33 Back Together Again
Another day gone.
Meteor closer to completion.
Regardless of what I was doing, there was this constant nervousness hanging around. Lying there against Cloud under a quilt, I wanted to let go and just stay in the moment of waking up to another day. But the fear stayed, occupying every other thought.
From the windows, I could see snow fluttering down, softening the world into complete silence.
"More snow," I commented groggily, seeing it from the window above the bookcase.
Cloud thought silently as his fingers swirled around my belly, tickling it. He then mentioned grimly, "Five days left."
I curled tighter into him, feeling the end was near. Were we actually going to stop Sephiroth? Or die?
I think deep down, Cloud was truly afraid we won't win. That's why he's been trying so hard. His talk of the future like it will easily happen, how he's helped me in the kitchen or the many times he wanted us to fall into bed like it will be our last. I, too, have been trying to savor every moment of our time together, appreciating even his grim reminders.
"When do we go back?" I asked, holding him tighter. I buried my face into his chest, lost in the dark.
Cloud's other hand stroked up and down my bare back, but it stopped, and then he swallowed.
"When Cid comes back for us," he replied weakly. He bowed his head, looking at my belly under his hand, his bangs hiding his eyes from me.
I watched him carefully, feeling restraint emit off him.
"And, when does that happen?" I pressed.
Cloud froze, eyes glued to his growing child under his hand like it helped him decide whether to give up to stay in this temporary life, or to keep fighting. His sigh told me it would be simpler to just let it all go, to enjoy these five days as our last, and accept the Planet's fate. With a slight turn of his head, that's when I saw it, the fighting spirit in his eyes. All pure without Mako to spoil the essence of his strength. Inside, Cloud had shifted, pushing aside his initial wish and replaced it with another.
"If Cid doesn't come for us in two more days, then we go to him. We will take the airship and fly it to the North Crater ourselves," he finally answered, firm. I couldn't tell if he just came up with that idea on the spot, or if that was the plan all along. I didn't ask.
"Sounds like a good plan," I commented, smiling tiredly at him. Cloud turned his head to look at me, fresh morning sparkle in his eye.
"You aren't scared?"
I yawned, clearly still tired after being up most of the night. Upon waking up, Cloud appeared gentle in the leaking morning light, a contrast to what he was like only a few hours earlier. My head fell back on the pillow, groaning with aches across my body.
"No. I would only be scared if we didn't try," I replied, and did a little stretch of my arms over my head.
Cloud slumped on the pillow as well, his head leaned next to mine, and we both looked at the ceiling with an unexpected peacefulness. For a minute, the anxiety melted like snow.
"You make a good point," he sighed.
We stayed like that for a long time, lost in our thoughts, sometimes sharing them with each other, other times, lost in the time that made one believe it should be spent doing extraordinary things. To me, this was extraordinary. We didn't have to explore the wonders of the world, take a roller coaster at Gold Saucer, nor write letters to those with words we were too afraid to speak out loud. The long adventuring, the loss of friends, the chaos that Sephiroth planted, Shinra's iron fist, and my jump in between worlds brought in what felt like an endless train ride going at full speed. Finally, our train slowed to a comfortable crawl, taking in the scenery after seeing it as nothing but a blur since the beginning.
One day of peace passed, and then another.
I had trouble sleeping the last night of our little world, disturbed by a dream. Quickly, I learned it wasn't a dream, but more like a visit as soon as I found myself in the familiar high walls of Cosmo Canyon. I stood atop of a rock and took in a hazy view of nothing in particular, a foggy sun hidden behind a sky of white. It was quiet, only the tiniest of sounds echoed, like my bare feet pushing back little red pebbles until they rolled away. No breeze nor chirp of a bird. It felt mystifying. I was in Cosmo Canyon, and yet not, maybe inside a different adaptation of it.
In red flannel pajamas, I wandered, bare feet slowly brushing across dry earth, and tensed whenever the fog neared.
My time has come.
A familiar voice came from behind. I gasped to it with a quick twirl, short hair smacking my cheek, and looked into nothing but more fog beyond a few yards of red land. A tiny stream appeared, crawling its way towards my feet. Around its path, grass and small flowers bloomed, some wild, and others I've seen in Aerith's church.
A wrinkled bare foot emerged from the fog, and stepped around the stream, followed by a skirt of a long, violet cloak.
Strange. I understand now. The Lifestream, the Planet, the Ancients, even the Promise Land.
The fog faded, and emerged from it was a long, white beard, and then Bugenhagen's sparkling eyes. Standing strong without his crystal ball, he held his hands behind his back and smiled beautifully towards me.
"Bugen, you're..." I couldn't say it. Tiny pricks traveled up my spine, and the next thing I knew, I was sniffing and wiping up tears.
Dead. He's dead.
My eyes became prickly all of a sudden. I blinked rapidly at the white sky, anything to stop from crying.
The Elder chuckled warmly, his elegant robes shaking loosely.
Dead? Hohoho! It would seem, but I'm not gone. No. Just in another phase, child.
As soon as I dropped my head, a few tears came loose. Quickly, I wiped them away with the sleeve of my shirt.
"Don't leave. You're supposed to watch us save the world," I gasped.
Or watch us fail. In that case, he dodged a bullet. I hoped the Elder died in his sleep peacefully; a much better fate than to be crushed by molten rock and explosive heat.
Bugenhagen looked up, and his face softened like he saw something pleasant in the white sky.
Don't worry, I will still be watching. When I return to the Planet, I will do what I can to help you and your friends. Meanwhile, you need to stop living in your little fantasy life.
"I know," I sulked, agreeing. Our world, Cloud's and mine, was soon to be over. Enough dreaming and pretending.
I took a deep breath and sniffed up another tear.
"It was fun while it lasted, pretending," I gasped weakly. Bugenhagen dipped his narrow chin into his chest and closed his eyes.
You cannot solve anything if you pretend there isn't anything to solve. Time is running short.
He turned around, his bald head in view with that little white hair he had up in a grassy knot sticking up. He then faded into the fog.
Hoho! Please take care of Red for me.
I nodded endlessly to Bugenhagen's request, and choked, "Goodbye, Bugen."
He disappeared.
"Bugen, I'm so sorry," I whispered last second, and wondered if he heard it, but I was given only silence. The canyons soon swallowed into the fog of Bugenhagen's little heaven. They rolled in towards me with a gust of wind, and I fluttered my eyes to it, waking up from the dream.
...
Three days left, the snow coming and going. Cloud sat at the table fully clothed, his armor clipped on and sword beside him. Quiet, he tapped his fingers while his eyes held on to the wilting flowers in front of him. A few white petals laid limp near his drumming fingers.
I tossed my stuffed backpack next to his against the door, and took one last look at our little home. It was a temporary calm, but I felt a reset, ready for the heavy storm ahead. Many questions flooded my thoughts.
Will we come back here? Will I catch Cloud lost in thought at that same table again? Or have another night sleeping in his twin bed?
It felt unusual to be leaving, not yet digesting that we were about to make our way to the North Crater. My stomach tensed, and I gasped to its tight knot.
One deep breath later, I watched Cloud lose himself, his eyes still stuck to those dying flowers.
"Cloud?"
He blinked, back inside the loft.
"Are you ready?"
His fingers stopped. The fire cracked behind him, heating his back.
"Yeah," he muttered, and then he swallowed before pushing his chair back. He grabbed his sword and swung it in place between his shoulders. Its blade glimmered brightly in a mix of white glow quartz and orange.
Cloud gave one last spin of his home, taking it all in silently. I waited patiently to let him take his time, busying myself with adjusting my black wool dress, and slipped on my fuzzy boots. I was feeling fresh and ready for our journey ahead. Maybe Cloud will let me fly us to Rocket Town, but I doubt it, his air sickness always to win the argument.
After a few minutes, Cloud had enough of taking in every little detail of his home, our home, and took a well, deep breath.
"We'll be back," he declared gently, his eyes burning with persistence. He turned that look to me, and his gaze brightened.
"When this is all over, we'll come back here, and start our new life."
My cheeks burned.
"Cloud."
My heart skipped.
He walked towards me and took a hold of my hand until my fingers bled into his gauntlet.
"Let's go," he braved, ready.
We left the warmth of the house, and went out into the cold of the white world. Nibelheim became swallowed up by snow, the air crisp and refreshing. My boots sank into a foot of hard powder, crunching loudly as I imprinted a deep well in each step until I stopped beside the water tower.
My lips stung with cold, already dry, so I licked them as I exhaled a ghost up towards the cloudy sky.
"It will be faster to fly there," I clued in, but Cloud knew where I was going with this, and he shook his head immediately, holding his backpack by one strap over his armor-less shoulder. He didn't even have goosebumps go up his arms like I did when I was already feeling the cold slip through my wool as hundreds of tiny breaths.
"I don't favor you flying us through a blizzard," he argued, and his eyes caught the heavy fall of fat white flakes.
I crossed my arms.
"And hiking through Mt. Nibel in snowy conditions will be better?"
Cloud grunted lightly at my argument, and with a sharp turn of his head, looked at me seriously, but his eyes were still blue. I liked that he was careful when we argued, attempting to leave his Mako blood out of it.
"We've talked about this already. Through Mt. Nibel. I'll carry you if I have to," he murmured, stubborn.
"Okay, fine," I sighed, not looking forward to trekking through rough snow, monsters and possible avalanches. I crunched my way towards the steps while Cloud stayed still, his attention suddenly elsewhere. Why wasn't he moving? He perked as I muttered, "It may take us two days just to get there, and then what? One day to the crater? We sure are cutting it close, aren't we? Any small chance we'll be late for the Meteor party?"
I kept talking to myself, stuck on a roll, when my inner voice decided to leak out.
"We'll be floating in the Lifestream, and everyone will be asking, 'why didn't you all stop meteor?' And I'll be like, 'oh, it's because we were too late.' Can you imagine the embarrassment? Oh, and then our souls will get sucked into Sephiroth's...God-like body. Fun."
I looked through the clouds as I said all of that, looking for Meteor up there, but it was easily hidden by their thick grey blankets with a glaze of orange bellies from the lanterns. Briefly, there was no Meteor, just a light blizzard.
Cloud still stood in place and even told me to shush. I eyed him suspiciously. He looked up, but I wasn't certain if he was searching for meteor with me. Something clearly caught his attention.
"What's the matter?" I poked, paying more attention.
Cloud slightly spun, trying to pinpoint something he may have seen or heard.
"Do you hear that?"
I breathed steadily, and had a listen. Nothing but the heavy fall of flakes patting at mounds of snow, cushioning the town, to only heighten its quiet state. No echoes of anything to bounce over the soft cotton-like world, just more flakes dropping in tiny flaps. The world had to hold still to hear it, and I did so easily, millions of flaps scattered around Ninelheim.
"No, I don't hear anything," I shared, but searched the sky with Cloud anyway.
"What does it sound-
"Shh," Cloud pressed, a hand out. I held my breath, and made another attempt to listen again.
"I hear it. It's coming this way," Cloud hinted. He actually smiled.
I lifted a brow, not hearing anything.
"What is it? I can't hear it," I whispered. It felt ridiculous to whisper, but I trusted Cloud's intuition.
Winds picked up. Snow began to flurry sideways, up and down and in a chaos, like drunk white flies. Soon, Reeve's scarf began to wave roughly, my hair already in a light tangle.
Finally, I heard it.
It came through the sky like a flying beast. For a second, my panicked heart thought it to be another flying Weapon. Steel, blue lit engines and a familiar hot chick logo appeared behind the opening of clouds. Abruptly, a wave of gusts exploded over NIbelheim. Everything flurried away, the snow blown back until cobblestone and brick appeared underneath. The winds were so rough, I turned my head away with squinted eyes and lifted a hand, hair blown back violently.
Like a giant bull charged and skidded to a stop a few yards above us, the Highwind hovered, its massive propellers pushing more snow back. Nibelheim was covered in its shadow, while slowing stripped of snow. A door from the inn opened, and open-mouthed Martha and her husband stepped out to gaze at the remarkable visitor from the sky.
I dropped my hand, opened my eyes more, and gawked at the airship. Helplessly, I smiled and heaved something between a laugh and a sob.
Cid's voice bellowed from the airship's microphones like cheerful thunder.
"We're back, baby!"
Exciting heavy metal music began to boom through the speakers, and I couldn't be more happy.
My face tickled warmly with unexpected tears. I sniffed and rubbed them away, laughing and crying with garbles of words.
"Cid, you came back!" I cried, uncertain if he could hear me from down here through the blast of music that reminding me too much of AC/DC. It was the perfect time to play "Back In Black" and I began to play it in my head. I smiled wider. Cloud grinned up at the airship with hands on his hips.
I turned to him and asked, "You ready?"
Cloud closed his eyes with a light chuckle.
"Let's not keep him waiting."
...
I was too nervous to relax, walking with Cloud down the corridor towards the bridge. My hand stayed on my chest, and my heart pounded wildly against it.
"I'm so nervous," I gasped.
Cloud eyed me.
"Why?"
"Who will be here? Will be not be? You know?"
"Relax. I think you will not be disappointed."
"You think so?"
Cloud didn't reply, but he kept his smile. No matter how small, it was enough to brighten my day, a rare gift like a sky of nothing but sun in these rough times.
Metal doors slid open.
Suddenly...
"Aqua!" Someone screeched. Arms latched around me so tight, I could hardly breathe. I easily found the pale skin and black pixie haircut familiar.
"Yuffie! You're back!" I hugged her, and we squeezed the air out of each other with hisses of giggles. She smelt like pine forest, dry sake, and soap.
"Of course, dork. Why wouldn't I be? I want to kick some ass! Ugh, you should've seen the drama I had to suffer through while I was at home."
Yuffie pulled back and gave me an eye roll, already looking too exhausted to talk about her family dilemmas. She dragged her arms like they weighed more than her, and she lightly tapped Cloud's leg with her sneaker.
"Hey you!"
Cloud crossed his arms and twisted his mouth.
"Hey."
Back in her loose button shorts, padded shoulder and green top, Yuffie stood taller, and narrowed her eyes at Cloud.
"'Hey'? That's all I get? Seriously?!"
A low, grumbling laugh emerged, and large boots stomped in towards us.
"Be grateful Cid picked your ass up. We thought of leaving ya," Barret growled at her. Yuffie crossed her arms and pointed her flat butt at him.
"And let me go through another day of my dad shouting at my brother? No thanks, dude."
I glowed at Barret and jumped into his arms.
"Barret! You too!" I shouted.
There was a friendly hand on my shoulder.
"I wouldn't want to miss this fight for anything. To save the Planet, and Marlene," he warmed. He smelled fresh, his clothes no longer holding that old, musky earth smell. Elmyra has been taking care of him.
Cloud stopped beside Barret to hand him a friendly smirk.
"Good to see you."
Barret smirked at him.
"Likewise, man."
"Hey! I want a hug!" It sounded like Reeve.
I looked over Barret, and I spotted the ex-Shinra businessman beaming at me. His navy suit had been cleaned and ironed. A beard has been slowly growing in, trimmed and professional like in the older days.
"Reeve!" I jumped from Barret to him, and he exhaled as soon as he held me tight. I took a whiff of his cologne and sighed, "You smell nice."
Reeve choked.
"Uh, t-thanks!"
I squeezed around his waist.
"I miss your energy!" I squealed, my cheek pressing into his red tie.
Reeve rested his head over my shoulder when he sighed, relaxed.
"I'm so glad you're okay," he mentioned.
"Of course!" I pulled back to look into his warm brown eyes and asked, "What about your parents? Are they safe?"
Reeve's cheeks burned having being so close to me.
"Uh, yes! Yes! They're fine and settled in Kalm," he answered.
Barret closed in with, "Yeah. And he was able to hitch a ride with me. It worked out, didn't it, Cid?"
Cid marched in with hands on his hips, grumbling, "Yeah, yeah. Picking up all of your asses was a fucking pain. No more 'Cid, the Airbus driver'. It's crater, and that's it!"
There were giggles all around the room.
"What Cid really means is, he's happy to have all of us here again," chimed Tifa.
She emerged gently into the group, hands behind her back.
"Tifa!"
She accepted my hug with a giggle, her breasts pressed against mine.
"It's good to be back," she gushed, looking me up and down to see if I've changed at all since our last meeting. Her amber eyes darted pass me and found Cloud.
"So, how was Nibelheim, you two? It's not often you see it covered in snow," Tifa brought up.
I wonder if she knew about the actors, too.
Cloud walked closer.
He asked her warmly, "It's not so bad now that it's mostly empty. You think I can turn that town around?" He crossed his arms while thinking about it.
Tifa rubbed her cheek while lost in thought, eyes sparkling at the image of her old hometown full of life once again.
"Well, it's a tall order. You'll need help."
Cloud lifted a brow.
"Are you hinting you will offer a hand?"
Tifa nodded, hands relaxed at her side. It was good to see her back in her fighting gear, along with a letterman styled jacket with white leather sleeves and big letters on the back, "7H".
"Sure. But I won't stay. I got big plans in Costa Del Sol," she revealed. I thought she smelt like coconuts and tanning. Even her skin appeared darker, and Yuffie gave the woman the stank eye.
"I'm so jealous! I want a job when your bar opens," she whined.
"Yuffie, please. It's been less than a day, and already, you're giving me a headache," Vincent complained. His golden claw rubbed at his scalp, black hair tangled in between metal fingers.
"Vincent!" I hesitated to hug him. He saw that, and turned his head away, red eyes darting left and right.
"You can hug me if it pleases you," he sighed, and tucked his lips and nose deep into his red collar.
Cautiously, I hugged him, arms slipping under his cloak and the many layers of his leather belts and armor rubbed against me. He still smelt ancient, but I sank my face into his cloak anyway and sighed happily.
"I'm glad you're here," I whispered.
Gentle hands laid on my shoulders, stiff at first, but then Vincent warmed up and curled his arms around me.
"Someone has to look after you," he insisted.
"Hey, that's my job," Cloud chimed. His jawline tightened. Tifa punched him lightly in the arm.
"It's all of our jobs to look after her," she reminded him. Cloud turned his head away to fume in private.
"Whatever," he grumbled, his cheeks pink.
The last of our group brought up, "It's our job to look after each other. That's why we're all here, aren't we?" And Red pawed his way into the crowd calmly. A new ornament appeared in his bright orange mane, a beautiful arrangement of purple beads and stones holding a white quartz in the shape of a crescent moon. It dangled beautifully behind his ear like a long earring when he tilted his head up to smile at me and Cloud.
"Red."
I slipped away from Vincent to kneel to Red's level. Upon looking into his gentle yellow eyes, I pressed my lips together, uncertain whether to reach and give him a pat, a hug, or nothing.
"I..." my throat felt dry. I swallowed and tried again.
"I'm sorry about Bugen," I whispered. Red dipped his head slightly, and more ornaments dangled.
"He passed away in his sleep," he shared. "His last wish was for me to join you all and fight for the Planet." Red shook his head as though to banish dark, spiraling thoughts, and he returned his gaze to me.
"We stick together. Only as a team, we can save everyone. That's what he told me."
That advice sounded like something my mother told me in a dream.
I leaned forward to curl my arms around his fur, dry and soft. I could point out the hints of lavender and Bugenhagen's tobacco on him.
"And look at that. We're all here," I sighed, and closed my eyes for a moment to relax into Red.
Different conversations erupted all at once, but Cid stomped his foot down, and shouted, "Okay, okay, okay! We're all here! Happy reunion. Now, if ya'll don't mind, I'm gonna start this baby and get our asses to the crater before Meteor falls on us!"
Yuffie jumped up with her hands in the air.
"Yay! Finally!"
I missed her cheerful moods and Cid's impatience. My cheeks hurt from all the smiling, standing there at the bridge to gaze upon everyone like it was a little party. My heart boomed, lifting my chest warmly until I tingled. There was a little flutter of excitement in my belly, making me gasp softly. I laid a hand upon it until the fluttering stopped.
Cid climbed the ladder to his station, and jumped behind the wheel.
"Men, to your stations!" He screamed.
Orange vests darted to their posts, buttons pressed and shouts of status.
"Last stop, North Crater, ETA eight hours and twenty-five minutes."
"Fuel at 95%!"
"All systems green, Captain!"
Cloud clenched his hands over the rail, and the white of outside glowed upon him when he watched the snow fall. His hand smacked his mouth.
"Dear God, not again," he groaned, already anticipating another air sick episode.
I giggled quietly, watching his misery from afar, but he took notice, eying me sharply.
"You like me like this, don't you?" Cloud enquired.
"I admit, it's nice to see you look, well, normal."
"Normal?"
"Vulnerable. Not just a tough guy," I clarified, walking closer.
The airship shook under my boots when it came to life.
I look to the large window, and found the plains outside Nibelheim had transformed into an ocean of white.
Cloud looked at it all too, leaning on his steady arms.
"It wouldn't be fair to have you be the only one sick," he teased.
That's right.
It was now or never.
My stomach could feel it, the airship rising from the white fields. Its engines whirled, powering up.
Tifa stepped next to me to smile sadly at her old home. Her tanned face glowed in chocolate milk from the light of day.
"This may be...our last time seeing our old home," she fretted. I knew she was trying to hold her smile, but it broke, and she let out a sigh, afraid.
Nibelheim came into view as a tiny cluster of white rooftops and more white with spots of lamps and the dot of the water tower. Two tiny dots danced around the square of the water tower. I knew it was Martha and her husband waving at us.
Tifa took notice.
"Who are they?"
"Our neighbors," Cloud chuckled, like the word 'neighbors' tickled his insides.
I gripped the rail as Nibelheim shrank. Soon enough, sweat collected around my neck. I pulled back my turtleneck to let cool air in, and took a few deep breaths.
"Guys..."
I didn't intend my tone to convey trouble, but it seemed everyone was on full alert, giving me their attention. They all gathered loosely around the window, the air quiet except for the crying of the airship desperate to launch at full speed.
I ducked my head and took another deep breath. The only one who didn't seem tense was Cloud, like he knew what I was about to share. He watched me carefully, giving me full control.
My hands fiddled below my belly, palms clammy.
Half of the group already knew, so it wasn't going to be a total surprise. I pretended not to be affected by Tifa standing there so close to me, and shoved those insecure thoughts aside.
"There's something I want to share with all of you," I began, voice shaking.
"Some of you already know this accidentally, but it's time for me to tell all of you because this may be my last chance."
I stole a glance across the bridge at Vincent, and there was a sliver of a smile revealed over his collar.
I wasn't good at public speaking, always hated the attention. My face heated, probably red.
"This may come at a bad time..."
"Just get one with it!" Cid shouted from above.
I shrank to his voice as though it were about to crash down and slap me. A few chuckles broke out.
I stomped my foot down, hands clenched at my sides.
"Okay, okay!" I said quickly.
I sucked in another deep breath. And another. And another.
Despite a hand taking my shoulder gently, I was still startled, too on edge. I gasped, and whipped my head to find Cloud giving me a tender look in his eyes. His expression told me not to be afraid, a supporting shoulder to lean on if I needed it. Maybe that was all the push I required because the fear was suddenly gone, and I relaxed.
"We have to stop Sephiroth," I began, voice sounding a little weak. I turned to the group again, and swallowed down nervous energy.
"We have to stop Meteor." I repeated, and my voice grew.
"To save the Planet! I hope you all found your strong reasons during your vacation, but I wanted to share mine with all of you. My reason is this..."
Cloud's hand tightened on my shoulder.
"I want to be able to give birth to my child, and give it a future."
Yuffie's eyes grew, her mouth dropping low.
"Wait. What?"
Reeve stiffened.
Tifa couldn't stop blinking. From behind her legs, Red smiled at me.
"I'm pregnant," I breathed, and closed my eyes.
Cloud sucked in a breath and held it, preparing for the wave of shrieks and questions about to crash towards him.
"Hold on to something, ya'll," Cid warned, smiling wide at the drama unfolding below him.
When I opened my eyes again, there were a few startled faces in the group.
"What?!" Yuffie screeched, her hands squeezing her cheeks.
Tifa's eyes popped over me to expand even further at Cloud.
"Cloud, wow, that's..." She became speechless.
Reeve breathed fast and loosened his red tie.
"Are you serious?! Wait, wait! H-How long? And, and, who's the father?!"
Cloud smacked his hand over his face to hide his burst of rage. For a second, his sword flashed brightly behind him. As for me, I just blinked at Reeve when his question caught me surprised. Was he serious? I hid a fist behind me.
"Reeve!" Barret, Yuffie, Red, and Cid all growled at once.
The Highwind's engines hummed louder, until the entire vessel jerked North, causing most of us to stumble back with cries. Reeve fell on his rear with a yelp. Tifa stayed locked on the rail. I almost propelled forward, but thankfully, Cloud's quick reflexes snatched my arm to save me from more humiliation.
Vincent leaned against a wall, unaffected. Red stabilized on all four legs. Yuffie tripped over Reeve and turned into a human ball. Barret stumbled back a loud step.
From above, I heard cackling. Cid broke down, laughing until he rained us with his spit. He smacked his knee, eyes tight shut and wrinkled, and his other hand curled around his stomach.
"Oh man, that was brilliant! Great timing!"
The pilot was so pleased with himself, his victory dance consisted of taking out a cigarette from his pack, and lightning it. He deserved a good smoke.
As soon as the airship settled, many questions came at once, along with groping.
I lost track of Yuffie until I felt small hands grab at my breasts.
"They do feel bigger," Yuffie shared.
I slapped her hands down and spun around just to hiss at her, "Hey! Ask first!"
"Okay. Can I touch your breasts?"
"NO!"
Yuffie sucked her lips in and grilled silently. Her foot tapped impatiently over the curved glass window as she stood behind the rail, arms crossed. A mountain of clouds whirled behind her, along with scattered blue sky.
Tifa had so many questions in her eyes, she didn't know what to ask first, all of them trying to come out at once.
She looked at me and Cloud multiple times as her words jumbled.
"Wait, but when did this happen? Was it planned, I mean, how did you know, I mean, Cloud, aren't you unable to, wait, how long has this..." Tifa finally closed her mouth to swallow and reset, her gloved hands together under her breasts.
She looked at the floor, and a long, loose dark bang hugged her pale cheek. I was ready to put up with the bullets of her questions once they were sorted out, but she seemed to reconsider all of them. Her eyes softened as she thought more to herself, possibly changing her entire approach. After a minute of reflection, she actually smiled.
"Congratulations, you two," Tifa blessed, giving me and Cloud a real, genuine smile.
Yuffie observed, and jumped over the rail to explode.
"What?! Are you kidding me? This is the worst possible time!" The ninja cried. She jumped in a twist to glower up at Cloud, fists across her thighs.
"Fine. If Tifa won't say it, I will. You're an idiot! Why would you think of kids at a time like this?!"
"Yuffie," Vincent warned, his rattle of a voice able to reach from across the bridge. Patiently, he peeled off his spot and walked over.
Cloud crossed his arms and scoffed as he flicked his eyes away from Yuffie just before Mako exploded into them.
"What do you mean, why? It's not like-"
"Cloud, you don't have to explain," Red butted in. He politely bumped his furry head into Cloud's leg, and lifted a closed fang smile to him.
Eventually, there were too many discussions at once.
Vincent argued with Yuffie. Red, Tifa and Cloud carried a quiet conversation. Reeve kept fanning himself, while Barret tried to calm him down.
"Dude, chill the fuck out! This a natural part of life. You gonna be a daddy too...someday," Barret hesitated that last part, but Reeve was still in too much of shock to notice.
The nervous man gasped, "How long? How long?!" His hands reached my shoulders, his face white.
"Uh..." I didn't know how to answer that, or if I should. My eyes scanned the others, and found all their eyes waiting my reply, too curious to let that question just slide. Voices hushed to hear, but first, I swallowed.
"Shortly before my stay in Junon, while I was still in New York," I shook.
"WHAT?!" Reeve blew up, but only long enough to stumble back a few steps, and his body loosened into a cooked ramen noodle. Suddenly, his eyes rolled back, and he tumbled backwards like a fallen tower.
I reached as I shrieked, "Reeve!"
"Catch him!" Yuffie shouted.
Barret stepped in, laid out his arms, and Reeve fell into them with a flop.
After a few mutters and whispers, Cid beamed, eyes a sparkle at the high white clouds opening for his airship, and he mentioned aloud, "Barret, Vincent, I believe you two owe me some Gil!"
Vincent hid his face behind his golden claw when he pretended not to hear that.
"Ah man," Barret sighed while holding Reeve like a pillow over his shoulder.
"After I put this wimpy ass down, I'll get my wallet," The big man grumbled.
"You guys made a bet?" Tifa chimed in, and her eyes flashed like lava.
"Cloud, when did you make your move?" Yuffie shrieked, a fist up and ready to bump his like he was the type.
"Was it in Cosmo Canyon?" Red asked.
"Was it planned?" Tifa asked.
"Is it a boy or girl?! What are the names you picked out?! Where will you live?!" Yuffie kept firing questions like a machine gun, and Cloud just had enough.
He groaned in his hands and muttered, "I need a break."
There were some objections, mostly from Yuffie jumping up and down like a firecracker, but Cloud stormed away, Mako bursting from his shoulders as he put effort into holding his anger in.
"Cloud..." Tifa tried, encouraging him to stay, but he had none of it, shaking his head as he walked off.
"No. I'm done. Aqua, you handle this," he protested, and did a lame wave of his hand towards me. Flames of Mako flared off his fingers before he disappeared through the metal doors.
I crossed my arms and sighed.
"Yes, leave all the questions to me," I grumbled. I know Cloud gets easily overwhelmed with too many people around him, even if they are his friends. He wanted everyone to know about the pregnancy, but he wasn't prepared to face all the stimulation of reactions. He got too worked up, ready for battle instead of conversing, unless it was Reeve's dramatic question that was the nail on the coffin.
Who's the father?
Cloud got easily offended, but as for me, I was embarrassed. Did they all assume I slept with Rufus, and Isaac too? I couldn't wait for Reeve to wake up, just so I could punch him until he passed out again.
"Aqua, you should take a break, too. It's not fair to have Cloud put all of our discussion on you," Red reminded.
I smiled down at him, finding the morning sun glare through the glass to light his fur in a golden orange. Ornaments and clips around is mane sparkled.
"Thank you, Red. I don't mind. I'd prefer to sit down if there are still more questions," I shared.
"Good thing we have a long flight," Cid humored, happy to eavesdrop while sucking his cigarette like a happy baby with a bottle.
Everyone settled as soon as I picked a bean bag chair to face the window. Reeve was still out cold when Barret plopped him face down on a bean bag, his legs sticking out and shiny black loafers falling off his feet.
"Barret, can he breathe?" Tifa asked light-heatedly, her worried eyes on the fainted man.
Barret slumped on a dark green bean bag and waved his human hand at her.
"Sure. Let's go with that," he chuckled.
Red curled beside my boots, his flamed tail flapping joyously.
Yuffie couldn't sit still in her seat, her bean bag squeaking from its leather rubbing against her when she fidgeted back and forth.
It wasn't like Vincent, but he decided to sit cross-legged next to Red. I was tempted to touch his long, silky black hair and braid it.
"Vincent, could I play with your hair?" I blurted, fingers fluttering with anticipation.
Vincent sighed long and hard while Yuffie chirped, "Yes, yes, yes!"
Red turned his head and eyed Vincent with an amusing smile. Tifa giggled to herself, "That was random."
"There are probably spiders in there," Barret snickered.
Vincent jerked his head towards him.
"No, I don't have spiders in my fucking hair, Barret," the brooding man hissed.
He shook his head, long black hair tickling my legs.
"Fine. If it makes you feel better, Aqua. Find my friends, the spiders to tell them I said 'hi'" Vincent insisted dryly.
Now I hesitated, my eyes already searching for anything crawling in his hair before I bravely took a thick strand in my hands. I felt like a child again, hanging out with girls around my age, playing with each other's hair during sleepovers as we talked about boys, music, and family gossip.
Vincent's hair felt soft as I combed through it with my fingers. No critters so far.
"Okay, where do you all want to start? Shall we take turns?" I announced. Keeping my hands busy loosened my tight chest and belly. I worried my anxiety, the one that usually collects in my chest, was being felt by my fetus, hence why the tightness traveled there as well.
Yuffie was already raising her hands up.
"Me! Meee!"
Even though she had many, I made her only ask one question per a turn.
Her question was, "When did Cloud make his move?"
My cheeks burst into heat, and I shrank behind Vincent's head.
"That's not necessary," I gasped, already on that memory at Gold Saucer.
"Yuffie, that's a bit private," Red warned.
"I hate to admit it, but I'm curious, too," Tifa rang.
It wasn't so much Cloud made the move. I practically threw myself in his arms and asked him to take me to bed. I wanted to hide my face in my hands and didn't realize I was already doing it.
There were chuckles all around, along with discussion of guesses of when the day of conception occurred. I let them all bicker on it when I decided not to answer.
"Cloud can't..." Tifa swallowed, afraid to bring it up, but it may have been on everyone's mind, so she let it go. "Cloud can't reproduce, I thought. Mako poisoning makes it very difficult. How..." she wasn't certain what she was asking, which left to more arguments.
"Aqua's Ancient blood may be of an answer. Who knows," Red guessed after much debate from the others.
I shrugged, making loose braids in Vincent's hair. I hope he didn't notice. He seemed relaxed, leaning back to the touch until I thought his scalp tingled.
"We don't know how it happened," I revealed.
"How did you know?" Barret asked. I really looked at him, blinking back skepticism when his face held a stern look. Quickly, I remembered his earlier days, how he tried to have a child with his wife before the fire in Corel. We're they on high alert of the symptoms, a sure sign of a success? Maybe he doesn't know all the tell-tale signs. Did this world have pregnancy tests?
I decided to answer with, "I think, you just know."
This group talk went on for a long time, more questions I dodged, others, I answered.
"Did Cloud know where to put it?" Cid asked. I hid my red face behind Vincent again, and there were laughs.
"Do you know if it's a boy or girl?" Barret inquired.
"Can we do a baby shower after we save the Planet?" Yuffie threw out there.
"Girl, we can do whatever the hell we want after we save the Planet," Tifa sang, and they did a high-five.
There was groaning and muffling coming from a bean bag, and Reeve's limbs moved when he began to come back to life.
His voice muffled inside the chair of, "I camp breeve!"
He pushed his face back, and a sound of life-saving gulp of air filled his lungs.
"What happened?"
"You passed out, man," Barret replied.
Reeve trembled as he struggled to twist around and slump back in his wrinkled bean bag. He still looked pale, and his face had imprinted wrinkles from the bean bag, so it looked like he had scattered dents all up on his cheeks and forehead. His brown eyes found mine, and he took deep breaths.
"S-Sorry about that. I guess I was a bit surprised," he reported. With a shaky hand, Reeve pulled out a red handkerchief with a Shinra logo, and used it to wipe sweat off his brow.
"A BIT?!" Yuffie challenged, one large eye on him.
"Guys, I think Vincent fell asleep," Tifa interrupted. Her amber eyes sparkled at him, and the others chuckled with her. It's no wonder Vincent's head felt heavy against my knees.
I laughed in my throat and chatted, "I think he likes having his hair fiddled with."
Half of his long hair was in thick, loose braids. I couldn't wait until he wakes up. I held in more laughter, hiding it until the very end, when I knew everyone will get a kick out of it.
"It's just, I couldn't believe you went through all that in Junon while pregnant. Dealing with Rufus, the wedding, I mean, that must've been difficult. I wish..." Reeve dropped his eyes to his hands squeezing his handkerchief.
"I wish you could've told me."
My hands slipped away from Vincent's hair, and fell on my lap.
Barret raised his metal hand like this was elementary school, and wanted a turn.
Depressingly, he asked, "Why did you two hide it from us this long? Aren't we all...close?"
I felt all eyes on me when I looked down at my hands gripping my wool dress. I should've seen this question coming. They thought I didn't trust them, or worst, we weren't friends nor family.
"Why do you think? I was embarrassed. This wasn't supposed to happen," I gasped as my eyes tickled.
"The world could end. This is the worst timing possible," I worried, and a hard lump of guilt grew inside my throat. Swallowing failed to push it down, even multiple times.
"I was afraid you would all think...this was a huge mistake. And maybe it is," I confessed.
A soft, red paw tapped my thigh.
"Aqua, we don't think of it like that at all. This is great news. This gives us even more reason to save the Planet," he assured. I looked into his warm eyes, and sniffed back possible tears.
"Yeah! To see Cloud be a daddy?! I'd pay to see that!" Yuffie rang, fists pumped in the air.
"It does sound rather strange, doesn't it? Cloud a father," Tifa giggled. "I can't picture him holding a baby." She blushed at the thought.
"Marlene may have a playmate. She can be like the big sister," Barret chuckled, and his smile grew across his dark, shaven face.
"Cloud with a baby?" Reeve gasped, and slapped a hand to his cheek like it sounded absurd.
"He'd squish it!"
"Reeve!" I barked, along with Yuffie, Tifa and Barret.
"You just know what to say, don't ya, man?" Barret hissed.
Reeve lowered his head under a hand as though Barret will rain fire on him.
"Sorry. I'm nervous. I can't help it."
While everyone chatted, I sank back into deep thought, and fell into the times when Cloud was gentle. He's careful when he wants to be, like when his strong hand touches his growing child, fingers lightly dancing along the overstretched, hard skin of my stomach. His eyes aren't always hard and glowing for a fight. Maybe that's just what the others see. I almost forgot how grateful I was to see the sides of Cloud he was willing to show only to me, and my heart danced excitedly. I suddenly understood why Reeve was skeptical of Cloud being a father. He didn't know him like I did.
"He'll be a great father," I interrupted. Voices died down, and I continued.
"Family is the most important thing to Cloud," I clarified, recalling his declaration of starting his life over with his new family, and how he wanted to fix up Nibelheim.
"And that includes all of you as well. We're all his family," I ended, and looked at everyone smiling with agreement.
"You're gonna make me cry," Barret sniffed. He rubbed his finger under his eye to flick away a fake tear.
"And like family, we wouldn't let you two fight Sephiroth without us," Tifa perked. Her cupid shaped lips curved into a shy smile.
"To family," Red sighed.
"We need drinks," Tifa announced. She jumped out of her chair to leave the bridge and search for some liquor.
"Is that wise before the big fight?" Red groaned.
"I could use a drink," Reeve gurgled. He loosened his red tie until it slumped around his neck.
A few minutes later, Tifa came back with two tall bottles of clear liquid sloshing around inside. When she unscrewed a cap, I could easily smell the strong scent of coconut and pepper, and knew the drinks came from Costa Del Sol.
"Hey!" Cid snapped. His pointed finger was ready to summon a lightning spell on Tifa, but she only flashed her red eyes up at him.
"Lighten up, Cid! This could be our last flight!" She said it through her teeth so hard, the pilot actually stiffened and craned his wide eyes back to the large window without a word.
"No glasses?" Barret asked when Tifa handed him a bottle.
"Nope. We share. Indirect kissing," she joked.
Barret sucked his lower lip in.
"Okay guys! Say what it is you're fighting for, and take a drink for good luck! I'll go first," Tifa cheered. She tapped her chin, thinking, while her cheeks stayed pink.
Her eyes glowed when she thought of something, and pumped her bottle of booze in the air.
"To Family!"
She swigged the bottle back to take a mouthful, and tossed it easily to Yuffie. With quick reflex, the ninja caught it by its neck, and she grinned, teeth out and everything.
She jumped to her feet, bottle high in the air, and exclaimed, "Let's kick Sephiroth's hot ass so that we can stay together as a family!"
"Hot?" Tifa lifted a thin brow.
Yuffie took a massive gulp and passed the bottle to Reeve. He looked at the open top like it was her lips, and his cheeks became crimson.
"Uh, to bringing order back to the world. A government for the people to give them what they actually want!" He took a small sip.
"Do I have to stand? Okay, okay." Barret rose as he lifted his bottle abruptly. Liqueur sloshed around, and drops snuck down under his thick fingers.
"To my baby girl, Marlene. And to Aqua and Cloud's future!"
I blushed as I watched Barret tilt the bottle back, and he chugged. He let out a happy sigh and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.
"Vincent, wake your ass up," he nudged, and extended the bottle out to him.
Vincent's gloved hand snatched it quicker than I expected, for I jumped behind him.
"I was never asleep," he mentioned.
My hands let go of his hair, but luckily, he didn't stand up. He let the bottle rest on his leather leg as he said softly, "To family."
He took his shot and passed the bottle to Red, only to hesitate. Red lowered his ears when the tip of the bottle almost touched his black nose.
"Uh, yeah, I look ridiculous when I drink from a bottle, so I won't delight all of you with the image, If you don't mind," he muttered.
"You want a bowl?" Vincent asked. I couldn't tell whether he was joking or not, but Red didn't take it as an insult when he replied cooly, "No thank you."
His tail smacked the metal floor, and the creature straightened. He slammed a paw as he shouted, "To making my grandfather proud as he watches over us!"
"Yeah!" We all whooped.
"Hey, I want to join in on this," Cid interrupted. I didn't realize he had already slid down the ladder. He jumped next to Vincent and stole the bottle.
"To having a future with Shera so that I can have a family of my own some day. To us, and to Cloud holding a frikin baby. I gotta see it to believe it," the pilot shared. Giggles filled the air as he sucked in his share, the liquor almost gone.
I was surprised the bottle came to me, its glass slightly sticky in my hands when I grabbed it without thought.
"Oh, my turn?"
I stood up next to Vincent, and looked at everyone huddled in a loose circle. The bridge lit brightly by the sun's generous early morning rays, creating a celestial affect. The final battle could've been over, this airship flying us to heaven, and I wouldn't care. Everyone had a touch of white gold to them: Yuffie's big teeth smile. Half of Barret's face. The back of Tifa's dark hair to make it appear more chocolate color. Red's face until his tattoos and scars glimmered. Cid's tight white t-shirt shining when he stretched his arms up, his smile-holding-cigarette sparkling. Strands of Vincent's loose hair outlined by thin, gold threads. And half of Reeve's face touched the light, highlighting one of his eyes into a golden, hazel orb.
I let the sun glare in my eyes when I decided to step into its light, and instantly felt warm. Will it feel like this when it's all our turn to enter the Promise Land?
Despite this possibly being our last flight, our last casual gathering and exchanges of laughter, I smiled. Better to go out with a smile than tears.
I held the bottle of tropical booze in the air, and the liquid sparkled like clear quartz.
"To Aerith watching us, and to family!" I cheered.
I brought the bottle to my lips, ready to take a sip, but then hesitated. One sip wasn't going to hurt, and yet, I began to sweat. After all, it's for good luck.
Out of nowhere, a dark, leather gloved hand overlapped mine as it curved around the bottle, and it straightened my arm up after a pull towards the ceiling.
"To Aerith and family," Cloud echoed, and he volunteered to take a sip for the both of us. As he did, he shyly flashed his glistening blue eyes into mine.
I heated, his hair tickling my cheek, and the air filled with cheers. When did he come back?
"Good timing, Cloud. No one threatened you to return," Tifa smiled sweetly, and she winked at me. I smiled back.
Cloud quickly looked up to dodge her aggressive eyes.
"You can't threaten me," he mumbled, childlish.
"What was that?!" The female martial arts master sizzled through her teeth. Flames practically unfurled from her eyes as a death wish. I hid behind Cloud as he stiffened.
"Nothing," he gulped, anything to simmer Tifa back down to cooler temperatures.
He blinked at Vincent, the first to notice his hair, and held back a chuckle in his throat.
"Uh, Vincent. What happened to your hair?"
I hid further behind Cloud when bright red eyes glared over his shoulder at me. Every time Vincent zapped his head one way or another, tangles of loose braids hit his shoulders. The man boiled while running fingers through his hair to untangle it all.
"Never again!"
Everyone laughed.
Gods, I've missed this.
As everyone relaxed, there were a few in-depth discussion while others just relaxed. As for me, I neared the glass to study the view to the North. Either no one noticed it yet, or they didn't want to. I wish I didn't. Hiding under the sun as a tiny red shadow, Meteor floated straight ahead. We were flying towards its place of if or when it makes impact with the earth: The Crater.
Was it just a coincidence? Or did Sephiroth purposely hold Meteor at that spot for a reason? He may have had a plan on top of another plan, the man clever with his so-called alien mother around. Who knew it was intentional? I didn't, not yet.
The closer we were to the North Crater, the more Meteor grew, almost as big as this world's moon right on top of us. I hated that Cid flew us over the clouds, leaving the world's threat right in our sight instead of hidden.
Like she came from the beam of sun, Aerith stood next to me. Her hands settled behind her back, the glow of the morning sky bathing all of her front in a white gold. Her green eyes squinted up at Meteor, and then her lips lifted.
This is it.
I settled my shaky hands onto the rail, and sighed, "Yep. This is it."
There was silence between us, the air filled with voices and giggles as another bottle of tropical booze passed around. If only everyone could see her standing here with me. It was just our two silhouettes contrasting with the red and gold of the world behind the glass. It was quick, the moment between us, and the lovely background of laughter encouraged my smile to return.
"I miss you."
I miss you, too.
I turned, ready to make eye contact with her. One hand stayed to the rail, and my eyes opened wider, ready to sparkle, but they dimmed quickly. Nothing but a space close to me. I wasn't surprised.
"What are you looking at?"
Cloud's voice brushed over my shoulder until I felt his presence behind me. My eyes stayed at that empty spot, hoping that Aerith would return to show him that she was with us, but I knew that was just wishful thinking.
I spun to consider Cloud watching me carefully, his eyes green from the sunlight.
"Nothing. Just thinking," I replied lightly. Quietly, I gazed out at the sky growing more and more yellow and red, a hazy heated color that reminded me of forest fires that made the sun small and red, with sprinkles of ash and smoke touching everything.
Cloud looked out with me, and his face hardened. Whatever thoughts did that to him, he kept it to himself until I decided to pry.
"What are you thinking about?"
Even though I've asked Cloud that question plenty of times, it managed to still catch him off guard. He blinked as his hands settled on the rail, until his pinky brushed mine.
He cleared his throat and replied, "Nothing more than the usual, but I wonder…."
My pinky tapped over his, but he didn't smile, his eyebrows up with worry.
Cautious Mako eyes found mine.
"Aqua, I need you to do something for me, in case we fail."
I blinked, doubtful that regardless of what I could do, nothing could save me nor anyone from Meteor's wrath. How could Cloud ever find a loophole? What could I do for him in case we failed?
"What?" I choked, not certain where his head was at.
He pressed his lips together, possibly contemplating to tell me or not as his gaze settled with mine steadily to hold me hostage.
"If you find a way back to your world. Do it. Don't hesitate, even for a second."
I almost cracked a smile, but knew Cloud wasn't joking. He rarely did. His face became smooth with no room for cracks.
I shook my head and said heavily, "I appreciate your suggestion, but there isn't any way to go back. The portal is gone, remember?"
Cloud freed me from his intense stare when he lifted his eyes back to the reddish sky.
"I don't know. The crater feels like a special place. I bet all my money that if you unleashed all of your magic there, you would be able to get out of this."
He sounded certain, so I hid my doubtful smile behind a hand.
"I won't go anywhere. Not without all of you," I confirmed, and wanted to hear nothing more about Cloud's theory, but he wouldn't let it go just yet.
"You haven't been there," he reminded me. "It's full of energy, and unstable. That place just needs someone like you to channel it. You'll see."
I didn't deny Cloud's words, but only because I haven't been to the crater. He's seen it, not me. What do I know?
"Cloud! Cloud! Cloud!"
Yuffie zapped in and slammed her hands over his shoulders to push herself into the air and kick her sneakers together. Bits of pebbles scattered, and shoelaces smacked her ankles.
"Will there be a wedding?! You have to!" She cried happily.
Cloud hid his red face behind his gauntlet hand, while the other curled into a tight fist on the rail.
Tifa giggled as she walked slowly into our bubble.
"Either way, after we save the world, it calls for a huge celebration. A wedding may be a good excuse to party," she shared, her smile soft. Tifa must've grown up some since I've last seen her. Her eyes remained golden amber, her smile not broken nor forced. I felt no aura of disagreement nor resentment from the younger woman. She just seemed….peaceful.
While Cloud did his best not to launch his sword on Yuffie, I scooped Tifa's arm into mine. This caught her off guard, seeing her perk at me with wide eyes.
"What?"
"Nothing. I'm just glad you aren't pissed at me for once," I replied truthfully.
Tifa hid her laugh in a sigh, eyes closed. Her long diamond earring glinted in my eye when she shook her head
"I think it's a little late for me at this point," she said, and gave me a friendly wink. I squeezed her arm, its leather sleeve wrinkled in my grasp.
"I'm glad you came back," I sighed, and leaned into the shoulder of her jacket. Tifa rolled her eyes, but rested her head against mine. More coconut and tanning oil hit my nose.
"We're a family," she chuckled. "We have to stick together."
I squeezed tighter and closed my eyes. With a long inhale, I will never forget her smell of Costa Del Sol, nor the memories of us on the beach, once upon a time.