Chapter 96, εуλ0018 - εуλ0019

Marlene picked herself up, water running off her dress and hair in rivulets; it pooled in and around her boots where the flowers greedily sucked up the nourishment. Denzel gallantly offered his overcoat, turning away so she could remove her soaked clothes if she wished, but Marlene waved him off as if the cold and wet did not bother her at all.

"What were you even doing, Marlene?" Tifa frantically demanded; Marlene and Cloud turned as one to see her panicked face, near-tears in anguished eyes. "We were so scared…"

Marlene looked around. "How did you know where to find me?" she asked. "Denzel?"

She turned to her brother, who only shrugged. "Cloud, actually."

"We were just starting to get ready for dinner, wondering when you were going to be home," Tifa explained; Marlene felt a touchy guilty, knowing Tifa always cooked something special the weekends Denzel came home from college. (Unusually, Mina had stayed back this time, pleading too much studying.) "Cloud suddenly leapt up and yelled at us that we needed to get to the church. Denzel and I got on Loki to follow, but of course Cloud and Fenrir were already almost here…"

"And barely in time," Cloud added. "Marlene, you weren't breathing when I pulled you out. What were you thinking?"

"It's closer to the Lifestream." Marlene gazed around dreamily; her mind was still foggy from her experience. "I wasn't dead. I was just… in the intervening space." She looked to Cloud. "I didn't cross all the way."

She and Cloud stood face to face, frantic nerves in his expression, tranquil peace in hers. "You've never called me your daughter before," she said softly.

Cloud shifted, unsure what to say.

Marlene scrunched down, carefully picking a flower. Cloud wondered if it was just his imagination, or did her hair and dress seem nearly dry already? He felt a tug as the flower's stem snapped, its permission to be plucked, as she rose to her feet with the blossom in her hand.

She offered it to the man before her. "I remember, Cloud. You gave me the flower. It's the first memory that's clear. Before, it's just some flickering images. Like all kids have. Nothing really defined."

Her second memory, of course, was the very next night; the night of the plate drop. Her frightened younger self cowering under the counter. A woman, unfamiliar but radiating safety, taking Marlene into her arms… and opening up the world before her.

Cloud took the flower in both hands as if he'd never seen one before. "Thank you," he finally said quietly, unsure what he was thanking her for, but knowing the sentiment was there.

She was right. He'd never called her his daughter before. Not directly. But hadn't she been, all these years? He remembered stooping down to her six-year-old self outside Seventh Heaven, having overnight brought a frightened girl back from the Forgotten City; now he looked into the eyes of a woman.

Tifa was his unchanging constant; always by his side, eternally beautiful. But it was his children who marked the passage through the years. He glanced at Denzel, once a little boy, now a man taller than him, looking to the future, and briefly, he wondered what the future had in store for Marlene as well.

"You've meant a lot to me, Cloud," Marlen interrupted his thoughts. "I wanted you in the family, remember?"

"I remember." Cloud smiled a little. "And you put me in with crayons."

Marlene had always been the center, he realized. Of their small family; of their greater family of friends. The neighborhood. Her brightness, intelligence, and charm couldn't help but pull people together. He wondered how he'd never really thought that through before… or what it really meant.

Marlene remembered, too. Not all, but enough. Sadness was the price to see it all end, they had told her, and she'd asked, frightened: is there going to be more sadness? But she'd had to answer that question for herself; it wasn't an answer Cloud and Tifa were able to give.

"Maye we got what we wanted, just not in the way we expected," she half-whispered, more to herself than anything. She raised her head from where it had unconsciously fallen to stare into the flowers; her eyes snapped into focus. "But however it happened, here we are now, huh?" she asked the three around her. "Happiness isn't just the goal. It's only the beginning."

Denzel stifled a surprised gasp; Marlene had put into words something he hadn't known how to explain to himself. He'd found happiness when he'd first arrived at Seventh Heaven; but even after that, he'd had to grow and change. And he was still doing so, and would be for quite some time. He'd feared change when it was forced upon him, but now he had to embrace it. Cloud and Tifa could do no more than give him the chance. The rest was up to him.

"Let's go home," Tifa suggested. She reached as if to touch Marlene's shoulder; then dropped her arm, hesitant to interfere in the moment between Marlene and Cloud.

Marlene considered, gazing at Cloud, who was staring at the flower as if he'd never seen one before. Cloud, you've suffered, but without it, you'd have a different destiny. You wouldn't be who you are. She had seen so many possible futures that couldn't, wouldn't happen; she'd seen nearly to infinity at the bottom of the pool.

She'd seen the apparitions of her ancestors. A woman's voice, from the shadows of the forgotten past.

YOU WHO WALK THE FOOTSTEPS OF WE WHO DWELL IN ETERNITY. LISTEN WELL, FOR DUSK IS FALLING ON THE AGE OF OUR PEOPLE, THE CETRA.

Her ancestors couldn't have known. About Geostigma. About the Advent Children.

AND IN THE LONG NIGHT TO COME, OTHERS SHALL COME TO CLAIM STEWARDSHIP OF THE PLANET, OTHERS WHO PAID NO HEED TO HISTORY.

There lay her task, her burden.

TRAGEDY WOULD NEVERTHELESS BE OUR ULTIMATE REWARD. THE CHILDREN OF MEN FEARED IS, ENVIED US; REGARDLESS, WE WERE FORSAKEN BY FATE. POWERLESS TO FORESTALL THE COMING OF OUR OWN END.

It wasn't the end. There would be another reunion.

"Flowers are tied to the life of the Planet," she told Cloud.

Cloud looked up, almost startled. He'd panicked on finding her, flashing back to Aerith, terrified to lose yet another person he loved. And he did love her. He'd been jealous of her at first, how she had limited the pace of his relationship with Tifa, but she'd pulled him in… and now he couldn't imagine life without her.

He hoped he had earned the right to call her his daughter.

"Can I ride back with you, Cloud?" she asked.

He didn't even look to Tifa for the nod he knew she would give. He knew she understood. "Marlene, let's go home."

The night in Edge had settled into relatively hushed tones – the growing city never fully slept, even though Seventh Heaven had already shut down for the evening. But Tifa was still in the garage, working.

Half of the garage belonged to Cloud – or more accurately, to Fenrir, the monstrosity of the bike that was itself practically a member of the family. Cloud still tinkered with it from time to time, sometimes alone and sometimes with Rix, but realistically, there was little to do nowadays. It was just a hobby, one that helped center Cloud's mind, give him a little distraction when he was under stress.

Not so the other half of the garage. Tifa's wine had finished barrel-aging (she'd integrated barrel-aging a few years before, with a concomitant jump in quality; she'd never do without it now) and she had just a couple critical days to get the wine into bottles. And that was what she was doing now, late into the night – filling each bottle by hand, siphoning off the air before squeezing in a synthetic cork and setting it aside to join the others. She rarely bought new glass bottles, reusing those from the year before after washing and sterilization, her small contribution to helping sustain the Planet.

Another bottle filled, the practiced motions repeated. A clink as she placed it to the side. Next to the green bottles, now darkened by the liquid inside, sat a stack of labels bearing Seventh Heaven's logo; but that final step could wait. In the meantime, Tifa used the comfort of the repetitive motions to think.

They'd begun limiting Seventh Heaven's hours by choice, sending business out to the similar but much larger Foursquare. In fact, Seventh Heaven's current hours were largely determined by Kyrie – when she was willing to work, who she could staff for the rest of the time. After being with them for years, Kyrie, now nearly thirty herself, had become a trusted member of the business, almost part of the family herself.

Seventh Heaven itself remained an icon, having been one of the earliest successful businesses in Edge. Tifa recalled being stunned when Cloud brought home a travel guide, flipping it to a page where Seventh Heaven was featured… along with reviews.

("No trip to the blossoming city of Edge is complete without a stop at Seventh Heaven," Cloud had read aloud. "Owner Tifa Lockhart's Fifth Act and Third Eye continue to represent the pinnacle of culture and dining, respectively, but there is no denying the classic, welcoming feeling of her original outpost, not to mention its historical significance. Her own house-label wine is rumored to taste the best there, and this seems to be true, without there being any clear reason why this should be.")

Tifa knew the reason why.

Footsteps were heard in the distance, descending two flights of stairs; she didn't need to turn to know it was Cloud entering the garage. "Tifa," her husband soothed. "Come up to bed. It's late, and you're working too hard." A warm hand reached out, and he massaged her back with his knuckles. She let out a soft, involuntary moan; he was finding knots she hadn't realized were there, that had arisen over a day of leaning over wine bottles.

Neither of them had to work at this point. She knew that as well as he. The passive income from her businesses was more than enough to leave the household quite well off. Reeve had been quite accommodating about her doing her WRO work from home. And it was a double relief for her when, as they began the process of enrolling Marlene in the WRO's medical program, she had announced that she preferred to remain at home at Seventh Heaven and commute to Asgar for classes three days per week.

("Besides, a lot of my curriculum will be clinical. In-person," Marlene had explained, flipping through the documents Cloud had brought home from Reeve. "I can do that just as easily here. And the need here is probably greater." Tifa had hugged her daughter with tears in her eyes, grateful she would not have to let go of another child. At least, not yet.)

Tifa filled up another bottle mechanically. "My wine supplier called today," she told him.

"Oh?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah." Tifa set the bottle aside; Cloud's loving touch had made her realize how tired she really was. She sat on the bench, looking up to face his concern. "He's thinking we should start selling the wine, retail."

Cloud immediately understood. With multiple businesses, demand for her product had soared far beyond what she could produce on her own. Her supplier produced to her specifications, and Tifa always checked on the finished batch, but it always seemed to lack a little something that Tifa's now-experienced eye never missed from the homemade brew. "How do you feel about that?"

How do you feel, not What do you think. Cloud knew that for her, this was a decision of the heart. "I'm just so unsure," she admitted. "I'm not entirely comfortable with Seventh Heaven becoming, well, a brand. Even if it kind of is already. But at the same time… Our work for the WRO is important, Cloud. Seventh Heaven was such a part of this community at the start, but now that the city has grown, and so many other businesses have appeared, it's not as integral. We have to think of the larger world, you know?"

"Agreed," Cloud said, stepping forward to place his strong hands on her shoulders; she laid her head against his still-firm abdomen, soaking up his warmth and strength.

He'd had to make the same kinds of decisions himself; letting go of Strife Delivery Service and the relative freedom it had given him. But that compromise was worth it. He frequently worked with Barret in the field, laying supply lines and infrastructure while Barret's role was to make it sustainable. It was startling to see the older man absolutely beaming with pride when he called Marlene from whatever far-flung location they were at that day, assuring her that the latest project wouldn't harm the Planet, "just like I promised you, sweetheart."

The latest was clean Materia. Cloud had already heard a little about it, as it was a major part of Mina's study, and likely to be part of Marlene's as well. Still, he had expressed concern; Barret had shushed him. "It's not suitable for full-scale use," he'd told Cloud. "We'll be doing this kind of fieldwork for a while yet."

Speaking of Mina…

Apparently, some of the idea had come from Cid's Shera airship, and the odd power system, suspected to date back to pre-Jenova Cetra times. Cloud had called Cid about it only the day before, and after a short technical discussion, Cid had surprised him by asking, "So, is Mina your daughter-in-law yet?"

The question had surprised Cloud. Tifa had told him that it was likely to happen sooner rather than later, but… "That's Denzel's choice to make, not mine." He and Tifa had done the best with their two children to prepare them for life ahead; now, they had to let go, trust Denzel and Marlene to make their own decisions.

"Pity," Cid had mused. In the background Cloud could hear toddler Stella babbling; it brought up a pang in Cloud, issues he would rather avoid. "They're practically a young married couple already. Certainly fucking like one."

Cloud chose not to question how Cid knew.

A mmmm from Tifa brought him back to the present; he caressed her dark silk hair. "Maybe we should take a break. A vacation. Travel somewhere," Cloud suggested. He, at the least, often went far from Edge and Asgar for work, but Tifa didn't even have that. "When was the last time we did anything like that?"

"Where would we go?" Tifa wondered into his sweater.

Cloud had an idea for her. "How about Rhadore?"

Tifa raised her head, staring up at him in confusion. "Rhadore?" she asked. "Where on the Planet is that?"

Cloud smiled, pleased to be able to surprise her; he himself had only learned of Rhadore a few days before. "It's an archipelago. Northwest of Wutai. Pretty isolated," he told her. "Shinra eliminated the population at the start of the Wutai War. Was looking to build a reactor there - it's one of the spots close to the Lifestream. Like Mideel." He had Tifa's interest now; her eyes eagerly waited for him to continue. "But when the Lifestream reshaped the Planet, it looks like it rose back up again."

"What's it like?" Tifa breathed.

"It's supposed to be very beautiful. Ancient ruins. Lush vegetation. Flowers and water everywhere," and Tifa's eyes lit up. "Reeve wants to make sure it stays that way. Development will happen, of course, but Reeve's keeping it under wraps until he can figure out the best way to go about it. Cid's making a preliminary trip next week; Yuffie is leading a survey team out of Wutai."

"They didn't ask you to go?" Tifa felt strangely relieved.

"My kind of knowledge isn't needed. Not at this point. Later," Cloud explained. "Not until something is really happening. Reeve wants to keep the islands in harmony with nature; he says the Lifestream there actually gets angry otherwise. Mana torrents, he called them. With the Cetra faith spreading, he doesn't expect much opposition." Having endured the Jenova War, Meteor, the vengeance of the Lifestream, few people were willing to go back to the old ways. The rediscovered Cetra beliefs had spread so quickly in part because of that.

Tifa's eyes suddenly sparked with inspiration. "I could design a resort," she announced. "Something in harmony with nature. A place for vacations, friends, families… weddings." In an instant, she even had a name. Sixth Sense. Representing that aura we all shared, that connection with nature that exceeds the limits of our own five senses.

"But first… maybe just the two of us," Cloud suggested. "You and I, a tent under the stars…"

…and Tifa finally, finally, broke into a wide, bright smile. The one that Cloud lived for.

He hoisted her up, pulling her into his embrace. "Ready," he asked her; she nodded into his shoulder.

As he placed an arm around her waist, leading her off to bed, a thought occurred to him. It was after midnight, a new day. He'd promised himself at least once each day, he would…

He stopped her in the doorway, turning her to face him. "I love you," he told her simply.

Her smile grew even brighter, until he smothered it with kisses instead. "I love you, too," she breathed, eyelids drooping as she went up the stairs and settled into bed.

The school term was in full swing, and for Denzel, the apartment he shared with Mina had begun to feel like home.

They had two bedrooms, though of course they slept together in only one. The other one became a guest bedroom – that is to say, Marlene's room and occasionally someone else's. Friends crashing after a party, a visit from Rix or a Petal House girl. But it was taking some time to decorate the apartment, to really put their own touch on it. Denzel wanted it to really reflect the two of them.

("Don't rush it, Denzel," Mina had advised, tacking up a recent picture of the two of them. This one had been from a picnic in the park with friends; Asgar was well within the revegetation zone, and lush native plants had reestablished themselves after decades of absence. They surrounded the couple in the photo, even a small stream trickling through the background. "It'll take form on its own.")

Marlene was visiting this weekend, and Mina had gone out for the night with some friends, leaving the siblings alone together. They were sharing a bottle of wine, one of the few things Marlene would drink, when she drank at all.

Denzel hadn't brought up her near-drowning. Clearly something had happened; Marlene had been pensive ever since. But he figured she'd talk about it when she was ready. Anyways, there was another subject he wanted to bring up.

"What about your love life, Marlene?" he asked.

She sighed, stalling by taking a long sip from her wine glass. "Denzel…" There wasn't much to tell. A few short kisses, just for fun; a make-out session or two. But all of it, she knew, was going nowhere, and she wanted it that way.

"Yeah, I know, but we're used to sharing everything. But I can't shake the feeling there's something you're not telling me here." She hung her head, and he continued. "Is it something you don't want to talk about with Cloud and Tifa?" He doubted it; their adoptive parents had always been willing to listen to anything, remaining tolerant and encouraging, but he had to ask.

Marlene sensed Denzel was hurt, that he knew perfectly well she was keeping things to herself, but she couldn't explain the reason she wasn't telling him without giving away the secret itself. She recalled a recent conversation she'd had with Tifa…

"You know, Marlene," Tifa casually began, as they were clearing up after dinner one night. (It was usually Cloud's job, but he'd gotten back so late from a job in the field that Tifa had shoved a cocktail in his hand and shooed him away to the living room. Last they'd checked, he'd been fast asleep on the couch.) "Cloud and I were talking. We wanted you to know… if you want, you can have… Guests. Like overnight." Tifa was blushing furiously. "Like… Boys. Or girls, if that's what you want."

Marlene paused in putting away the glassware. Poor Tifa, she must have been so embarrassed to say that. "Oh, Tifa," she said, putting down the dishes to embrace her. "It's fine, really. I'll be ready when I'm ready."

She repeated the same to Denzel now; it seemed to mollify him. For the moment, at least.

Denzel himself couldn't complain about his love life. He and Mina made love with wild abandon, now that they had a place of their own. Of course, they'd been allowed their privacy at Seventh Heaven, but it hadn't been quite the same.

It had taken some time and tenderness to get to this point. He'd heard it was harder for some girls than others, the first time. Mina, as it turned out, had been one of the hard ones.

Having made the decision, they'd struggled – he'd attempt to start, enter just a little, only to have her cry out in pain; he'd immediately pull back, and she'd flinch, then insist he try again. After about a half hour, the anticipation had left him ready to explode. They should have gotten a pain materia, he thought sourly. Pent-up, frustrated, and distressed that he was doing something that was hurting her, he was grateful when she finally insisted that they take a break.

They'd held each other, naked, touching and kissing as they had so many pleasurable evenings before, and she offered to do – another of those things they'd started doing in place of actual intercourse. "Let me take the edge off for you," she'd said, sliding down the bed; Denzel groaned as she gave him a release he desperately needed. She put her arms around him as his panting died down and he relaxed; after a moment, he rolled her over and happily returned the favor.

He'd thought that was the end of it, but she quietly whispered, one more try. "It has to be done eventually," she told him, "and I want to be able to be with you this way." He proceeded slowly as before, and this time they were able to achieve their goal. His head absolutely spun with pleasure and wonder, looking into her eyes as they were joined fully for the very first time.

In the end, he was glad they had waited; he knew so much better how to pleasure her. (He still sporadically called Cid, who was only too happy to provide quite explicit technical advice.)

Lovemaking was only part of the awesome life they had begun to establish. They loved their education. Were basically guaranteed jobs at the end; looked forward to a bright future. Most of all, they had each other.

They'd have every good intention to return to Seventh Heaven on the weekends; but it turned out, Cloud and Tifa had been right. There was just so much to do in Asgar for a young couple of students. Friday afternoons classes would spill out and they'd leave in a boisterous group to one of the many pubs surrounding campus. Shouting and laughing, Denzel would put his arm around Mina, twin beers in front of them, a shot of the local whiskey next to his. Television blaring the results of the latest Run Wild tournament or Chocobo races; or the news from the newly established WRON network. Burgers, fries, pizza in front of them, and Denzel would usually buy the first round, aware that he was a child of well-off parents while most others were not.

("I took a walk around campus today. Most of the restaurants have the kind of cheese you can eat," he'd told her one day; she'd squealed with excitement and covered him with kisses.

"I can't believe you thought to do that!" she enthused.

"It was no big deal," he demurred, before suddenly realizing; that was exactly the sort of thing he'd see Cloud do for Tifa. Looking out for her comfort, her happiness. Maybe he was getting the hang of this boyfriend thing after all.)

During the week, they'd sometimes be studying quietly in the library, but more often in study groups, which were organized and encouraged. Denzel's field was straightforward, with plenty of leftover Shinra technology to build upon – but Mina's was evolving. It spilled over into the study of materia, specifically finding clean and safe ways to make and use it.

One day, Mina came home shouting with excitement. Denzel put down his studies to give her his full attention; the soft glow in her eyes spared, absolutely flashing with life.

"I did it today, Denzel!" she exulted. "I talked to a materia!"

That was the trick, it turned out. Materia needed to be nurtured. Encouraged to grow. Allowed to find its own willingness to help, rather than trying to force it, and it would grow as did a natural mako spring.

(It made for some weirdly shaped materia that couldn't be slotted directly into weapons and armor, but there was progress on that front, too. With some gentle prodding, the materia could be convinced to change its shape and mold into the appropriate slots.)

You didn't "use" materia the same way – you asked it instead, Mina had explained. It was more of a… conversation with the Planet. The Geostigma survivors, including Denzel himself, found this much easier to do than did the other students. But Mina had shown a particular talent for it, able to reach to the soul of a materia – something even Marlene struggled to do.

Mina and Denzel had both made personal as well as joint friends, and Denzel was glad for her. She needed more friends; these past years, she'd seen the Petal House girls day in and day out, making a tight-knit but limited group. Denzel's group of friends was a little smaller, mostly from his program, though his best friend was still Rix back in Edge. They'd eventually traded their full stories from both before and after Meteorfall, and found forgiveness for each other – Denzel for being insulting, Rix for leaving.

And for the first time, Denzel noticed… other guys paying attention to his girlfriend. She was beautiful, intelligent, wonderful; but back in Edge, they'd been so known as an established couple that no one had interfered. Now, Denzel found himself glaring sharp daggers whenever a guy gave her a little too much attention, but it wasn't his place to step in unless she started feeling uncomfortable, in which case he would gladly let the other man know what's up.

But then he started to worry. Yes, they'd been childhood friends who became lovers, just like Cloud and Tifa. Did that necessarily mean they were going to be together forever?

Was he holding Mina back?

It was late one night, still half-drunk from another party at their apartment, that he decided to broach the subject. "Mina," he whispered to her droopy-eyed self. "Do you… like, want to see other people?"

Her eyes popped open in surprise.

"I mean, it's okay, we could talk about it…" Even though really, he was not in the least okay with the idea.

For a long, agonizing moment, she seemed to be considering it. "No," she said finally. "I only want you." Her eyes were still a little wine-dazed. "Do you?" she asked him; and Denzel wondered if he'd accidentally given the wrong impression.

"I've only ever had eyes for you," he said simply.

She smiled, and reached for him.

The dinner rush had barely started, but it was safely in Kyrie's hands. She was training not one, but two new hires tonight, both a young woman and a young man new to the city from outside of Rocket City and Corel respectively; and they were wide-eyed, breathless with the possibilities of their new home.

I wonder what they would have thought of Midgar, pondered Cloud.

He'd been heading down the stairs to the family area, btu detoured through the bar to check out the new employees, more out of curiosity than anything else; Kyrie's eccentric approach to business and hiring had proved strangely effective, and as long as it wasn't contradicting Tifa's own vision for the bar, they were content to let her be. The new hires were flustered to meet the husband of the owner; Cloud did what he could to put them at ease, but really, it was a good thing Tifa had met them first.

Suddenly, Kyrie's head whipped towards the door – and the trainees' dual pairs of eyes grew even wider – as Cloud looked up to see approaching –

"Reeve," Cloud greeted the Commissioner, surprised. "To what do I owe the pleasure? It's not like I don't see you enough at work."

"Actually," Reeve told Cloud in that polished-velvet tone of his, "I was hoping to talk to both you and Tifa."

"She'll be there Tuesd-" Cloud began, but Reeve interrupted. "Together. I don't think it can wait."

Clod looked at Reeve strangely. "Come on back," he invited. "We were just getting ready to have dinner. You're welcome to stay."

"I have to get back," Reeve replied, "but I'll stay for a drink at least."

Marlene was nowhere to be see, a fact for which Reeve was frankly grateful. ("She's out with friends late tonight – it's just me and Tifa for dinner," Cloud explained.) He hadn't had much personal interaction with Barret's daughter over the years; and though Marlene didn't really seem to hate anyone, he couldn't help but feel that she must harbor resentment – after all, he'd been the one to bring her the news of Aerith's death. Her and Elmyra both – another woman he needed to speak with. One of these days.

It was a guilt shared by all of the party that had crossed the world – but didn't he have a particular responsibility? He'd been the man on the inside; he should have had the power to stop it, however impotent Shinra had made his position.

Tifa was setting the table as he entered. His first sight of her was poignant, as always. It wasn't that he desired her, gorgeous though she might be – but rather, what she represented. Cloud had a home, a family. A woman who adored him – and who he practically worshipped in return. Things Reeve wanted for himself, a need that was only increasing – he was forty-five now and not getting any younger. His visits to Seventh Heaven over the years had given him some sense of family, but he wanted one of his own. And how on Gaia was the leader of the free world supposed to date?

Tifa's head rose, and she broke into a smile. "Reeve!" she said cheerily. "I didn't get your call – "

"He didn't," Cloud interjected. Reeve had the grace to look slightly abashed.

"Let me get you a plate, we're having steak tonight –" but Reeve waved off her efforts before she could move. "No, Tifa. Let's sit down. It's important."

Tifa's expression grew somber. She nervously topped off her wine as the two men joined her at the table. "Is it Denzel?" she fretted. "Cloud hasn't seen much of him –"

"Denzel is fine. More than fine, actually. He's at the top of his classes," Reeve assured her. He thought back to Denzel's recent visit; they'd talked about things that couldn't remain a secret forever, but now was not the time. "It's something else bringing me to your home tonight. Have you heard of the new Cetra religion that's spreading?"

Cloud and Tifa exchanged worried looks. "Who hasn't by now?" asked Cloud. "But why do you bring it up?"

"Well." Reeve paused; this was the hard part. "You should know, the sooner the better. Aerith's name has started to come up in those circles."

Tifa's stomach dropped. They'd never wanted for Aerith to be forgotten… but they'd so carefully cultivated an anonymity within their community, wanting nothing more than to live a life under the radar. Or, more accurately, to establish themselves on their own terms; Tida had inevitably become known for her businesses. Most attributed the saving of the children to Cloud during the episode of the Remnants… but the actual fight with Bahamut Sin had become surrounded in confusion, with stories claiming the monster had been defeated by anyone from Rufus Shinra to Wutai to the Goddess herself.

"I can only do so much, Cloud. Tifa. You need to be prepared. One of these days… your stories are going to leak out, too. Not all of it, but there were enough people you met on your journey that eventually people will start putting it all together."

Cloud and Tifa exchanged a glance. Matching fear crossed their faces. Cloud wished dearly he knew a way to save Tifa from having to face the pain all over again… but this was yet another of those situations where he had nothing he could fight. How the hell could he keep a promise like this?

He knew the answer, but he didn't like it. He couldn't. Not in the way he was used to. All he could do was console her, let her sink into the comfort of the emotional strength he'd been learning to provide. And that was something he never felt he had enough of… but for her sake, he'd have to find some deep within.

"Well." Cloud recovered from his half-trance. "Thank you for telling us."

"You're welcome. I'm sorry I can't stay longer –" he motioned to his empty glass – "but you two probably need to talk about this privately, anyway."

There wasn't much talking over dinner, however. A little eating… and a whole lot of drinking. Cloud found even Tifa's wonderful cooking sat stale in his mouth. Tifa, devoid of appetite barely picked at the potatoes until she gave up, wrapping the plate and putting it in the fridge for what was likely to be lunch tomorrow.

Talking didn't happen until much later that night, as they spooned in bed together, languorous after a graceful lovemaking they'd engaged in just to feel something other than the inevitable. Cloud had delighted in pleasuring Tifa to distraction, working her up until she begged for him inside of her; but as together they exploded and returned down from their high, sadness and remembrance quickly took its place.

"Are we ready for this?" Tifa asked softly.

"I don't know," Cloud replied. In any case, they had no choice; he had more or less known, deep down, that this would happen sooner or later, but he'd hoped it could happen on their own terms. Destiny, it seemed, had other ideas. "But if we have to be, we'll face it together." He paused. "I promise."

Those were the two magic words, the ones that always soothed her. Made her feel safe. He could feel her visibly relaxing in his arms, and it wasn't long before that descended into the softness of sleep. But he himself lay awake for a long time, holding his wife in his arms and looking out the window, as if he could find the answers in the stars.

Marlene took yet another breath of salty sea air, relishing its new taste, watching birds streaking through the sky before her, hearing the waves crashing in the wake of the ferry to Costa del Sol.

This trip was a treat for all of her senses. She'd never actually been on a boat before. Airships, yes – she'd ridden on the Shera a number of times, even seen this same tableau from high in the skies above – but nothing compared to the experience of riding over the water, immersed in the marine environment before her.

Elmyra joined her at the rail; her grandmother seemed to be savoring the trip as much as she was. The two women had no need to say anything, merely standing together on the Shinra-8 in companiable silence. Behind them, the chatter of tourists at the shops on the foredeck arcade, cheers from the evening's Queen's Blood tournament, the soft direction of the yoga instructor leading her students through the Zemzelett pose; but it was all whispering white noise, nothing compared to the rush of the waves.

"Are you worried?" Elmyra finally asked.

Marlene sighed. She wished she could say no, but… "I have to do it," she told Elmyra. "It's as much for Mom and Dad as for myself."

Mom and Dad. Marlene had just turned sixteen, and that was what she had begun calling Zack and Aerith; before that it had been Mother and Father. With Papa reserved for Barret. It was one of the reminders Elmyra had been receiving more and more recently; that Marlene, despite it all, was really just another teenager – sometimes moody, sometimes sulky, sometimes frightened – but still always herself.

It was also a reminder of the complex web of relationships Marlene navigated – one she appeared to handle with ease. But Elmyra worried that it would eventually take a toll on her; that, like Aerith, she would bury hurts inside and paste on a smile. Elmyra understood well the burdens Marlene was yet to face; thankfully, UNlike her mother, she had freedom from Shinra and a community she could rely on. And Marlene seemed to have been able to resolve in her head the strangeness of having parents on both sides of the Lifestream.

"When are you thinking of telling Barret?" Elmyra asked.

Marlene let her gaze linger on the water as if she could see answers within. "I think… a little bit still." She didn't anticipate Barret would freak out; it was more likely he'd turn into a sentimental pile of mush, like the big teddy bear he was. But it would be emotional in any case, and she just wasn't ready for it.

They exchanged a glance. They both knew Cloud and Tifa would be the last to be told – and why.

But anyways, she had to get through this trip first. She and Elmyra had been planning this for a long time. They'd waited a couple years until Marlene felt like she was ready for this, at least; they'd given Cloud and Tifa the excuse they wanted to spend more time together, for Marlene's sake now that Denzel was gone, and what better than a getaway to Costa del Sol?

For a moment, it had looked like Cloud was going to suggest they all go together, but Tifa had gently laid a hand on his arm. "Let them go," she'd said. "They might need to girl talk."

Tifa hadn't been far off. "So do you think Cloud and Tifa are planning to have children?" Elmyra asked, prodding to see if Marlene knew of Tifa's condition. Marlene's skill with healing was improving greatly, but Elmyra thought she simply didn't have enough practical knowledge yet to handle something as complex as infertility. Her hope was that once Marlene began her chosen course of study, she might learn of a way to help.

"I wonder," Marlene replied. "I used to think that maybe they wanted us to get a bit older, you know… but now I'm not so sure. And I don't feel comfortable asking. It's weird." Truthfully, Marlene had wondered the same thing many times herself, btu any idea she came up with led to possibilities too intimate for her to ask Tifa about. Those answers would have to wait.

Elmyra pursed her lips. Her relationship with Tifa was still evolving, even after all this time; Tifa seemed to sometimes need a friend, sometimes a mother, and sometimes a little bit of both. And the younger woman had trusted her with this secret. It wasn't hers to pass on.

"You know," Elmyra began casually, "I couldn't have children with my husband. I don't know why – we hadn't had a chance to look into medical care before he went off to Wutai and…" Tears filled her eyes; even after all this time, it was hard to remember. Herself as a much younger woman, going to the train station every day until… "But then I found Aerith," she finally said. "And just before I lost her… You came into my life. I'd never thought there was even a chance…"

Marlene spontaneously threw her arms around the older woman. "It's okay, Grandma," she said. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Elmyra's sobs didn't last long, just a temporary wash of nostalgia. Marlene released her as her eyes dried, and her expression was placid once again "You know," she began, "I was the one who delivered you when you were born."

"And Mom held the White Materia when it happened," Marlene added.

"Aerith told you that?" Elmyra asked.

"No, it was actually Dad," Marlene replied. "But it makes me wonder. Did it end up making things easier for Mom? You know, when she did whatever she did, connecting me to the rest of Cetra knowledge?" She put her hand to her chin. "I wonder if it would still work…"

"I don't know. You're a better person to answer that than I am," Elmyra told her.

"I guess so." Marlene looked glum. "I might go to Cosmo Canyon first. Papa wanted me to visit there anyways. See what they know. It's a step."

Marlene's mood was growing dark; Elmyra didn't want her any more nervous than she already was. Carefully, she shifted the subject. "Remember when we left Midgar to Kalm?" Marlene nodded. "You took that flower the whole way there. I was amazed. For all I know, it's still part of the garden. There's so many now, I can't even tell."

"I liked being in Kalm," Marlene told her. "I should visit more often. The train gets there so fast now." The latest ones could get to Kalm in an hour and a half, approaching the speed of Fenrir.

"Any time you want," Elmyra encouraged. "I remember looking at you, and wondering how you would turn out… Even early on you'd talk to the flowers. Just like Aerith did."

Marlene laughed. "Well, now you have the answer," she told Elmyra; her smile suddenly fell again. "Are you ever going to go back and visit your old house? The garden is really thriving."

"Eventually," Elmyra hedged. "It's just still so potent." Maybe I SHOULD visit, she thought. When she'd donated it, she'd expected it to become an extension of the orphanage. But it had been a surprise to learn how it had evolved, even more so to find out that Denzel's girlfriend lived there. A group home for older girls, focused on directing them to the WRO's higher-education program.

"You know what I have been thinking, though," she continued. "I might go back to work. I really liked delivering babies. Although I might need some updated training… I don't know what's new in the field."

"Maybe we can work together!" Marlene replied with enthusiasm. "The newest thing, by the way, is using materia in medicine."

"I thought we weren't making materia anymore?" asked Elmyra. "Even oil is going out of fashion. It's all solar grid now, or wind power like Cosmo Canyon."

"It's a new way of making it. You have to kind of… ask it. Mina could probably explain it better. She's much more talented with it than I am."

Shouts behind them people running to the rail, put an end to their conversation. Instantly, they both saw what had caused the ruckus. Their first glimpse of the coast; a sliver of golden beach was the first thing they saw, followed by the tops of the shops and hotels behind, and finally the raised oceanside promenade. It was mere minutes after that they were docking in the harbor of Costa del Sol.

It took the better part of an hour to disembark from the ship. First they had to retrieve their bags from their first-class cabin (Cloud and Tifa had insisted they not take second class), followed by the hustle to disembark. Finally, freed of the crowd, they took a deep breath, admiring the bright sun and fresh air before heading for the line for train tickets.

This line was much faster than that of departing the ship. Most people from the ferry were staying in Costa del Sol, not moving forward from there; most other places had direct routes, anyways. Only a handful of people were ahead of them.

Elmyra couldn't help but notice Marlene looking sadly back over her shoulder. "You know, we could always stay here for a couple days first," she remarked. "If you're not feeling ready." There was only a couple ahead of them now.

Marlene swept one last wistful gaze towards the sand. "No. It'll just be that much longer I have to worry. I'd rather get there as quickly as possible."

"I understand," Elmyra replied. The two ahead of them stepped away with their tickets; it was their turn.

"Hang loose!" greeted the suntanned young man behind the counter. "Where to?"

Elmyra smiled as she pulled out her wallet. "Two tickets to Gongaga, please."

Author's Note: Yes, I am still here and still going! I switched jobs (new job is better) and I was ill for a while (also better). But things are settling down.

I'm trying to make this story a priority, because it's really important to me to finish it. It was suppose to finish on the "present" date, whenever I write the last chapter, but I literally did not expect this to take nearly FIVE YEARS. Granted, my sense of time is kind of warped due to the COVID era. So it'll probably end in the year 0022 or 0023. Basically, I have just under 50K words of rough draft, which I expect to double in size in the finished product. There's one long and very rough scene in the next chapter, so I'll need to work on that for a bit. I might also break it up by writing a chapter of my crackfic (Cloud and Tifa work at Target).

It should be obvious by now that though this is a Cloti/Zerith story, Marlene is really the driver. And she's very insistent that I finish. Sometimes ISTG it's like she's standing over my shoulder, saying, "GO! GO!" She will literally NOT let me finish it. She wants her happy ending too.

Not much to comment on the chapter itself. Marlene's visions are clearly from the Rebirth Temple of the Ancients; that sequence gives me absolute chills. So I had to include it somewhere.

For those of you playing Ever Crisis: I would have LOVED to include the Cetra/Bahamut anniversary story somewhere, but it's a little late in the story to effectively integrate summons. BTW, Bahamut is my favorite summon (dates back to FFIV, which I had when it released in the US as "FFII"; didn't we all use Rydia and Bahamut to absolutely nuke that final dungeon?) so I had to get ALL FOUR of the special outfits. Which means I paid seventy bucks to get crystals to pull Tifa. But… it's TIFA. I know you understand.

(Also, if you are looking for an EC guild to join, mine is called Stargazers. It's very low-key. Mostly we just play the game and appreciate Tifa.)

It's never said, but I always assumed Tifa makes red wine, not white; she is indeed using proper winemaking techniques. And the "travel guide" is from an idea tossed around a long time ago on a Discord server – what if Seventh Heaven got reviewed by Yelp?

Until next time, stay hydrated, everyone.

-Alluma