Epilogue
Come Together
"Whoever may die before
A great job is left, and so much more
For the one who survives this battle we'll fight,
A single candle they must light.
In memory of the dearly fallen,
In memory of those who heard death calling."
Three Weeks Later
Yuffie scrubbed the last of the dirty dishes clean, before turning her attention back to the bar. She glanced up once at the clock on the wall. It read five til eight. She sighed, depressed. Ever since Tifa and Cloud's disappearance, (Yuffie refused to call it anything different) she had opted to move in to take care of Denzel and Marlene. Vincent, thinking her too irresponsible to keep up both a bar and watch two children, had moved in as well.
He was right.
In the first two weeks Yuffie managed to nearly burn down the bar when she left the stove on, nearly flood the house when she overloaded the washing machine, and managed to drive through the garage door.
As he watched the patrons converse lightly, his eyes turned towards the clock just as it struck eight o'clock. He shifted, his attention going to the stairs. Denzel and Marlene walked down slowly and moved towards the window by the door. The patrons went silent, their eyes following the children as they pulled over two chairs. They climbed up onto them, and stared out the window. Yuffie frowned, feeling tears prick her eyes. None of the patrons said a word, and silently watched the window with the two children. They had gotten used to this ritual, even though Yuffie tried to put a stop to it at first. She couldn't, however, deny the fact that she too watched the window every night. Vincent let his eyes roam, remembering why the two children did this, and how they affected the patrons into doing the same. He was told that every night Cloud got home between eight and nine, unless it was decided before hand, that he'd be later. If it was a sudden change, he would call the bar. Until then, the children would sit by the door watching the window and waiting for him. The patrons told him that once upon a time, it'd been a happy time, and they'd all laugh at the children as they entertained themselves while waiting for Cloud. Now, however, they sat in silence, their eyes intent on the outside world.
The patrons had grown use to the two new residents of the bar. While Yuffie stood behind the bar in Tifa's place, and while she was bright and optimistic, many of the patrons found her to loud and obnoxious to be a good fill in for Tifa; plus she wasn't a very good listener. They also noted the silent man in the corner. It reminded them of how Cloud would sit in the corner sometimes after returning to the bar, but they found him too silent to be a good substitute Cloud, that and the fact he was harshly blunt when he spoke. The patrons would sip their drinks every now and then, and sigh heavily, waiting for the day the two would return. Yuffie still protested that Cloud and Tifa were alive, since their bodies had not been found. The people of the bar gave her strong support as well as the children, even Barret and Cid tried to remain hopeful. But with each passing day, an unforgiving reality set into the peoples' heart, making it hard for Yuffie to protest when someone would say Cloud and Tifa were not coming back.
As these thoughts entered her mind, Yuffie blinked back tears once again as the time passed slowly as always.
That was when the phone rang.
Tifa flinched as she woke, and pressed the heel of her hand into her eye. She groaned softly, and sat up slowly, using her hand to brace herself. The strange part was how she felt as if she were sitting, but could feel nothing solid beneath her. She opened her eyes, the vast, white expanse before her, soft lilies tickling her legs. She traced a finger absently over a lily, and that was when she felt the sturdy presence against her back. A soft chortle broke the silence, then a small giggle.
"She really has Cloud's eyes, you know?"
Tifa gasped. "Who?"
She could feel Aerith smile, "Your daughter, silly."
Tifa swallowed, tears threatening to blur her vision, "What?" She breathed softly.
"She's adorable...you could see her, you know...and hold her. It's up to you." Aerith says nonchalantly.
The baby gives another chortle of delight, and Tifa imagines Aerith holding the child with one arm, and tickling her with the other.
"What about Cloud?"
Aerith sighs, "This is your decision, and yours alone...would you like to hold her?"
Tifa sat there, studying her hands, one circling a lily, the other fingering the damaged ring. This decision would affect so many lives. She thought of her child she could never hold sitting but a mere foot behind her in another woman's arms. She could carry this child, and love it, and take of her...
But...
...What of Cloud? Where was he, and had he been offered the same chance? To hold their unborn child? She couldn't live life without Cloud, and she knew if she were going to see him anytime soon, she'd have to think as he would. Would he want to die?
The choice of taking her daughter into her arms was so much more than what it seemed, and she knew this, and Aerith did as well. Making this child living in her world would mean she would have to die. She could not exist on two planes; she had to choose between her daughter, or living. Immediately her mind returned to Cloud, and where he was. If he chose to live, they could have another child, but if he chose to die, then they could have this one.
Tifa sat, her back pressed against Aerith's, and tried to put her mind at rest, to just think.
"Do I have to decide now?"
"You still have some time." Aerith replied as the baby laughed again.
Cloud knew this place, he'd been here before, a familiar presence at his back, but still, he was surprised when the voice spoke.
"We have got to stop meeting like this, man."
"Hmm...since when do you give life lessons in a field of lilies, Zack?"
"Oh ha ha, very funny. Consider me a stand-in."
"Tifa?"
"She's with the little lady."
"Why am I here again?"
"What? You don't like being in the place between life and death?"
Cloud didn't reply.
"Listen...last time, Aerith and I made the decision you weren't ready...this time is different though. Tifa's here, and..."
"My child."
"Hmm...you can stay here, with us and your child...stop fighting..."
"Or?"
"Go back to the land of the living...try again, and keep fighting."
"There will be more battles?"
Zack shrugged, "Whose to say? The possibility is always there...but it's all made up on decisions, and it's your decision right now."
"You aren't going to tell me what Tifa chooses, are you?"
"Sorry man."
The entire bar held their breath as it rang softly, echoing down the steps. Vincent looked up at Yuffie, and Yuffie looked at the children who had stiffened considerably at the sound of the phone. Yuffie didn't move from her spot at the sink though, refusing to let the thought and hope of it being Cloud or Tifa grace her mind. However, all of the patrons were giving her meaningful looks. She just didn't want to go upstairs with hope and come back down destroyed.
Most people had learned to stop calling between eight and nine, and if it was one of the gang, Yuffie swore she would slaughter them.
Giving a defeated sigh, Yuffie tossed down the rag she was cleaning with and headed towards the stairs. As she reached the door, the answering machine clicked on.
"Hi, you've reached Seventh Heaven, the Strife Delivery Service, and...giggle...the Strife Family home...giggle...Cloud, Tifa, Marlene and Denzel are not in right now. Please leave your name, number and message, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible." Tifa's bright voice sounded through the speaker.
Yuffie had not let Vincent change the message. She felt that would confirm their passing. It had been recorded she assumed shortly after Tifa and Cloud married.
The answering machine let out the loud obnoxious beep and a subdued voice sounded through the speaker.
"Hey...Yuff..." It was Cid. "Um...I just got a call from some people...and well, I'm on my way to pick you guys up...um...just wait there...I've got Barret with me now...so...we'll stop off for Nanaki first...yeah...um, just wait...don't bother calling..."
Click.
Yuffie stood in silence, her mouth set in a grim line.
"Yuffie?"
She turned slowly, her heart heavy.
"Yeah Vince?"
He said nothing, and she walked past him, the unspoken question and answer hanging in the air. It wasn't too long after the bar closed that Cid knocked on the door. Gathering up Denzel and Marlene, Yuffie and Vincent followed Cid out to his airship. Yuffie refused to be told anything, and Cid said it was okay, because he wasn't going to tell her anyways.
Neither her nor Vincent recognized the small house the airship alighted outside of on the coast of the ocean. All they knew was that it wasn't very far from Costa Del Sol.
"Cid?" Yuffie asked in apprehension, her arms locked around Denzel.
He didn't reply, just plowed on into the house. The group followed, each with a sense of dread. The house was small, the living room and kitchen connected. It was neat and tiny. There was a man sitting on the couch, and he stood quickly as Cid walked in.
"Ah...Mr. Highwind."
Cid glared at him, but continued on to a door at the back of the room. The group gave each other looks of question, but followed Cid into the room, the nervous man behind them.
It was his voice that made Yuffie realize what had happened.
"We found them just a couple of hours ago..."
"What the...?" Barret said softly.
"You told me you found them! Not their damn clothes!" Cid howled.
"What is this, Cid?" Yuffie asked, confused.
Tifa and Cloud's dirty and disheveled clothes were tossed on the floor of the room.
"I don't damn 'effin know! I get a call up from this fool," A rude gesture to the man, "And he tells me they found em!"
"You must of misheard, Mr. Highwind...I said-
"Oh shove it up your arse!"
"Cid!" Yuffie hissed, "Please, just tell us where they are..."
The man shifted nervously from foot to foot, "We...um, don't know. They were here; couple called reporting that their house broke in...and well...here was their clothes!...that's all..."
"You mean to tell me you dragged me all the way out here to look at some clothes!" Barret bellowed.
"I thought it was their bodies, dumbass!"
"So they're on the way home?" Denzel asked softly.
The adults went quiet.
"We should be there when they get home then." He added.
XxX
"What's your decision, Tifa?" Aerith asked, her finger gripped by the small baby's hand.
Tifa sighed, standing slowly and brushing off her pants. She smiled.
"You can hold her for me, can't you?"
Aerith smiled, "I'm honored to."
XxX
"Cloud?"
"Hmm."
"I understand."
XxX
Yuffie ran into the silent bar, followed quickly by Marlene and Denzel. They searched every room, each empty.
"I guess it was foolish to assume that they would already be here." Yuffie laughed nervously.
Yuffie moved towards Cloud's bedroom, and walked in to check any missed calls. The small red light blipped on and off, and Yuffie froze. She strolled over quickly, her hand hesitating but a moment before pressing the play button.
"You did not just abandon the bar, did you?" Tifa scolded.
Yuffie gasped.
"Be home soon." Cloud simply stated, and the message ended.
They all visited the church atleast once a month together after they returned. They still owed alot to Aerith and Zack, especially since they had left their child in the two's care. Tifa and Cloud set up a candle in the corner, protected from the elements. It was a large, white candle, and they left it there. It remained lit at all times, and was replaced often. The former Avalanche members would come together to visit their friends at the bar and at the church, and remember the times of happiness. While they didn't always come together and at the same time, they all had a similar experience.
Everyone of them would swear they could hear two familiar voices conversing happily in the church when the wind blew, and then the small laughter of a newborn.
The End
A/N: ...I really debated upon happy/sad ending...I actually was planning a sad ending...originaly, happy, but then sad...and now this. I like it, with the scene with Aerith and Zack...the one thing that kept this from being sad, was in the previous chapter Cloud stating that he wasn't ready to die...so he choose not to, even with the prospect of not having to fight anymore. I tried to make it look like they both opted for death...or at least Cloud had choosen, I like the ending, with the 'laughter of a newborn.' You guys do realize that's Cloud and Tifa's unborn child...right? Good...and they might not know Zack's voice well...but still! Okay then! The poem is from the same as last chapter. Special thanks TO: Alexia Alexendra, Dream x Spirit, InjuredPelican, Jedi Master Sabbath, Lisilgirl, MakoStorm, NightimeRoseOX, cLoTiHeArT, laciritas, watcherwil, Artemix Maxima, G.M. Potter, Garden of Everything, Niktastic, Serina Tsuki, Suicune 1000, Teef Lockhart, Woven Bamboo Pattern, cricketchick1990, dagenn, frostyhogwarts, gothica's heart, purple parasol, ravenb, space-halo, the Dr., YoMomMayomomma, Meili, elebelly, Iskra Revoir, alibongox-xalibongox-x, dremximgirl, lenh, Mai, Storm-Chan, Rend, and Kiome-Yasha. My apologizes mispelled or left out! Thanks for everything! Love all of you!...oh and ignore the fact that the name Zacs...changed to Zac...whoops! I was looking at the last chapter...and I was like...hmmm, somethings not right...my bad...and Rend...what do you mean no more fanfic?