Chapter Nineteen: Final Gift
She knew something was wrong when she woke up. She was in her room, tucked in the covers that provided a false sense of comfort. Shrugging them off, she slid off her bed. She went to the door that connected her and Sephiroth's rooms, knocking loudly and calling for him to answer. There was no reply.
She threw on a baggy shirt and a pair of pants, viciously attacking her hair with the brush and tying it up in a sloppy ponytail. Slipping on a pair of flat-footed shoes, she ran to the doors that led to the main hallway. She threw them open and ran so quickly that she tripped over a neat stack of metal cans.
She turned back and examined the cans as she picked herself up. There were about ten of them, all labeled in bright paper. To the side was a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with rough cord.
The cans were paints. All of them were bright, vibrant colors. Even the subtler tones of lavender and aquamarine were such a contrast to the blaring white that it was astounding. Aralyn fingered them gingerly, beaming at this miracle.
The package held paintbrushes in all sizes. Some were large so as to facilitate the painting of entire walls, while others were small, so that finer details could be painted. Also included was a book that told how to paint textures and patterns. Aralyn stared at the pictures of the rooms with unique, lively walls for a long time. Stencils fell out of the book, all of them depicting small delights like flowers and vines that couldn't be found near Shinra.
"She really did it." Aralyn recognized Sephiroth's cool, composed voice immediately.
"Isn't it wonderful?" Aralyn cried. "There must be something we can do to thank her!"
"Aralyn." She turned, looking at Sephiroth for the first time. His face was solemn and grave. "Dr. Crescent is dead."
Aralyn's eyes widened. Half of her instinct told her to laugh, but she knew that Sephiroth couldn't possibly be joking, not with that expression on his face.
"She killed herself," Sephiroth finished. "Last night."
"Why?" Aralyn breathed.
But Sephiroth just shook his head. "I don't know…"