Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm just writing an epilogue. Did I spell that right?

Doesn't matter. I have spell check!So this is it. Apparently I confused at least one person. I like the way I write. I'm sorry I confused you. If it helps, I'll tell you straight out right now. I killed Cloud and Tifa by an Aerith apparition. They're bleeding out and cold. And this is the epilogue. On to it then! Go!

Epilogue

The wood flew into a broken pew as Barret kicked it. Taking a deep breath, his face scrunched in disdain. "Every time we come here it looks worse. What's so great about this old church anyway?" Yuffie patted his thick arm, walking past him down the aisle. "Should the kids really be here?"

"They have to learn these things some time in their lives if you expect them to be like us," Vincent answered, already taking a seat in the front row. Yuffie looked back, nodding.

"No way. Marlene's never gonna have to fight. I'll always take care of her," He grunted. He turned to children. They stopped and waited. "Just- just stay back here for a minute okay? I don't want you two gettin' traumatized or nothin'." Marlene nodded vigorously, already finding something else to look at. Barret quicken his pace, catching up with the others. His steps became slower as he approached the scene. Yuffie was bent over Tifa, curiously feeling the coldness of her body. She grabbed Cloud's face in her small hands and squinted her eyes.

"It's so gross. They've been dead for a while now. They're cold."

Vincent called out, "It hasn't been that long. An hour maybe." The predawn light filtered in through broken stain glass. Tifa hadn't picked up any of the phone calls Yuffie and Barret had sent. Vincent found them in Tifa's bar and relayed what had happened to them. He hadn't answered Yuffie's question of how he knew they were still there. "Barret, pull the pole out of Cloud before the children see." He gestured to the back. Barret looked over his shoulder at Marlene and Denzel slowly making their way to the front of the building, watching the dust clouds they made.

He nodded, stepping up to the bodies. He enveloped Cloud's thin shoulder in his palm and Yuffie put her hand on his. "Don't move them from where they are. It's very important."

"What?" Yuffie glared at him and he sighed. "Fine." Replacing his hand on Cloud's head, Barret gripped the caked metal. "This is nasty," he complained, slowly prying the rod out. The end stuck in Cloud's throat. Barret's eyes wandered away from his friend's body as he put a little more muscle into it. It ripped out, making a subtle pucking noise. He grimaced. "We do have the stuff right?" He looked up at Yuffie.

She smiled down at him. "Back away and leave it to me!" Barret took a seat across the aisle from Vincent, motioning for the kids to come join him. They rushed forward with smiles. As they drew closer their happy expressions melted away, the image of Cloud and Tifa's motionless bodies becoming clearer.

Marlene looked up at Barret, an upset pout on her face. "Why did you bring us here? You said we were going to see Cloud and Tifa!" Barret opened his mouth. "What happened? Why would you show this to us!"

Barret's mouth gaped like a fish as he searched for words. "Marlene it's uh..It's important.."

"Marlene," Yuffie called, coming to the children. "This is something you have to see now so you can understand life much better."

"But I do understand."

"You shouldn't have brought us here. Tifa would never do this," Denzel snapped out.

Barret yelled, "Hey you two! Get over here before I beat you up!"

"I could probably beat you up first!" Denzel retorted. "Cloud taught me how." Barret raised his brow. Denzel and Marlene rushed to his side, Denzel still mumbling about beating him up. The air grew still as they sat and waited. Marlene looked from Barret to Yuffie to Vincent. Denzel rubbed his eye. "Well?"

With a sweet smile, Yuffie whispered, "He's gonna be just like Cloud some day. Okay!" Her voice echoed in hall. She grinned. "Get ready to see something cool, kids." Denzel sat up a little straighter. "Here we go." She hop-skipped to the bodies, pulling a feather from her pocket. Waving it at the children, she dropped it between Tifa and Cloud. Yuffie took a step back.

After a second, Marlene asked, "What was that supposed to do? Is this some kind of weird funeral?"

"Just wait," Barret told her. She nodded, swinging her feet. Marlene looked down as her dress rippled. Her bangs whipped in front of her eyes, her body began to push forward. "Barret?" His meaty hand grabbed onto hers and Denzel's shoulder, keeping them from falling off. Yuffie ran for a pew. "What's happening!" she cried out. A burst of light surrounded the bodies on the floor, a fiery outline coming to life. With a loud piercing cry, the outline picked itself up, flapping wings and shaking itself out. Marlene clung to Barret's side. The thing cried out again, rapidly growing feathers across its nonexistent body. The thing made a short hop, going over Tifa and Cloud, before leaping off of the floor entirely, heading for wall across from it. "It's gonna-" She and Denzel slammed their hands over their ears as the creature hit the wall on the other side. Marlene looked up and gasped.

Denzel yelped, "Where'd it go?" Yuffie smiled again. "Hey! What happened!"

"This is the weirdest funeral I've ever heard of," Marlene whispered to Barret. He grinned, ruffling her hair.

"This isn't a funeral," Vincent said.

Yuffie laughed out, "It's a wake!"

Marlene looked at them. "I don't understand." Yuffie took a seat beside Vincent, crossing her legs and humming to herself. "Where did that thing come from? Barret, what happened?" Denzel hopped down from the pew and looked at the adults. Taking a step forward, he looked at them again as if to say, "Try and stop me." When they did nothing, he went to Tifa. "Denzel, don't," Marlene called. He glanced over his shoulder at Marlene and shrugged.

His hand brushed away her bangs and he looked at her. "Why did she die?" he whispered. His shoulders slumped, his body growing smaller as he thought. "Why does this always happen to me?" A tear hit Tifa's arm and he wiped it away. "They always leave me behind.."

"Oh Denzel..."

He looked at Tifa with wide eyes. Whipping his head around to Yuffie, he squeaked, "Did she just say that?" Marlene gripped Barret's shirt, staring in shock. Her tiny finger pointed to past Denzel. He turned slowly, his eyes widening all the while. His arms rose up in defense. They got half way up his torso when he fell on his back, Tifa's blood caked body on him. "What the hell! Get it off me! get it off! Zombie!" he screamed. "Don't eat me please!" He flailed his arms wildly.

"Ow. Ow! Okay stop!" Tifa laughed. "Hey! Denzel stop all ready! I'm not gonna eat you!" He stopped to look at her. She convulsed and rolled off of him.

"Momma?" Her body jerked again. Her hands hit the ground, holding her up as she wretched. "Oh my God she's dying again! Barret do something!" When no one stirred, he screamed, "She's dying!" Tifa hacked, black liquid spewing from her mouth. Chunks and gobs of the mess fell from her lips. "What's happening!"

"It's okay," Cloud croaked. "She's regenerating."

"Cloud's alive too?"

"Cloud!" Marlene called happily. His hand hovered above the ground in a pathetic attempt at a wave. "What do you mean she's regenerating?"

"When a person dies of something, such a sword or a bullet, under the right conditions, they can return to life by means of a phoenix down or a phoenix pinion. What you saw earlier came from the feather Yuffie dropped between them. It summoned a life giving phoenix to bring them back."

"That was a phoenix? I thought they weren't real."

Barret ruffled her hair again. She glared and straightened it again. "That's why we brought you here. You two'll start your training soon."

"The sooner you understand life and death, the sooner you start," Yuffie smiled. "You have to understand what you do when you take a life."

"I do though."

"But Denzel doesn't," Tifa called. She ran her hand over her mouth and looked over at Cloud. A hardened chunk of flesh and blood sat in front of his mouth, a pool of blacked blood draining from the corner of his lips. He sucked everything out everything left and spat it onto the chunk.

"That's disgusting," Marlene said quietly. Cloud sat up and coughed. "He's okay now right?" Cloud nodded. "So why is Tifa is still coughing up all that stuff?"

Between coughs, Tifa said, "I got hurt really bad and it's going to take longer to get all of it out of me. I'm almost done though." Marlene nodded. Denzel walked on his knees to Cloud. He examined Cloud's pale neck. With a smile, Cloud shooed him away before pulling off his boots. His body slid into the cold pool behind him and he waited.

"I think," Yuffie giggled, "it's time for us to go." She stood and came to Denzel. Pulling him up, she said, "We'll see you later, okay?" Denzel opened his mouth to speak and she put a hand over it. "We're going." Marlene and Barret started for the door, Vincent already on the steps outside. She hauled Denzel away.

With a final cough, Tifa looked over at Cloud. His hands floated palm up in the dark water. "Is it really you this time?" she asked. He nodded. "Good." Taking a deep breath, she slid into the water with him. Goosebumps ran over her skin and she smiled at Cloud. "I killed you."

"I killed you too," he whispered. Her hands met his and Cloud pulled her closer. He turned her around and pulled the ribbon and hair tie from her hair. Tifa shook out her dark hair and looked at the tips. Her eyebrows went down as she studied the light brown ends. "You'll have to dye it. I don't want you without the dark hair." Tifa exhaled, happy to hear Cloud's words again. She turned and hugged him tightly.

"Everything okay now?" she whispered.

"No." She pulled away from Cloud, her body hardening. He leaned forward, whispering in her ear, "We have to get you out of those clothes and then everything will be okay." She laughed as he grabbed her sides and pulled her close again. "I love Tifa remember?" Tifa nodded, feeling tears streak down her face. Cloud's hands slid under the cut in Tifa's dress, ripping it farther down. "And Tifa?" he whispered, undoing her ties and straps.

"Yeah?" she breathed.

"No more pink."

Oh and that's the absolute total and completely finished end! Take that you shalaaby! With your arms so silky clean. Lol I love the fish Master. So leave me one. I hope you liked the end. I was gonna go with something else but this seemed good. I think I'm gonna make a new one about Denzel and Marlene...eventually. Bye guys! Thanks for reading all of this and liking it! you did like it yeah? Ska-chan says goodbye to her first finished story and all of its fans.