Rand0mSmil3z: I hope everyone had a wonderful week, and a happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US! Like SilverDoe mentioned, writing and editing this epilogue took waaaay longer than planned, but hopefully you all enjoy it anyway 😊💙

Silver_doe287: Thank you for joining us on this wild ride! The epilogue took longer to get up than expected, but here it is, as promised! We hope to get another fic, Christmas-related, out soon for this series. Thank you for your comments and favs/follows!

"...tinuing our report. The latest discoveries around the horrific acts of the Shinra company's late Professor Hojo have been unearthed, and former assistant and scientist Burke Horst has now been arrested for numerous crimes which include: conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to murder, and attempted homicide."

The serious-faced newscaster's voice scratched through the television screen to the quiet, mostly empty bar. As the last patron had already left, Tifa had already turned off the neon "open" sign and locked the door for the night, and was now dimming the lights. The once lively room seemed almost cozy in the muted light, yet the atmosphere remained tense and serious as the news station continued to play.

Cloud sat at the bar counter and watched, enthralled, as images of the Shinra Manor flashed across the screen. He dimly noted that Tifa slipped on the stool beside him as he watched a clip of Burke - the same caretaker that they had met just a week prior - being hauled away in handcuffs to face trial.

"I can't believe Burke was a bad guy," Tifa sighed as she procured a bottle of beer. Passing it to him, she grabbed another and murmured, "He seemed so nice and helpful…"

Cloud wasn't sure what to say in response, so he said nothing. He only continued to watch the screen as the news crews showed footage of the Shinra basement where Hojo had done all of his experiments. He could clearly see the table he had been strapped to, as well as the shattered glass cells that had trapped the rest of the team, and unconsciously reached up to pull his sweatshirt sleeves over his arms to hide his bandaged wrists. Eventually he had to turn away completely when the news anchor began describing the experiments in detail - he had a hard enough time sleeping as it was.

Tifa held a hand against her mouth. "Gods, how can they just go in there like that? Knowing what had happened there?"

Cloud took a long drink from his beer, and wrinkled his nose against the carbonation biting his tongue. "Don't know," he deadpanned.

He gripped his glass with a white-knuckled grip as he turned over the events of the previous week in his mind yet again. If they were pages of a book, they'd have been worn with use now; the pages would have been smudged with fingerprints, and there would be ink staining his hands. Yet the words remained crystal clear, each page as clean cut as the moment they were etched permanently in his mind, to the point where he could smell the rot and decay and taste the acridic fear on his tongue.

He hated that.

The television cut in and out for a few moments, what felt like a new normal occurrence if the past few days were any indication. He sighed in annoyance and got up to smack the side of the old box, but only succeeded in aggravating his slowly-healing palm. Biting back a curse, he sat back down, pressed a gentle finger against the wound, and willed the stitches to stay put. The last thing he needed was another visit to the hospital.

"You good?" Tifa asked, with worry creasing her brows.

Cloud sharply exhaled. "Yeah," he said. "It's nothing."

Tifa hummed and opened her mouth to say more, but then the back door suddenly chimed and Barret's loud voice boomed through the bar.

"We're in here!" Tifa called, and a few loud stomps later, there appeared Barret and his young daughter Marlene. Zack was quick to follow, whom Barret must have picked up from work.

"Do not say anything," Zack threatened, though the threat was dulled by a cheeky grin as he began loosening his tie and unbuttoning the suit coat. "I have to wear this, okay? Business formal attire only."

Cloud smirked. "Suits you," and hopped off the stool to serve up some drinks - Tifa deserved a break.

Zack's eyes widened as Cloud ducked behind the counter. "Was that a pun? Wait, Cloud, was that a pun? Was that a joke?"

Cloud only hummed and didn't bother replying.

As he grabbed a few drinks, Barret's daughter quickly climbed onto the stool he'd just vacated.

"Hey, Uncle Cloud!" she cried with a big grin and a wave. She was busy showing Tifa something on a sheet of paper, and Cloud offered her a quick wave before grabbing her a juice box. The young girl brandished her picture to Cloud - a couple cats and a bunch of stick figures in front of what looked like a crude rendering of Seventh Heaven - before taking the offered juice box.

"Look good," he said with an approving nod.

"Hey 'Uncle Cloud,' toss me a beer!" Zack called, now looking much more comfortable as he tossed his button-up shirt to the side. He had worn an entire outfit beneath his suit, and Cloud was impressed to see the casual sweats and a band t-shirt materialize from the nice business attire he had been wearing previously. He tossed a beer at Zack's request, and his roommate caught it one-handed with his bandaged fist. "Ah shit, that hurts," he grumbled but not losing his grin. Cloud held up his bandaged palm in solidarity.

As Cloud tossed Barret a beer as well, the back door's bell chimed again and more voices filled the bar. In walked the rest of the crew, led by a boisterous Yuffie with her usual camera slung around her neck and arms full of manilla envelopes. Behind her, Vincent had a cardboard box filled with candles and crystals. Aerith was behind her, face all smiles as she greeted the rest. Finally at the rear came a grumbling Cid, unlit cigarette between his teeth as he took in the view. "Isn't this pleasant," he muttered to himself.

"Looks like we're all here!" Tifa hopped off her stool and moved to stand next to Cid. "It's nice to see you guys again." Cid grumbled something Cloud didn't catch in reply.

Yuffie snapped a picture of Zack, whose arms were full of his business attire. "Ditto here," she said with a grin. "Despite that being the scariest experience of my life, the pictures I got out of last week single-handedly passed me with flying colors on my final!"

There was a chorus of exclamations from the group as Cloud brought out more drinks for the rest of the crew. Lids were twisted off, bottles clinked together, and Zack ruffled Yuffie's short hair while saying, "That's great, kiddo! Now let me delete that photo," and the younger woman ducked under his outstretched arm. Cloud chuckled and, having finished his beer and enjoying the pleasant buzz, went to grab a second. It was then that he caught Aerith pinning him down with a strange stare, one that made him… nervous.

"Do I even want to know?"

Aerith delicately flushed, almost guiltily, before she looked away. "...Probably not."

The other celebrations died down momentarily as the rest of the group stared between the two. "What's going on?" Zack asked as Yuffie snapped a pic, temporarily blinding Cloud. Then Vincent, who had just set down the candles he was arranging on one of the tables against the wall, approached and stared at him too, as if seeing him properly for the first time.

Cloud set his beer down as the attention made his face heat up, though he pointedly tried to ignore the warmth blooming across his cheekbones. "What the hell, guys?" he asked again, this time his voice coming out in a wavering tone as he nervously patted his hair, wondering if he looked funny. After last week, he didn't like this sort of attention on him. "Are you gonna keep staring or what?"

"Um, Cloud… do you, like… feel okay?" Aerith asked finally, her words soft and controlled, as if she were speaking to a child.

Cloud frowned. "Of course," he replied, crossing his arms across his chest. "Why?"

"Yeah, what's going on guys?" Barret chimed in as he stepped next to Marlene, as if sensing some kind of danger. Tifa wordlessly stepped around the bar to stand next to him as she too watched Aerith for answers.

Aerith pressed her lips together in thought. "Do you… feel cold?" she questioned then.

Cloud blinked. Cold? his mind echoed as he thought about the goosebumps under his hoodie sleeves that had been rather persistent lately. Then he realized with dawning horror: She's talking about ghosts.

"No," he said quickly, and Aerith bit her lip at his biting tone. "There's nothing here. Vincent and you, you guys… You guys cleansed the place, didn't you? So -"

"Let Aerith finish," Vincent interrupted. Cloud shot him a scathing look.

Aerith winced. "Well," she tentatively began, "I really don't know how to tell you this, but… there's a spirit attached to you."

"You've got a new friend," Vincent added in a deadpan.

Cloud's lips pinched together. "No way," he replied. "It's not possible."

"He's a powerful one, too," Aerith continued as if he hadn't spoken at all. "I recognize his energy." With that she pulled out a stool beside Tifa before glancing at Cloud with a smile; but no, she wasn't smiling at Cloud at all, but at the empty air beside him. Patting the seat, she continued, "Come sit down, and tell me about yourself."

Cloud shot the air beside him a worried glance, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "You're not… talking to me, are you?" he finally asked Aerith.

Vincent was the one to reply, "Nope." The corner of his lips twitched into a small, rare smirk. "Apparently, you brought back a spirit from the Shinra Manor."

"No fair!" Yuffie cried from beside Vincent. "I want a ghost friend! How come Cloud gets to have a ghost friend and I don't? He has like, the personality of a paper bag!"

Cloud glared at her. "Do not!"

"Do too! Tell him, Barret! Tell Cloud how boring he is!"

"Hell nah," Barret replied as he nursed his beer. "I ain't getting in the middle of this."

"But I will!" Zack's grin widened. "Hey Cloud, you're super bor -"

Cloud shifted his glare to Zack. "If you finish that sentence, I swear I will hide all of your protein powder."

Zack blanched. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would."

Zack made a face, as if weighing his options, before his expression eventually cleared. Turning to Yuffie, he said, "Sorry, but I can't betray my roommate."

Cloud was about to add more, but Aerith's faint laugh cut through his thoughts like the ragged edge of a knife as he remembered she was conversing with a ghost. "Well, he's not that attuned to spirits," she was saying as she twisted the cap off her drink, and it was very obvious that she was talking to herself… or to the spirit sitting on the empty stool across from here. "So, you'll have to be a bit patient with him, okay?"

She spoke as if talking to spirits was something she did every day, but if Cloud put some thought into it, this probably was something that did on the daily. The thought made him grimace.

"Well, you can't blame him for not noticing you… Oh?" There was a beat of silence as if something was replying, and then Aerith looked at him again with new eyes. "He says you've seen him before, that he helped you back in the manor during the..." Her voice pettered off. "Well… you know."

Cloud nearly flinched as Hojo's half living body snapped into cutting-edge focus in his mind's eye, and he did his best to shove the nauseating image away. It was immediately replaced by another memory, this one a wavering image of a spirit with long, silver hair; the same spirit that had pointed out the rusty pipe that he had used to cut his bindings, and who had also showed him where the hidden lever was so that they could all escape.

Recognition must have shown on his face, because Aerith's expression warmed into a smile. "His name is Sephiroth," she told him. "He also told me that he's met you before, back when you were really little." Her eyes flicked to the empty space before shifting back to him. "Apparently you had accidently locked yourself in the room outside the basement? And he helped free you, and also helped you get out by playing the piano."

"Really?" Tifa glanced at him, wide-eyed. "You never told me that…"

Cid scoffed. "So a ghost had to play a piano to free your sorry ass?"

But Cloud couldn't find it within himself to respond, he could only stare at Aerith in shock wondering how the hell she knew all of that. His mind supplied the answer immediately, of course: A ghost was telling her everything. Worse, it was all true. He remembered being trapped in that room. He remembered his heart fluttering so loudly that it roared in his ears, remembered strange whispers and horrible scratching noises and faint laughter behind the wall, and remembered how cold the door handle had felt when he had futilely banged against it.

But then he remembered how the door had suddenly swung open, as if all on its own, and then the faint, cheerful notes from a piano fluttering down the hall. He remembered how he had chased after the sound thinking that it was someone who had come looking for him, and after stumbling in the dark and nearly tumbling down the stairs, he had found the piano empty and cold. He had also found the front door slightly open though, and had run out into the night without ever looking back.

Cloud leaned heavily against the sink as the memory faded, and he had to prop his hands behind him to support his weight.

Lifting his head, he weakly asked, "Are you sure?" Aerith nodded, and then Tifa placed a gentle, warm hand on his shoulder as if to comfort it. Cloud appreciated the gesture, but he hardly felt it. He was far too consumed by the fact that his entire life had involved ghosts in some way or another. Sure, this was a part-time job, but this newfound knowledge seemed different somehow.

Zack, who had been listening intently, only brandished his beer. "Welcome to the team, Sephiroth the ghost!" he said loud enough to startle Cloud. "Don't be too hard on Cloud, the poor kid has been denying the paranormal as long as I've known him."

Cid huffed and spit out his cigarette, exchanging its presence at his lips for a long, extended dreg of his bottle. "This shit is getting too weird," he announced. "Let's get the show on the road already."

"Cid!" Barret glowered at him over Marlene's head. "Watch your language!"

Marlene didn't seem to notice though, as she had her keen eye on Cloud. She tilted her head in confusion. "Uncle Cloud has a new ghost friend?" she asked as she glanced up at her dad.

Barret shrugged and brought his arm around her, and his reply was utterly unenthusiastic as he said, "Guess so."

"So now what?" Zack asked. "Is Sephiroth here going to give a proper introduction? Or do we, like, need to introduce ourselves?"

Aerith glanced at the empty space, then after a pause and a giggle, said, "I think he would prefer to just observe for now. He doesn't seem like the, ah, 'talkative type'."

"All right," Yuffie declared as she rubbed her hands together in excitement and smiled mischievously at the group. "Are we ready to get this party started, then?"

"I wouldn't call it a party," Tifa said solemnly, although the barest smile warmed her features. "But... sure."

Zack jumped over to the jukebox and within a few moments, a loud, obnoxious tune began playing. Tifa removed her hand from Cloud's arm and, shooting him a quick, tentative smile, grabbed a fresh drink for herself before helping set out candles. Marlene hopped off her stool to go help, the sight of dancing flames attracting her like a moth. Barret cautiously followed, making sure she stayed far enough away from any fire while Vincent began shuffling through a deck of tarot cards he had brought for the occasion. That left Aerith, Cloud, and Sephiroth the ghost.

Outstanding.

"Well?" Aerith's voice snagged Cloud's attention, and when he turned towards her, there was a soft smile on her lips. "Do you want to talk to him?"

He was taken aback. As horrifying as the thought was… "I can… do that?" he asked slowly as he contemplated his answer.

"Of course!"

Cloud looked from her to the empty stool and back again. On one hand, the last thing he wanted to do was speak to a spirit - particularly one that knew him. But on the other hand, there was no way he could go back to ignoring that spirits existed in the first place, not after what happened back in the manor. Since this one decided to attach itself to him… well, might as well start demanding some answers.

"Fine," he said as he took the stool beside her. "What do I need to do?"

"This," Aerith simply replied, reaching across the table to tug his hand toward her. She placed hers on top so that they overlapped and were parallel to each other. Cloud watched, anxiety plaguing his nerves, as she closed her eyes and bowed her head. It took a few moments where Cloud's eyes darted to his friends all hanging out and setting up the little memorial, before he felt the heavy presence in his mind he'd assumed to be stress and trauma grow tenfold. His eyes darted back to Aerith again and then to the suddenly new presence sitting next to her.

Time didn't slow this time as Cloud stared at the man - no, the ghost - who had helped him the week before. The man stared impassively, green eyes glittering above an inhumanly pale face with thin lips. Silver hair flowed gently down his back and over the old, white hospital gown he wore. He was there, sure as day, right in front of him.

"Sephiroth," Cloud breathed.

The ghost gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "You are Cloud," a low voice, thin and almost like the breeze, replied.

Cloud swallowed thickly. "So? You gonna tell me why you've attached to me?" he asked quietly as he studied every move the ghost made.

This elicited a low, smooth chuckle from the other. "You were the only one to return," he said cryptically. "The only person who wanted to help. You would not be yet another victim."

The form in front of him flickered like the television had earlier, and then he was gone. Cloud felt the surprising sting of disappointment flow through his veins as the many, many questions he had died on his lips.

"Sorry," Aerith said sheepishly. "It takes a lot of energy to hold him there. If you stay bonded for awhile though, you should begin to be able to communicate better."

"If we stay bonded… excuse me?" Cloud croaked.

She shrugged and grinned, dropping his hand. He withdrew it quickly like he'd been stung, and the heavy presence returned to a dull throb in the back of his head.

"Hey Spikey, Vincent is going to do a tarot reading for Tifa!" Zack announced from across the room. "Get over here and bring your new friend!"

Aerith giggled and hopped off her stool to join the others. She shot a knowing wink at Cloud before leaving him alone with, Cloud assumed, the ghost of Sephiroth.

His brow furrowed. "Look," he murmured at the space where the other had just been moments earlier. "This is weird. Like, really weird. I don't know how to… do this. If you're going to hang around or whatever, just...give me a head's up before you go haunting my possessions, okay?"

He didn't know if he expected an answer from the being, and he didn't get one. The silence was something of a comfort though, and so Cloud wandered over to check out what everybody else was doing and did his damndest not to think about the fact that a spirit was attached to him like a leech.

Vincent's calm voice floating through the bar. "So how about we do just a basic three-card spread?" he told Tifa, who was sitting across from him at the table. Her back was rimrod straight, and her hands were clenched on her thighs. "Anything in particular you'd like to know?"

Tifa made a face. "Like… what?"

"Well, have you had any questions you've been asking yourself? Anything in particular you've been wondering?"

"Um…" Tifa's gaze darted around at the rest, landing on Cloud before flicking back to Vincent. "Not really, to be honest. Maybe someone else can go before me?"

Vincent began shuffling the cards while Tifa spoke. "No, it's fine," he replied. "I'll do the reading I usually do for myself, then. It's called the Find Balance tarot spread, and I've found that it's quite enlightening."

"Ooh, Vincent's going straight for the deep stuff," Zack said.

Cid shot him a dry look. "You hush now. This is some serious shit."

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," Yuffie teased.

"Well," Cid began with a stiff, awkward roll of his shoulders, "I'm just sayin', this ain't somethin' to make light of."

Cloud, who was standing off to the side, only pursed his lips and said nothing. He wasn't sure if he could handle anymore serious shit, as Cid so eloquently put it, for the night.

"Sure, that sounds good to me," Tifa replied, though she nervously bit her lip. "How should we start?"

Vincent laid his deck flat on the table between them. "First, place your hand on the deck and close your eyes."

Tifa did as instructed. "Like this?"

"Yes. And then imagine your body is made out of light - nod if you can see that in your mind's eye - and then imagine that light traveling into the deck. This will imbue the deck with your energy so that it reads your balance, and not mine."

"This for real?" Barret muttered beside Cloud.

"Don't ask me," Cloud replied under his breath. "Remember, we saw a half-dead animated zombie thing not too long ago and now I apparently have a ghost attached to me. I'm not exactly an expert of what's real at the moment."

Barret huffed, amused. "Right."

"Okay," Tifa said after a lengthy pause. Her eyes were still closed, and her hands remained flat on the deck. "Now what?"

"Now you can open your eyes," Vincent replied, "and we can begin."

He dealt out three cards between them and, setting aside the deck, began to speak.

"The first card represents what you are neglecting at the moment. The second symbolizes what you are too focused on, and lastly, the third dictates how you will find balance between the two." He flicked his ruby eyes up to Tifa. "Does that make sense?"

Tifa straightened even further in her chair. "Perfectly," she replied.

"Uh, should we stay for this?" Zack murmured to Cid.

Cid shot Zack a scathing look. "Didn't I tell you to hush?"

Vincent suddenly flipped the first card… and immediately his lips pitched into a frown. "Interesting," he murmured before glancing back at Tifa. "This is the Emperor card in the reversed position, which stands for rigorous, powerlessness, avoidance, and chaos. But going a little deeper than that, the Emperor is able to calm chaos and offer authoritarian guidance. He also represents leadership, protection, and providing."

"Well, Tifa is definitely the leader of our team," Zack chipped in.

"And-and-and the Shinra manor was definitely chaotic!" Yuffie quickly added. "I mean, it was madness!"

"And the entire time," Tifa murmured, almost too low to hear, "I felt powerless. I… I couldn't help anyone. I didn't really lead, protect, or provide. So why did this card..."

Vincent smiled, soft and small. "It sounds like you are neglecting your own worth, then. Because Tifa, as someone who was also in the Shinra manor, you were essential to all of our safe returns."

"You also saved your team by calling us," Barret added, his voice strangely loud in the quiet space..

Vincent's voice, by contrast, was gentle. "Of course, this card also calls into question the fact that you are avoiding something. Any idea what that could be?"

Tifa's brow pinched. "Well… nothing comes to mind immediately."

There was a pause, but then Vincent nodded as if this was to be expected. "Perhaps it will come to you later during our reading," he easily replied, and then flipped the second card. His expression then brightened. "Ah - the King of Cups."

"What does that mean?" Tifa asked, her tone worried.

Vincent hummed. "This card stands for balance, generosity, strength, and restraint. Considering that this card represents what you are too focussed on… well," he continued with almost a teasing smile, "what do you think that means?"

"Shouldn't you be the one figuring that out?" Zack commented.

Cid shot him a scathing look. "Didn't I tell ya tell shut up?"

"Well… I guess I have been trying to, well…" Tifa flushed, and after a pause, continued, "...seem… stronger than I really am, I guess."

"But you are strong?" Cloud said without thinking.

"I know, but like…" Tifa harshly sighed. "Like, I hate ghosts. I hate them, and yet I'm trying to lead you guys and I'm terrible at that -"

"You definitely aren't," Aerith cut in.

"I definitely am," Tifa corrected before sighing and letting it drop, "so I guess… yeah." She rubbed the back of her neck. "That's something that I've been really, uh, hyperfocusing on during missions, I guess."

"Fair enough," Vincent replied, and then flipped the third card.

His eyes widened, and then his expression warmed. "Interesting," he murmured. "The Well."

"Ooh, I like this one," Cid muttered.

"The Well is the birthplace of ideas, inspiration, and transformation, and it stands for nurturing, opportunity, nature, and creativity. In other news," Vincent continued, lifting his head until he met Tifa's gaze, "knowledge flows freely to those who seek it."

Tifa's brow furrowed as she looked over the cards. "Seeking knowledge, huh? And that's supposed to help me find balance?"

"Correct," Vincent replied. "Maybe it is time to return to the basics of ghost hunting; to find your inspiration, and remember why you went into this business despite your fear of ghosts… and why you want to lead a team despite your fear of ghosts, and I'm sure that the rest will come naturally."

Tifa blinked in surprise. "That… That actually helps, Vincent. Thanks." She smiled at him. "I appreciate it."

Vincent slowly nodded in response.

Yuffie bounded to the table. "And now do me next!" she shouted.

Zack feigned a wince. "What an unfortunate choice of words…"

Cloud slowly exhaled and removed himself from the conversation, choosing instead to sit at the bar and nurse his drink - albeit probably not alone, as Sephiroth the ghost was probably hovering watchfully nearby. A small part of him wanted to ask Vincent if he could do a reading on him - privately, of course - but a much larger, more vocal part of him screamed that it was a bad idea. His life had only gotten more complicated thanks to the supernatural, and he certainly didn't need to go out of his way to look for it in his downtime, thank you very much.

There was a faint clatter as a stool was pulled out next to his, and then Tifa was sliding in beside him. "Don't want a reading?" she asked.

The drink tasted bitter on his tongue. "Not really."

"Why not?"

There are some things that aren't worth knowing, Cloud nearly said, but caught himself. "Just don't think it would be useful for me," he replied.

"That's what I thought at first, but the reading surprised me." Tifa took a small sip of her own drink, and the dark liquid reflected the somber light in her carmine eyes. "Maybe… Maybe I do need to start from the beginning. I've just been so caught up in being a leader, in finding jobs and marks and better equipment, that maybe I've forgotten what my goal really was." She lifted her head, and her dark hair curtained her shoulders as she glanced at him. "Maybe it's time for a break."

Cloud shifted against the stool. "If that's what you think," he replied, but disappointment flickered across Tifa's expression and left him wondering if he had said the wrong thing. "I mean," he continued, fumbling now, "everyone needs a break every now and then. And you've been working harder than anyone, so…"

He let his voice trailed off when he noticed that Tifa was now smiling. It was a soft smile, a small smile, but a smile all the same. "Thanks, Cloud."

He nodded, relieved. "Sure."

"Hey!" Yuffie bounded over to them. Thin white candles were bundled in her arms, as well as a sizable collection of matches and a single cigarette lighter - undoubtedly swindled off of Cid. "We're starting."

Cloud arched an eyebrow. "Starting?" he prompted, but Tifa seemed to know exactly what Yuffie was talking about and slid off of her seat.

"We're going to have a small memorial service for the people that lost their lives at the manor," Tifa explained when Cloud, clearly confused, also slid off of his seat. "It just didn't seem right to not do anything, you know?"

Cloud's mood dimmed. "...Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense."

After Yuffie handed them some candles, they moved to join the rest of the team outside on the patio. Aerith and Vincent stood at the front with their candles, Aerith holding a piece of paper, and Cloud pointedly ignored the furrowed look she shot his direction as he stepped up to join them.

"Crazy, huh?" Zack said as he moved to stand beside Cloud. "To think that we could have easily become ghosts ourselves… Makes me jittery to think about," he admitted with a low laugh.

"Me too," Cloud replied, his voice just as low.

"I have to sleep with at least one light on now."

Cloud himself had bought a sizable nightlight the day after they had escaped the manor, but he wasn't going to bring it up. Instead he only nodded, his go-to nonverbal response, and turned his attention back to Barret and Cid. Barret was holding Marlene's hand, and his eyes seemed misty in the dim lighting.

All of a sudden, Aerith began to read off of the paper she held.

"Lynden Currant," she began. "Sharron Beasley. Roger Haines. Rebekka Haines. Caitlin Cambell…"

It took Cloud a moment, but with heavy realization he realized that what Aerith was reading was a list of names of everyone who had died at the Shinra Manor.

Everyone.

"... Irene Maddox. Jacob Whitworth. Theo Holmes. Stephanie Lam…"

Aerith continued to read, the list so long that she had to reposition her hands on the paper to continue, and each name weighed heavier and heavier within Cloud. It hurt. It was a physical ache within him, as if he had swallowed shattered glass, their sharp pieces serrating something deep inside. He inhaled a shuddering breath to calm himself.

"... Nora Durham. Grace Rossi. Brook Blackwell. Sephiroth Hojo…"

The air seemed to shift when Aerith spoke that last name, and for a brief second, time seemed to slow. A misty figure was standing beside her - Sephiroth, Cloud instinctively knew - and when his name was spoken, he turned back to Cloud and smiled. Time hung suspended between them, as if it were a fluttering bird caught in fine wire.

And then, without warning, time started again.

Vincent cleared his throat and began to speak. His voice was deep and rough, and yet his monotone was strangely calming as it drifted across the dirty road. "Know when to fight," he recited, "and when to seek peace. Let us know peace for as long as the moon shall rise, as long as the rivers shall flow, as long as the sun shall shine. Let us know peace."

"Walk in the light," Aerith added in a murmur, and then lit her candle. Vincent pressed their wicks together so that his would light as well, then helped light Barret's, and so on until a small flame too danced on Cloud's own candle. The world was stained orange, their shadows trembling in the wavering candlelight against the road below the porch. The darkness of night, briefly chased away by their dancing flames, seemed darker on the outskirts because of it.

Yet Cloud felt lighter. Breathing in, he felt like the air was fresh and welcoming after being submerged in water. A weight had been lifted off his chest and his lungs could expand. Given the startled expressions of those around him, they could breathe a bit easier as well.

Yuffie suddenly hissed behind him. "Are you serious?" she murmured. "You really want to see the ghosts again that badly, huh?"

"Oh, hush," Cid said in reply, and then exhaled his cigarette smoke as Cloud turned to see what the fuss was about. "I'm a grown ass adult."

"It's disrespectful," Yuffie added in a harsh whisper. "Chimney."

The lit end of Cig's cigarette flared red. "You kids are the worst," he grumbled, but with an exhale, he tossed the cigarette in his water glass. "I'm going to haunt your twig ass when I die."

"No you won't. One, of course you're gonna be dying earlier than me if you keep that up. And two, I'll hire Zack's ghost to guard me so you can't haunt me."

Cid glared at her. "Yeah? Well, I'll hire Vincent's ghost to nullify Zack's ghost, so there."

"Hell nah, my ghost can't be nullified," Zack piped up. Candlelight danced across his features, and somewhere behind him, both Tifa and Aerith giggled to themselves. "Besides, my ghost will team up with Cloud's ghost, and then we'll be unstoppable."

"My ghost will not associate with your ghost," Cloud replied, and he inwardly wondered if he'd lost his mind.

Tifa cleared her throat. "Anyway, guys… Thanks for all coming out tonight." Her figure was backlit in gold from the streetlights, and coupled with the small candle flickering in her hand, she looked something like a spirit herself. "I know that we had a tough time back in the manor, and I know that this small ceremony couldn't have been easy -"

"It was perfect, Tifa," Aerith cut in. Smiling at the dark-haired woman, she continued, "It really was. And I know for a fact that the spirits from the manor really appreciated it, too."

Vincent nodded his agreement, and Tifa's expression softened. "That's… really good to hear," she admitted. "Really good."

"So, what next?" Zack asked. The tips of his fingers had been dipped in wax, and he was holding his hand up so that they could dry. "When's our next call?"

Cid glanced at Tifa, and at her nod, turned to the group. "Well, considering the absolute shitshow the Shinra Manor turned out to be, Tifa and I discussed it a bit inside."

When? Cloud thought, but kept his thoughts to himself.

"We're thinking about going up north for the holidays," Tifa continued.

"Like, for a vacation?" Yuffie asked, starry-eyed in excitement.

Tifa grinned. "That's right."

"And no ghost hunting whatsoever?" Zack added. "Like, we're just going there to hang out, chill, build snowmen, or whatever?"

Tifa let out a laugh. "I think you guys deserve something like that, considering how hard you worked."

Barret loudly huffed. "Hell yeah we do!"

But Cloud remained suspicious. "Like, no ghost hunting?" he said, and his voice sounded unnaturally loud. "Like, at all?"

That didn't seem right, especially with this group. Like, whenever they got together - except for post-hunt parties, like now - they were always ghost hunting. To go on an entire vacation somewhere without bringing any of their gear… well, it just didn't sit right with him. It was like rearranging the stars in the sky, or having the sun rise from the west instead of the east. It was, simply put, wrong.

Tifa smiled. "That's right," she told him. "No ghost hunting at all."

Cloud opened his mouth to protest more, but then Zack's arm was draped over his shoulders. Cloud looked up to scowl at him. "Why are you trying to fight it?" Zack asked. "It's a vacation! It's a gift! Don't fight it, embrace it."

"Yeah, maybe a vacation is exactly what you need, Cloud," Yuffie added with a sharp grin. "Maybe you'll even be relaxed enough to finally dislodge that stick shoved up your -"

"Do you mind?" Cloud protested, even as Zack tilted his head back and laughed. "I'm perfectly relaxed, thank you very much."

"Cloud, you're about as relaxed as a werewolf at a dog show," Cid pointed out.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Cid spit on the ground. "It means that you ain't."

"Guys." Aerith had a hand on her hip, and was watching all of them with a disapproving expression. "Remember why we're here, which is to respect the spirits that had passed on and to move on from what had happened in the manor. You can argue about vacations another time."

"Where are we going, anyway?" Yuffie asked.

Tifa grinned. "The North Crater," she replied. "To the Icicle Inn."

Cloud was fairly certain that the Icicle Inn was supposed to be haunted - in fact, he would bet money on it and he was no gambler - but decided not to mention anything. If that's where Tifa decided to go, then he'd go along with it.

But that didn't mean that he wouldn't bring a camera or thermometer... just in case.

Fin