Chapter 54: Aerith Dies
Zack was seated between Dane and Daniel Downing in the back seat of a pickup truck. David, 20, the oldest Downing, was in the passenger's seat.
Dirk Downing was driving.
Zack's motorcycle was in the bed of the truck.
"I thought you didn't live out here," Zack said.
"We don't," Dirk replied. "We're building this house for my future son-in-law."
"I see," Zack said.
"And why are you wearing that mask?" Dane, 18, asked.
"Have you been living under a rock?" Zack replied. "We're in the middle of a pandemic."
"Filled with phony propaganda from a phony president," Dirk called from the driver's seat. "Lose the mask."
"You'll get Geostigma," Zack warned.
"We have immune systems," Dane retorted. "We don't need vaccines and we don't need masks."
Reluctantly, Zack slipped off his mask.
"That's better," Daniel, 19, said.
"Are you going to kill me?" Zack inquired.
"Far from it," Dirk replied. "Despite what your president and all her friends want you to think, we're not cold-blooded killers."
Zack didn't recall any of his friends saying such a thing, but he was in no mood for an argument. Instead, he decided to get to the heart of the matter.
"I'll pay for the gas," he assured them. "I didn't realize it was yours. I was desperate. I needed to get back to my girlfriend."
"The gas is on us," Dirk said. "I just want you to listen."
"I'm listening," Zack said.
"Not here," Daniel clarified.
Zack was confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"We'll explain when we get there," David assured him.
MEANWHILE….
"So eventually," I continued, "everyone came back?"
"That's right," Aerith replied. "A lot of other stuff happened, too. A guy my adoptive mother was dating tried to have me killed. But something good happened. Cloud proposed to me."
I was silent; I had almost forgotten that they were engaged.
"Our wedding date was set for February 7, 0008," Aerith continued. "My twenty-third birthday. What I didn't tell Cloud was that I had our honeymoon planned. Eros Nova, to be exact."
"I know that place," I said. "It's where Cid and Shera are having their destination wedding."
"I heard," Aerith said. "I had booked us a cottage that straddled the border between the prude side and the nude side. There were doors that led to each side."
"Which side were you going to spend most of the time on?" I dared to ask.
"Let me put it this way," Aerith replied with a grin. "I had planned to pack light."
She then paused, and sighed.
"We had our whole future planned," she continued. "And then, January 23, 0008."
"January 23, 0008?" I asked.
"Yes," Aerith replied. "January 23, 0008. The day I died."
I gave Aerith a sympathetic look.
"I had no idea it was going to be my last day. I remember how I woke up, showered, and dressed up like an army girl," she continued. "We then went to the Northern Crater, where Tifa finally came back for good."
"And that was when you found out she and Cloud dated," I pointed out.
"You got it," Aerith replied. "And, boy, did I let my emotions get the best of me."
FLASHBACK….
As they reached the bottom, the eerily quiet Aerith spotted an opening in the wall. After walking over to it and peering in, she noticed a small room inside. Realizing that it was the perfect opportunity, she motioned Cloud to come over to her.
"Cloud," Aerith began in a trembling voice, "we need to talk. Now!"
Cloud felt his stomach tighten. He had a feeling he knew what this was; she had figured it out.
"Tifa, would you mind waiting outside for us?" Aerith then requested. "It won't take long."
"Not at all," Tifa replied.
Aerith then led Cloud into the room. She motioned for him to sit down on the floor, and then sat across from him.
Cloud realized that he should be the first to say something, but he did not. If there was one thing he had not prepared for, it was the event that Aerith found out that Cloud was in love with Tifa. There was no way to do so; it could play out in any way. Aerith could either leave him, or she might lash out at Tifa. Anything went in this no-win situation.
As they continued to stare at each other, Cloud could certainly feel the vibe from Aerith; it was a vibe of anger. He had never felt anger from her since they met; she had been annoyed with him before, but she had never been genuinely angry. Now, it was clear she was. And it was far from pleasant.
Finally, Aerith broke the silence.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" she asked in an angry tone of voice.
"No," Cloud replied, rather quickly and nervously, as he shook his head. "Absolutely not."
"Everybody else seems to know something I don't," she continued. "And something tells me there's been quite a bit of deception on your part."
"Aerith…" Cloud began, but he knew it was useless. He had no defense.
"If there's something everyone else knows, you have to know I'll find out eventually," she continued.
"I know," he said sheepishly.
"I'm going to ask you one more time," she announced. "Did you, or did you not have a relationship with Tifa while I was gone?"
Cloud sighed. There was no way to hide it anymore. If he lied, she would catch him, and would get even angrier. There was only one answer that he could give.
"Yes, I did."
A terrible silence followed as Aerith sat as still as a statue. At this point, Cloud knew that anything could happen. He was half expecting her to immediately take her engagement ring off. But instead, she buried her head in her hands and started to cry.
"Aerith," Cloud said again as he reached his arm out.
"Don't touch me!" she angrily snapped. "I don't believe it!"
She continued to cry as Cloud simply sat there. There was nothing he could do now; the rest had to play out on its own.
Finally, she raised her head, and opened her eyes, which were now red from crying. She had trouble making eye-contact.
"I don't know what to say," Aerith growled. "Tifa Lockheart, of all people! The one girl I trusted you with! You had a relationship with her behind my back!"
It was technically the truth, and Cloud knew it. He had awoken that morning seriously questioning his relationship with Aerith, and not questioning the fact that he was in love with Tifa at all. Still, he felt that he needed to defend himself.
"I didn't mean to," he said. Those four words were all that he would be able to say.
"What do you mean, 'you didn't mean to?'" she snapped, tears still streaming from her emerald eyes. "One of you tripped and your lips accidentally met? Multiple times?"
"I meant behind your back," he clarified. "Aerith, I thought you were dead. We all did. We saw Sephiroth stab you with his sword on the altar. None of us ever heard of Phase Materia. We had no idea how anyone could survive that."
Aerith was not impressed.
"So, instead of taking time to grieve, you turn your best friend into the rebound chick? The girlfriend is dead, long live the girlfriend?"
"It kind of ran away with itself," Cloud replied. "It was Tifa who was there when I was grieving for you. It was Tifa who was there when my mind was torn apart. Aerith, when we were in the Lifestream, Tifa led me through three important experiences and put me back together. And when we returned to the real world, she told me she was in love with me. And I told her the same. I had never realized it until then. There's some things in your life that have been with you for years, and you don't realize them until much later. That just happened to be one of those things. That's the whole truth. If you wanted the whole truth, there it is."
Aerith could not believe her ears.
"So you two did have feelings for each other!" she hissed. "This whole entire time?! Even when I met you?!"
I didn't realize it at the time, but yes," he replied.
She smacked her knee with one hand.
"Unbelievable, Cloud, just unbelievable!"
"But we didn't have sex," he continued. "We kept our clothes on the entire time."
"No excuses!" Aerith snapped. "You immediately run off with your best friend and lead her on like that! Shame on you, Cloud! SHAME ON YOU!"
"Aerith," began Cloud, "you were dead. I mean, I laid you to rest at the bottom of that pond. We all grieved for days. We were even talking about having a funeral once Sephiroth was destroyed."
"A funeral?!" Aerith replied, surprised.
"We were going to have a ceremony in your church, and a grave outside."
"But I was at the bottom of a pond," she said, in a slightly calmer tone of voice.
"We were going to have a marker and everything. 'Aerith Lee Gainsborough. February 7, 1985-December 22, 0007. Beloved Daughter and Friend.' Tifa and I didn't plan on falling in love so soon like that. It just...happened. If you were alive, why didn't you shoot me a text or something? You know I can keep a secret!"
In response, Aerith stood up, and stared at the engagement ring on her hand. She reached for it with her right hand, and began to twist.
Here it comes, Cloud thought. She's going to give the ring back to me and tell me it's over. Or she'll throw it in the cave. And, honestly, it's for the best. It's Tifa I'm in love with.
She then suddenly stopped twisting. She then turned to face away from him.
Why didn't I text him? she thought to herself as she noticed she had stopped crying. I guess it was because I wanted to seem as dead as possible. But if Sephiroth was hiding at the core, I could have told him right when Meteor was summoned.
"This was partially my fault," she admitted as she dried the tears from her face.
She turned again, walking over to Cloud, and, to his surprise, offered him a hand and helped him up.
"You were right, I should've texted you. I just didn't expect you to enter another relationship so soon. But, hell, the next relationship never comes on queue, does it?"
Cloud was silent.
Is she actually forgiving me for this?
Aerith then gave Cloud a sincere look, causing him to wonder why her anger suddenly diminished.
"After you got together with Tifa," she continued, "you came back to me?"
He nodded. "I did commit to you first."
She continued to look at him in silence.
"Cloud," Aerith began, her voice completely calm, "I can forgive the fling you had with Tifa. I mean, you did think I was dead."
"It wasn't a..."
"I can even forgive the fact that you jumped into a relationship with her," she continued, interjecting. "But there's one problem that won't go away: you two have feelings for each other."
She did have a point. If his relationship with Aerith was to continue, Tifa being there would complicate everything.
Do I want it to continue, though?
"We can't leave things as they were before," she decided. "When we first started dating, I was more than okay with you and Tifa hanging out. But the fact that you and Tifa have feelings for each other changes everything."
"What do we do, then?" Cloud asked.
"She can still be in the wedding," Aerith continued. "But after that, I don't want you to see her again."
Cloud's mouth dried. Never see Tifa again?
"If you really were just friends, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but as long as you have feelings for each other, it's a threat to us."
In a way she is right. My feelings for Tifa are stronger. But to cut her off completely...
"We're going back out," she then announced. "When we do, I want you to bring Tifa in here and tell her."
Cloud placed his hand on his forehead.
"Can't this wait until later?" he requested.
Aerith shook her head.
"You life isn't big enough for both of us, Cloud," she said. "I love you, and I trust you, but I don't trust her. It needs to be resolved immediately."
I don't even know what my life is too small for anymore. Fuck it. We're all going to die Friday night anyway. I can pretend to go along with it.
"Okay," Cloud said.
The two of them left the room, and Aerith wasted no time.
"Tifa," she began, "Cloud has something he wants to talk to you about."
She then left the opening to the room as Cloud remained standing there.
Tifa stood up and began to walk over to Cloud. Now, it was her turn to be concerned. She had been able to hear their muffled voices, and possibly the sound of Aerith crying, but she had not been able to make out what was said. Of course, she was suspicious it had something to do with the relationship they had had.
"And Tifa?" Aerith added. "If you want my advice, keep your butt as far away from the local authorities as you can! You'll only get yourself unwanted attention."
"I'll keep that in mind," Tifa said as she followed Cloud into the room.
Once inside, Cloud sat on the same rock he had been sitting on, and motioned for Tifa to sit where Aerith had been.
Unlike Cloud, Tifa was able to speak right away.
"So Cloud," she asked, "what's up?"
"Aerith knows," Cloud began.
"About what?" asked Tifa, although she knew the answer anyway.
"About us," he clarified. "She knows about our feelings for each other. She was able to figure it out on the way down here."
"Did you tell her the truth?" she asked.
"I did," he replied. "She was able to flush it out of me. I tried to keep it a secret as best I could, but there was just no fooling her."
"I guess she wasn't too happy about it, was she?" Tifa asked.
"She was pretty mad," Cloud answered.
Tifa gave a concerned look.
"She didn't break up with you, did she?" she asked, having failed to check to see if Aerith was still wearing her engagement ring.
"No," he replied in a monotone. "We're still together."
"Good," Tifa said. Even though he had left her for her, she still could not bear to see him hurt. "But why are you so upset, then?"
Cloud decided to be up front. This was something that he had no fear of discussing. It had taken him only moments to make up his mind about what Aerith had ordered him to do.
"She said I have to give you up," Cloud added. "She said we can't be friends anymore. She said that, because we both have feelings for each other, I need to cut you off." He paused to take a breath. "She also said that my life isn't big enough for the both of you. And, Tifa, I won't lie. I have to agree."
Tifa silently nodded. "I'm not surprised."
Cloud's eyes widened. "You're not?"
"Cloud," she began, "in the old timeline, when I was married to Bo, he told me the exact same thing."
Cloud was silent; he had never heard that part of the story.
"He said it was because he knew we had feelings for each other. And for the longest time, I thought he was being an insecure prick. But now, it makes sense. I thought about you a lot, Cloud. Even long after I got married. And I know you'll do the same." She then stood up. "Cloud, you need to keep me in your life for you. You can't keep me in your life for me. I understand, Cloud. I know you brought me in here to tell me our friendship is over. But Cloud, Aerith is your fiancée. She needs to come first."
Cloud stood up, and looked Tifa in the eyes. She was struggling to hold back tears, and Cloud felt that, once he had said to her what he was about to say, she would likely fail.
"Tifa," Cloud softly began, "I've never given up a friend before."
Tifa's mouth began to quiver. Her hands were visibly trembling. Even though she was expecting him to tell her that their friendship was over, she was anything but prepared for it. The thought of losing her best friend of twenty years, although she knew it would be for the best, broke her.
"And I'm not starting now," he added.
Tifa's mouth literally dropped open.
"Cloud?!" she exclaimed.
He's refusing to give me up for his fiancé?!
"Yes," he continued, "she did tell me I have to break off our friendship. But I won't."
She then covered her mouth in shock.
"It's something I treasure too much," he added. "You put me back together when I was broken. After all we've been through, I would never do such a thing, no matter what she threatens."
Something then crossed Tifa's mind.
"What if she breaks up with you?" she asked.
"Then she breaks up with me," he replied.
"Cloud, you can't lose your fiancée over me!" Tifa exclaimed. "That's crazy!"
Cloud looked her in the eyes.
"No, Tifa," he dismissed. "It would be crazy for me to remain with someone who's willing to dump me over you."
"But Cloud," Tifa protested, "I want you to be happy."
"This is what makes me happy," he said. "Someone like you, who's been there for me for the past two decades. Not to mention, the unique second chance we've been given. It would be crazy to blow it."
"But aren't you in love with her?" she asked.
"I won't lie," Cloud replied. "I'm in love with both of you. But I love you more. You make me happier that she ever could."
Tifa sat down. This was almost too much for her to take in. A tear slid from her left eye; this was quite emotional to take in. He did not specify that they were getting back together, but the fact that he was refusing to cut her off said a lot.
Cloud sat down as well.
"Think about it, Tifa," he said. "If she's telling me to cut you off, she's not respecting my other relationships. And I don't know if I can marry someone like that."
"But what are you going to do?" Tifa asked. "I mean, you did commit to her first."
"I dunno," Cloud replied. "Once this is all over, I'm calling a meeting."
"With me and Aerith?" she asked.
"With everyone," he clarified. "There's something I need to discuss with everyone." He then stood up, and looked toward the exit. "Speaking of everyone, I think we're behind."
He then reached out his hand.
And Tifa let him help her up.
….END FLASHBACK
"I felt like such a bitch," Aerith said. "With a capital B."
I really didn't know what to say.
"I'm not a jealous girl," she continued. "Or even insecure. I knew Tifa was his best friend. I would have encouraged them to spend time together. But the fact that they were lovers…..I know they never did it, but the whole thing just didn't sit well."
"I know," I said.
I really couldn't put myself in Aerith's shoes.
Mind you, I have guy friends. Like Zack, for instance. He's my best platonic guy friend. Tobin knows that, and he's cool with it. We had an agreement: no intercourse or kissing on the mouth. But, other than that, no questions asked.
As for poor Tobin, his best platonic gal friends either wound up dead, distanced, or both. His best platonic, living gal friend was Tifa, and she was his cousin. So, if they had dated, I would be pretty irked, and rather disgusted.
That said, Cloud and Tifa once pretended to be Matt and Julie Lane, who were actually a pair of incestuous cousins. They experienced quite a bit of joy, excitement, and some sadness in the process. But that's another story.
"I regretted it almost as soon as I said it," Aerith continued. "I mean, I wanted to take it back, but I knew he already told her. I destroyed two friendships. Cloud and Tifa's, and mine and Tifa's. Let this be a lesson to never make a decision in anger."
"What happened when you anger subsided?" I asked.
"We made it to the core," Aerith replied. "But there was one thing we didn't really consider. Sephiroth was having premonitions as much as we were. Without warning, he shot himself upward and to the surface. So we had to go back up and go after him. We eventually tracked him to the Nibelheim reactor. Had I known I was in my last hours, I would have apologized to Tifa. And, when I say apologize, I mean I would have gotten down on my knees and begged for her forgiveness.
"But, instead, I had to act like a fool and get myself killed."
FLASHBACK….
Aerith ran right to the reactor. Her initial intention was to enter and help Cloud, unaware of how deep the reactor's interior actually was. But once she climbed the stairs to the entrance, she noticed a quite visible passage to her right that led behind the reactor. Curiosity caused her to follow the passage, which lay between a metal fence and the reactor wall. On the other side was a metal ladder. Looking up, Aerith could see a metal-grated balcony above her. She realized that she could climb the latter and check on Vincent from the balcony. She might even be able to somehow intervene if Sephiroth, or, more importantly, Vincent, was not looking.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the Death Penalty firing, followed by a pained howl. It did not take Aerith long to find out what happened; Vincent had shot Sephiroth. She thought about how he had tried to kill her in the Forgotten Capital, and realized that she might find it satisfying to watch him die. Determined not to miss the moment, Aerith quickly climbed the ladder.
When she reached the top, she heard the Death Penalty fire again. Wasting no time, she ran around the balcony to the front of the reactor. There, she could see that Sephiroth was missing two of his lower wings, which were both laying on the ground, surrounded by detached feathers. Vincent had the Death Penalty pointed at Sephiroth. With a few more shots, he could finish him off.
Or should I let him? she thought.
Again, she remembered the time he attacked her on the altar. He had jumped down from above and stabbed her. Now, she could jump from the balcony and stab him in the exact same manner. It would be the perfect revenge, especially since he had actually killed her in the original timeline.
"Aerith, girl, you're crazy," she whispered to herself.
She had to abandon the idea. It was so far to the ground that she would have to land her feet perfectly on his shoulders. If she missed him, she would die from the fall for sure.
And then, she realized that Vincent was not firing the Death Penalty. It was clearly aimed at Sephiroth, but he was not firing. Then, the realization hit her. He was out of bullets. To make matters worse, the fingertips on Sephiroth's left hand began to illuminate. He was about to attack him with lightning.
A few more seconds, and Sephiroth will have killed Vincent.
She had to do something immediately.
She would have to take that chance.
Cautiously, Aerith bent her knees and gripped the sword. It was a risk; she would have to land on Sephiroth or fall to her death. But Vincent would die for sure if she did nothing. She thought once more about how Sephiroth had jumped from the ledge and stabbed her in the original timeline, and how she was now in the same position.
Suddenly, a grin worked its way across her face.
"This is payback, fucker," she whispered.
And she jumped.
Aerith's heart was racing the entire time she was falling. Her body was moving down faster than she could realize. Sephiroth was getting closer by the second, still oblivious to what was coming from above. She kept her feet facing downward, and her hands on the sword. Any moment now, once of them would meet their fate.
Finally, they made contact. Aerith's left foot landed perfectly on Sephiroth's left shoulder, and her right foot landed perfectly on his right.
She sighed in relief before she realized that she had to act immediately; Sephiroth had been aware of her presence the moment she had landed on him. Before he could react, Aerith raised the sword, and drove it into Sephiroth's back.
The sword sliced through, exiting through Sephiroth's chest, causing him to howl in agony.
"See how you like it!" she growled as she pulled the sword from his body.
Blood began to gush from the wound immediately.
Aerith once again thought about the original timeline. She thought about how he had killed her, and that she had never gotten a chance to move in with and get engaged to Cloud. He had taken it all away.
As anger suddenly rushed through her body, Aerith drove the sword into Sephiroth again, pulling it out and creating another wound. She then stabbed him a third time, and twisted the sword as she did so. Blood was now oozing down Sephiroth's chest.
And then, the tables began to turn.
As Aerith looked at her surroundings, she noticed that they seemed to be moving downward, which meant that Sephiroth, despite his injuries, was ascending with her on him. A wave of fear suddenly struck her; even if he was not ascending, she had not planned an escape. She quickly looked around to see if there was anything she could grab on, but there was nothing. She began to tremble as she realized what she had gotten herself into, and, without intending or even noticing, dropped the sword.
Sephiroth, with what seemed to be his final ounce of strength, thrust his upper body forward.
And then, Aerith noticed that she was no longer standing on Sephiroth's shoulders; she was flying through the air.
A pipe connected the Nibel Reactor to the ground; it started from the reactor in a horizontal manner, before turning nearly ninety degrees and disappearing into the ground.
Aerith was now being hurled at full speed towards the horizontal segment of the pipe. There was nothing she could do to stop it; a collision was inevitable. No longer wanting to deal with the terror, Aerith closed her eyes.
Seconds later, her body slammed forcefully into the pipe. She felt every rib in her chest breaking. She did not cry out, but a tear from the pain escaped her eye.
And then, Aerith lost consciousness.
She did not feel the pain of her broken ribs and sternum anymore.
She did not feel her body begin to slide downward, slowly slipping off the pipe.
She did not feel herself begin to fall from the pipe, as first her feet, then her legs, then her torso, and finally her head was falling free.
She did not feel her body rotate as she fell, so that her back was facing the ground.
She did not feel the fall accelerate as she plummeted towards the terrain.
She did not feel herself hit the ground with a powerful thud.
Her white materia rolled from her pants pocket and stopped mere inches from her.
All was still.
….END FLASHBACK
"And that's when I was mortally wounded," Aerith said. "I guess, in the end, he got me after all. But at least I got him as well."
"So that was it?" I asked. "You weren't conscious when you died?"
Aerith closed her eyes.
"I woke up one last time," she replied. "When Cloud came to me."
FLASHBACK…
"Hi," she greeted weakly, almost in a whisper. Even that took effort for her.
"Hey," Cloud replied softly as he gently stroked her face. "Lie still."
"Did we do it?" Aerith whispered. "Did we...take care of Sephiroth?"
"We did," he said softly. "And we wouldn't have been able to beat him if you didn't do what you did."
Her eyes slightly widened.
"You didn't kill him, did you?"
Cloud shook his head.
"Tifa dropped the break materia and turned him to stone," he explained. "We thought we lost her, too, but Yuffie brought her back."
"Good," Aerith whispered. "Please tell her I'm sorry. That was so cruel what I said to you earlier. I should've told you I was alive right away. Right after I cheated death on the altar."
"Don't worry about it," he insisted gently.
"I cheated death," she continued. "At the altar. On the beach. In a the Urchin. But not here."
Cloud felt his eyes sting. He did not want to accept that she was mortally wounded.
"Don't say that," he pressed.
But reality was reality. Her ribs were broken. She was most certainly bleeding internally, with her lungs filling with blood. Because of the fall, she was very likely to have been paralyzed.
Yuffie, meanwhile, pulled out her cell phone.
"Ambulance," she announced. "I'm on it."
"No, no," Aerith whispered. "I feel myself going."
She weakly gripped Cloud's hand.
He gently gripped hers back.
"I've used up one cheat too many," she continued. "Listen, Cloud, I knew the timeline would come back and take me. But I don't regret the changes that happened. I got to move in with you and wake up to you every morning for two weeks. I got to call you may boyfriend."
She then sniffled, and a tear escaped her eye.
"And then, I got to call you my fiancé." She paused. "But I guess that's the most I'll ever get to call you. Oh, Cloud, I was so looking forward to marrying you and calling you my husband."
"Aerith," Cloud whispered. Although he had made his mind up about whom he wanted to be with, his heart was still breaking. His eyes were becoming wet.
"Take care of yourself, baby," she continued. "Be happy. And Cloud?"
"Yes?" he gently asked.
"I know Tifa will take good care of you."
"Hang on, please," Cloud pleaded.
He could feel a growing weakness in her hand.
"Cloud," Aerith whispered, seemingly more weakly, "I love you so much. Kiss me. I always...feel better...when you kiss me..."
He softly pressed his lips against hers. He could feel her kissing back. He continued to kiss her deeply, knowing that it would be the last time he would ever do so.
And then, Aerith suddenly found the pain gone.
She felt her lower half again.
By some miracle, I've recovered! she thought as she continued to kiss the man she loved. Is this a reward from the Planet?
Aerith happily sprang to her feet.
"Cloud!" she exclaimed. "Cloud, I'm okay!"
Cloud said nothing.
"I'm okay!" she repeated. "Get up and kiss me again!"
But Cloud still did not respond.
"You're not going deaf, are you?" she teased.
And then, she saw herself.
She was still laying beside Cloud, with her pupils now dilated.
And Cloud was closing her eyes.
Nervously, she tried to touch her fiancé's shoulder, and, to her horror, her hand went right through.
It took only a moment for her to realize the truth; she had died and left her body.
And she was not ready to accept that.
"I'm not dead!" she cried out. "I'm not dead!"
And then, Aerith looked down on her own dead body.
"You bitch!" Aerith exclaimed. "You had to be so weak!"
She was so angry she attempted to kick her corpse in the head. Predictably, her foot went right through.
"Wait a minute," she said to herself. "Maybe I can get back into my body."
She knelt down and rolled over, trying to reunite with her body. She tried to roll over and push herself into it. But she could not get back in; she kept going right through.
It was no use.
"Noooo!" she howled at the top of her lungs.
She rose to her feet and began to pace around.
Then, she saw her love weeping over her dead body.
And then, Aerith began to cry herself. She had left behind a grieving fiancé. Despite her many relationships in her twenty-two short years, he was indeed the love of her life.
And then, she saw the White Materia glow.
Aerith realized that, only in death, could she save the Planet. Her death would bring new life. Everyone born after Meteor was destroyed would be so because of her.
It was a comforting thought.
As for the loss of her relationship with Cloud, she knew he would be all right as well.
Tifa would take care of him.
"Aerith," began a soft voice.
Aerith turned, and saw that Ifalna's spirit was standing there.
"Mommy!" she sobbed as she ran into her arms.
…END FLASHBACK
"And that was that," Aerith said sadly. "If I had known that was the day I died, I would have worn a fancy gown with heels. Though they probably would've gotten trashed in the process."
And then, she started crying.
"I was going to marry him!" she sobbed. "On my twenty-third birthday!"
I quickly switched positions with Ifalna, so she could console her.
"Sorry," Aerith apologized. "It still hurts to think about what might have been."
I couldn't disagree with her there. Of course, I have bias toward Tifa, since she's my cousin-in-law, but Aerith definitely deserved a better ending than the one she got.
"I visited all my friends after I died," Aerith continued. "Especially Cloud. But the one visit that hurt me the most, other than seeing Cloud grieve, was when I saw Tifa."
FLASHBACK…
Aerith watched as Tifa cried loudly, seated in front of her computer.
At first, she thought she was chatting with someone.
And then, she saw what she was typing.
"Aerith Gainsborough, beloved friend, daughter, and fiancée, passed away on the evening of January 23, 0008."
She's typing my obituary?! Aerith thought to herself. Even after I….?!
Tifa continued to type, pausing every few moments of cry again.
She's forgiven me, Aerith realized.
Tifa typed again, only to stop after a few moments and cry once more.
"I miss you," she sobbed.
Aerith tried to wrap her arms around her friend, but, of course, they went right through her.
"It'll take time," Ifalna said as she appeared behind her.
"Time?" Aerith asked skeptically.
"I can show you," Ifalna assured her. "In time, you can learn to communicate with the people you love. Someday, they'll know you're here."
Ifalna then observed the sobbing Tifa.
"This girl loves you like a sister," she said.
"I know, mom," Aerith said sadly. "I just wish I didn't screw it up. I wish I could redeem myself somehow."
"You did," Ifalna assured her. "By saving her life."
….END FLASHBACK
"All this being said," continued Aerith, "I was also there when Tifa got down on one knee and proposed to Cloud. And all I could feel was happiness."
"You love him so much you just want him to be happy," I observed.
"You got it," Aerith replied. "I was at their wedding, too. And yours. You were a beautiful bride."
"Thanks," I said as I blushed.
"I was just surprised Zack was still alive," she continued. "I didn't know he had been at the Island Gulag with Tobin."
That was something I could definitely put myself in Aerith shoes over. Tobin being gone turned me into a huge wreck.
"You know," Aerith continued. "Maybe it isn't Cloud who I have unfinished business with. Maybe it's Zack. The way everything ended for us….I thought he just ditched my randomly. I mean, we were teenagers. I never knew he had been captured. If I did, I would have rescued him myself."
I wasn't sure if I believed that. Then again, she did technically save the Planet.
"It all goes back to when we met," she said.
I knew right then and there she was going to tell me about her relationship with Zack.
Of course, I remember Ifalna's promise to tell me about my mother.
So I kept going.