Chapter Twentytwo

Happiness and Sadness

All the Cetras of Himitsu Shi was sitting around Aireth's bed in the House of Healing. They watched lie there, with her eyes shut in peaceful sleep. Her chest had been healed by Hasegawa and the rest of the Cetra who saved her after her fight with Bahamut.

All they were waiting for now, was for Aireth to wake up.

"Cannot believe she actually challenged Bahamut the Dragon King all by herself." Murasame said awed. "She still felt guilty for what she'd done. She felt like she had to repay us, somehow."

Hasegawa said. "I wonder what she felt when she fought him. Do you think she thought she could ever win that fight? Do you think she felt like she was committing suicide when she flew up to him?" "Aireth knows the limits of her own abilities. She knows when she is up against someone she cannot defeat. But if she feels like the only way she can set something right is by facing that enemy, she'll do it without hesitating." "Aeris said, looking down at her best friends' sleeping face. "Aeris, you know her best of all of us. Will she be able to cope with something like this, feeding her kid without using her own milk? How'll she take it?" Aeris didn't say anything for a long while. She stood there, looking at Aireth. She opened her covers. It wasn't possible to see on the outside anymore that her boobs were ruined. Aerith raised her hand, and used her Magical Power to look at Aireth's internal organs at the breast-section. She was about to puke by the sight of it. She turned her gaze away, and stopped scanning. When she looked at the other Cetras in the room, her expression was that of someone who'd just got a terrible truth thrown straight in the face. "You cannot see anything unless you use your Magical Power to scan her body. She'll never be able to produce milk for her baby, not the way….A mother should be allowed." Aeris wiped her eyes at this. It was just too much for her. This pain was just too real. "Aireth will need all the emotional help we can give her. All we can do is……Be there for her, and hope that'll be enough."

"So in other words: all we can do is what the Cetra has always done? Murasame asked. Aeris nodded. He looked at her, feeling angry tears spread from his eyes. "Aireth……I love her" All the Cetras' heads were turned towards him at this. Everybody looked at him. He looked down at the sleeping Cetra on the bed. "I don't want something like this for her. No matter what she's done, no one deserves something like this." He clenched his fist in suppressed sadness. "I don't want to see her have to feed her own child that way. Even if….Even if….I won't be the father"

"How come you never told anyone you had feelings for her?" Masamune asked. "It's not like you ever told anyone you have feelings for Hasegawa, Masamune." He replied. There was sharpness in his voice no one had ever heard before, they could tell Murasame was really torn apart by this, so they didn't pursue the subject.

Aeris was standing out on the flower field with the red Materia in her hands. Bahamut flew above her in midair. She released her Magical Power. Pushing it to the limits, Aeris started destroying the Materia which had kept Bahamut from being a free dragon. The small red ball started breaking in her hands. She watched as she strained to break it, feeling how exhaustion from straining herself nearly overpowered her. It was amazing how much more tiring it felt to destroy a Summoning Materia than it was to bring down an entire mountain. Aeris started breathing heavily. Drops of sweat appearing at her forehead, and her face got red from blood pressure. Another crack appeared in the small red ball. Now her hands were shaking from the release of her Magical Power. Then it broke, smashing into bits in her hands. The sound it made was like listening to an explosion from a bomb. Aeris looked up at Bahamut the Dragon King. He looked down at her. She made the Seal of the Dragon with her hands. "There, that should do it. You're free now, Bahamut-Sama. You can go wherever you want. You're a free dragon again." "And I'll be forever grateful to it, Lady Aeris. Thanks to you and Lady Hasegawa, I now understand what the Cetra really are." He flew down to her, casting a gigantic shadow over her as he came closer. He landed on the ground, bent forward, and licked Aeris in the face with a long, red slimy tongue. Aeris had never felt anything like it before. It couldn't be compared at all to when Billy the monkey bounced on her endlessly, licking her face. Aeris undid the Seal of the Dragon with her hands, so Bahamut couldn't read her mind.

"That was one of the worst experiences I've ever had." Aeris thought, wiping her face. She watched as Bahamut the Dragon King flew away into the sky. She laughed out of happiness at watching him enjoying freedom for the first time in centuries.

Aeris went back to the House of Healing to visit Aireth. She'd picked a large bouquet of white, yellow, red and purple flowers for her before she'd left the flower field. She placed them in a vase at a table beside Aireth's bed. She looked at her peaceful face. "Aireth…..If only you wouldn't have to go through this." Aeris raised her right hand and laid it fondly against Aireth's cheek, and bent forwards. "We'll always be there for you, Aireth. Even in your sleep, we'll always be there. You're never alone." She whispered in Aireth's ear.

Aireth opened her eyes. She was lying in a soft, warm bed in a completely darkened room. She turned her head. Dimly, she could see the outlines of a large bouquet at a table beside her.

She tried to think back on the dream she'd had.

She remembered seeing Aeris' face, telling her that everything would be alright. She remembered running around in the flower field with Aeris, screaming and howling with happiness as she'd rolled around among all the flowers. "That was the best dream I've had in ages." She thought. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a door opening. She sat up in the bed and turned her head in the direction the sound came from in the dark room.

She saw a person with a candle in one hand entering the room and walking silently towards her. In the light of the candle, she could see Aeris' face. "Aeris!" She called out. Aeris nearly dropped the candle in surprise. She ran over to Aireth's bed, sat the candle at the table with the flowers, and flung her arms around her best friend in a tight embrace. "Aireth….Aireth…..You're back." She said silently through the sobs forcing their way up her throat. Aireth held her best friend tightly, crying silently. "I heard your voice in my dreams." She said after awhile, clinging unto Aeris' warm body. "You told me everything would be alright." Aeris nodded, sniffing from the sobs. "And when I woke up, I saw those flowers beside me.

Like a proof that what you told me was true" Aireth said through her sobs. "I picked those flowers for you yesterday. That's probably when you heard my voice. I whispered in your ear." Aeris said, still refusing to let go of Aireth. "That really helped me out, you know? We were running around in the flower field together!" Aireth said cheerfully. Aeris let out a chuckle of through the happy sobs. Her best friend was with her again.

The flower girls let go of each other. Suddenly, a shadow ran across Aeris' face. her smile faded, and she looked as if she was in terrible mental pain. "Aireth…..There's something you should know." She said. "What?" Aireth asked concerned with an anxious look on her face. "When Bahamut attacked you with his beams, and you fainted…..He destroyed your boobs." Aeris said, every word causing her pain. Aireth fell silent at this. "Does that mean….That when I am too have…..my own child….I won't be able to feed him with…..with my…..own milk?" She stammered, her clear green eyes begging for her to be wrong. Aeris nodded.

Aireth fell back on her pillow, her face screwed up. Tears poured from her eyes again, this time out of a terrible sadness. "Aeris….Help me." She sobbed. Aeris sat herself on the bed beside her best friend, and held her hands gently in her own.

She sat like that for a long time, caressing Aireth's trembling hands. Aireth sobbed, and now she didn't bother to sob silently. She screamed out her sorrow, her throat feeling as if it would tear apart at any moment. The sound filled the small round house, breaking the glass in the round windows. Aeris didn't let go of her tortured friend's hands. She did nothing to stop Aireth's screams. She knew it was necessary for her to get her feelings out. She knew she would've felt the same way if the same thing had happened to her. After awhile, Aireth's screaming stopped. She lied there on the bed, her eyes even sadder than when she returned to Himitsu Shi. "Aireth….I'm always there for you. Please don't bottle up your feelings for my sake."

Aeris said in a soothing voice. Aireth sat up and put her arms around her best friend again. "Aeris….Don't let go…" She begged in a trembling voice. "I won't, Aireth. I'll never let go." Aeris replied soothingly. "I….I never imagined anything like this would ever happen" Aireth said in the same trembling voice.

Aeris didn't know what to say to this. She just held her best friend tightly.

A few days later, Aireth was sitting alone in front of the temple with her feet in the water of the spring. She was wearing a pink nightgown with the letters "Sakana" written in Japanese letters across the back. It was in the middle of the night, and it seemed like the entire village was asleep. She watched her reflection in the clear water. It still looked sad. "Aireth?" She jumped, and turned around.

"Hi, Murasame" She replied. She didn't really know what to say.

"May I join you?" He asked. He looked as if he had something he really wanted to say to her. She nodded. He went over to Aireth and sat himself beside her, putting his bare feet in the spring.

"It's nice tonight." He said after awhile. They looked up at the sky. The stars and the moon were both glowing magnificently up there. "Yeah, the stars are back with us." Aireth said silently, gazing up at the sky. She looked over at Murasame again.

"You okay?" She asked suddenly. "Yeah, sure. I'm alright." He mumbled back. She didn't say anything, though she knew he was lying. "Actually….I….I wanted to…..talk to you about something." He mumbled after awhile. Aireth looked over at him, her face confused. "What did he mean?" She wondered.

Murasame took a deep breath before continuing, "When you were hit by one of Bahamut's beams…..I felt as if….as if I lost a part of myself. When I saw what happened to you, I thought you died. I saw and heard you screaming, and it felt as if my heart was being torn apart, as if I was in as much pain as you were. I was afraid then that I would never get another chance to tell you how I feel." Murasame looked sideways at Aireth, looking as if he didn't dare to meet her eye directly.

"Murasame, tell me what's troubling you. You know I'm here for you." Murasame finally looked Aireth directly into her eyes. He had a surprised look on his face. "I thought that….only Aeris could say that about you." He said after awhile.

Aireth looked at him, her clear green eyes showing something Murasame couldn't explain or describe. To him, her eyes were unreadable at the moment.

"That's not true. I'll always be there for all the Cetra, especially when they need me." Murasame nodded. "Tell me what's troubling you, please! I cannot stand it when I see you troubled like this!" Aireth said suddenly, sounding slightly desperate.

"She says that, and has those eyes. She wants to know what's "troubling me"; though she probably doesn't have a clue that it concerns her." Murasame thought, looking into her unreadable, green eyes. He took a deep breath.

"Aireth, I've been in love with you since you came into my life. Ever since we and the others were kids in Himitsu Shi, I've loved you. I love you so much I cannot live without you. You mean everything to me. If you died, I would just be half myself –"

He was interrupted by Aireth putting a finger on his lips.

She put her arms around his neck, and put her lips gently against his. She didn't overdo it. She did it rather carefully, in order to make sure he enjoyed it, especially the first time. "You don't need to say anymore. I understand how you feel." She said in a soothing voice.

"Aireth….I love you so much." He whispered. She kissed him again, holding the kiss longer this time. "Murasame….Please, don't hesitate." She whispered pleadingly, her green eyes full of longing. "She wants me" Murasame put his arms around her neck as well, and put his lips against hers. He heard moans escape her as he held the kiss. This made him jump, and he broke the kiss. "Did I…..get a little…..hasty?" He asked concerned.

"Murasame…..please, don't hesitate. I want you so much." Aireth whispered. He resumed the kissing, though still carefully.

Aireth fell on top of him, opened her nightgown a little, and lay on top of Murasame. "What do you want to do?" Murasame asked quietly. "I want to kiss you until you're satisfied and make love to you." "Why?" Aireth looked back at him, She had never felt so strongly for anyone before. "Because I love you"

He couldn't believe what he'd just heard Aireth say.

She couldn't have said it! She loved him! She'd actually told him that! "Do you have any idea how much that means to me?" He asked with her on top of him, lying on the ground beside the spring. Aireth kissed him, with tongue this time. His eyes widened in shock. He wasn't expecting this, but he didn't hesitate. He loved her too much. He wanted the happiness he felt when he felt her tongue make contact with his own. Murasame couldn't remember ever feeling such bliss before. It was happiness beyond anything he'd ever experienced. And it was with Aireth! She finally broke the kiss, and laid her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

He breathed in her sweet smell as she lay on top of him. "Aireth….I'll always love you" He whispered in her ear.

Suddenly, he heard small grunts come from her, and realized her body had gone all slack. She'd fallen asleep in his arms.

He felt how happiness was about to overwhelm him as he heard the cute noises come from her. And then, as he laid there listening to her cute snores, he realized that she could still be happy, even what happened to her. He closed his eyes, and fell asleep outside the Cetra temple. The happiest couple in Himitsu Shi.

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