shaking her head. Can you hear me? she called experimentally, but no answer came.
"In any case," the girl went on, something in her tone indicating a kind of envy; did she wish she could hear Sephiroth, too? "Do you have a better idea of how long it will be until he returns?"
She shook her head. "We're not even sure when the trial will be."
Minerva sighed and slumped back against the wall.
Aeris decided to try to lighten the mood. "You two can't get married until he gets back, of course."
"Married?" the girl wondered, glancing uncertainly at Reno.
"Oh, I'm sure that's somewhere in your future. You've become practically inseparable."
Reno threw Minerva a wink and looked back at Aeris with a grin. "Actually, she's already said yes," he confided.
The Cetra smiled as Minerva blushed faintly. "Then congratulations to you both. But... I hope you wait. You've no idea what it's like to miss your best friend's wedding. Even if you're able to watch it, you can't laugh with them, or cry with them, or reassure them in those lulls in their joy, when they remember you and lament your absence."
She shook her head quickly. She hadn't meant to say so much. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling."
Was that what it was like for you, when Cloud married Tifa? Sephiroth asked carefully. You must have felt even worse, because it was not you he was marrying...
She wished she could reply.
"We don't mind," Reno assured her, and his grin quickly returned. "And we'll be sure not to get hitched until he's back."
Aeris managed a smile. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it."
I have never been to a wedding before, Sephiroth remarked thoughtfully.
"Well, you'll get to go to at least two," she told him in a murmur.
Two?
"We'll have one, too, someday, won't we?"
I hope so, Sephiroth said, though he sounded a little hesitant. I suppose I should consider myself lucky that I did not have to ask. I have heard proposing is a difficult task.
"Asking Sephiroth to marry you?" Reno asked in jest.
Aeris looked up. "I guess you could say that, though I'm not sure you can be engaged to the dead."
It is a rather strange concept, isn't it? And even stranger to see my own body there.
"I know what you mean," she replied, glancing towards it involuntarily. "I wish I could bring you back right now."
Reno and Minerva, sensing that she wanted only to talk to Sephiroth now, had taken their attention from her, and both now sat on the other bed, talking softly.
Even if the Planet would let you, the amount of energy it would drain from you would likely send you into a coma.
"How so?" she asked.
First there would be the matter of dragging my soul back all the way from the Promised Land, and then you would have to figure out how to heal my wounds before they killed me again, and give me enough energy to sustain myself...
Aeris nodded, sighing. "You're right. I suppose the Planet will be the one to revive you."
I suppose, Sephiroth agreed. I wish I could speak to this protector of mine.
"You may yet," she told him. "If the Planet can find a way to drag living humans into the Promised Land--which I think it's doing at this very moment, with some level of consciousness anyway--then it can find a way to communicate with you, and you can learn to understand it."
The living are judging me as well? he asked uncertainly.
"Don't worry. Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie--they'll help you. Hopefully I'll be allowed a word, too, but I've a feeling they think me too persuasive."
Of course, Aeris. If you were here, you could make them understand. You can do anything.
"I'm no goddess," she said sheepishly.
No, Sephiroth conceded. Just an angel.
She floated curled up in a black nothingness that seemed to pulse around her like the heartbeat of some great beast. She did not open her eyes; she knew there was nothing to see. She did not call out; she had never had a voice to speak with, and who would even care? They all hated her, all of them, everyone hated her...
And she was tired, so tired. This seemed like a nice place to rest, to sleep, even though it felt as though going to sleep would mean forever. If it did, she did not care. Was this what death was like? If she could just go to sleep, she wouldn't be lonely anymore. She wouldn't feel their hatred anymore, particularly his.
Not yet, almost-child, a voice that was not a voice told her gently.
Jenova tried to open her eyes, and found that she simply did not have any. She had only imagined having a body because she had never been without one. Not yet? she asked this stranger.
I want you to do something for me--for the only one you ever loved, really.
It couldn't possibly mean... Sephiroth? When has he ever needed me to help him?
Since always. But you took advantage of him. Should not have.
Who are you? Jenova wondered. The voice did not have the quality of a human's, nor a Cetra's, nor even her own kind's.
Most know me only as the Planet, came the reply, and she thought she detected a faint trace of amusement. It suits me just fine.
The Planet...? But how can I hear you? I am certainly no Cetra.
No. But I struggled with you for a long time before I brought you here. It is a non-space, just between the Lifestream and the Promised Land.
The Promised Land, that place which Sephiroth had always been searching for. Jenova had always thought it such nonsense, and it was strange to find it real, strange to be here in this... this 'non-space,' talking to the Planet. What do you expect of me, then?
He killed you, but you also killed him. I wanted to give him life again, but others did not agree. So many voices in tumult over his life... What I have decided to do--the Cetra are calling it a trial. He needs all the help he can get. I do not want to have to kill him. I do not want to leave my last child lonely. I know you hate her, but please...
You want me to speak for him? she asked, astonished by the request.
Yes, it said with something like a smile. I am letting all those involved have a word, if they wish it.
Even the Cet--even Aeris? Jenova asked. She would have frowned in displeasure had she had a mouth.
Yes, even she will have her say. It faltered. I do not understand 'jealousy,' but I know it is strong. I had hoped you were stronger; so far you have not shown it.
It felt like a challenge. It also felt... like a chance. Give me a voice, and I will speak.
Author's Notes
The only major change to this part is the order of the scenes, so let me just say that I absolutely love the conversation between Jenova and the Planet. It was inspired by a remark one of my reviewers made, and I'm glad I wrote it. It has to be one of my favorites, however short it is. Although I guess it also demonstrates how flexible the plot was even so late in the story. I really had only the vaguest idea of where I was headed. Needless to say, I don't recommend that way of writing; it makes for a big clean-up job.
Also, it's funny that sometimes when I look over stuff I've written, I can tell what I was reading at the time. For instance, when I was writing this, I was reading David Brin's Uplift books, some of which used sentient dolphins as main characters. Ergo the name Delphine. XP
Apologies for updating so late today. I nearly forgot it was Tuesday.