Chapter 94, εуλ0018 (continued)
It wasn't that Cloud was required to work long days. Hades, he wasn't required to even work. Reeve paid him to walk through the door; after that he was pretty much free to do whatever he chose to do.
But for the past few days, he, Reeve, and senior members of the commerce team had been poring over plans to make trade more efficient. (Reeve had looked incredibly amused when they'd been discussing the old network of chocobo stops. Cloud had no idea what the man thought was so funny.) He'd become so captivated that he hadn't realized until he exited the building that it was well into evening, full dark outside.
Luckily, Fenrir could get him home in twenty minutes, and night vision wasn't a problem for him. He'd forgotten to even call; he always called when he was late, knowing how she'd worry otherwise. And they'd actually made some progress to tell her about. She'd be excited to hear it; when he'd first mentioned his latest WRO project, she'd pried him for detail after detail until he finally had to tell her there was literally nothing else he knew.
But by the time he got home, parking Fenrir in the garage and entering the bar, it looked like Tifa had lost track of time as well. She appeared to be taking inventory while scribbling on a pad of paper, which meant she was likely creating new drink recipes, while Kyrie attended to the relatively sparse clientele populating the bar this evening. He hoped she'd make him one to try. A couple customers noticed him; he put a finger to his lips to warn them, as he inched closer to the bar, enjoying the rare opportunity to look at her completely unobserved –
"There's something different about you," he burst out in surprise. She was so startled she actually jumped.
"Cloud! Welcome home!" she sang happily, coming out from behind the bar to meet him. "I thought I'd take Marlene and Mina out for a girls' day," she began. "We went to the hair salon – " one of many types of businesses that had only recently begun appearing in Edge. "I got my hair cut, Mina got some color done, and Marlene… we'll, she'll probably want to show you herself what she did."
Cloud didn't think much about cutting hair. Tifa still cut his own, a little shorter than she used to – but she always left some spikes around his face, saying that was the way she liked it. And considering how much HE liked her running her fingers through his hair, as far as he was concerned, she could cut his hair any damn way she pleased. But for herself, though she'd sometimes do some magical snippy things around her face, for the most part she left it alone until it got too long and she'd take off several inches at once.
But this was something new. "There's something across your forehead – "
"Bangs, Cloud," she interrupted.
" – and some more pieces around your face – "
"Layers." She stepped forward, kissing him lightly on the lips. "It doesn't really matter. I just want to know, do you like it?"
His only response- the only one she needed – was to grin and caress the long, layered strands.
"I was thinking of maybe changing the color too – "
"Please don't," he told her, pained. "I love your dark hair."
He thought of kissing her again, just to punctuate that point, but was interrupted by the sounds of young female voices loudly chattering, followed by a slamming door that gave them a split second of warning before Marlene and Mina burst into the bar. Mina had some blonde stripey things ("Highlights," Tifa helpfully whispered), but Marlene…
"How did they get it so purple?" he wondered aloud.
"They have to bleach it out. Take out the real color first." Marlene lifted her single thin braid, the only thing that was different – but hoo boy, it was different. "A few hours ago, this piece of hair was as light as… well, yours, Cloud."
Cloud pondered. "You both – all three of you – look very pretty," he told them, earning twin smiles from the two teenaged girls. Their attention though quickly turned back to each other as they passed behind the bar and into the family kitchen behind.
"TIFA!" Marlene yelled. "What are we having for dinner?
Cloud and Tifa looked at each other. "I could try to help them…"
"Unless Denzel gets home in the next two minutes, I'd better get back there so there's at least someone who knows how to cook." She smiled "Besides, you got home really late. I was almost starting to get worried."
"Uh…" So much for her not noticing.
"It's okay. You made it right on time. I was just finishing up." She pointed to her handwritten jottings. "Have a seat and relax. Let me just make you one of these new cocktails first…"
They'd spent the day revisiting their favorite places in Edge. The moogle slide, where their childhood selves had decided to be best friends. The church, where as young teens they had shared a first kiss.
But the hard part was still to come.
The graveyard had once been a mako-contaminated swamp, but the greenery had taken over. Marlene had been right; the flowers they had brought now spread in profusion, more every time they visited, until it seemed there was no stopping them.
"Shun seems to be in good hands," Denzel told his girlfriend.
Mina hugged the stuffed moogle to her chest. The glow in her eyes was brightened today, as if Denzel needed it to know she had a troubled heart. "I thought I wanted to leave it. You know, to keep Shun company." She looked up at the sky; it was overcast, threatening an imminent storm. "But then it would be out in the wind and rain."
"We should take it with us," Denzel suggested. "It would be more liked Shun coming along."
"That seems like the best way to go," Mina replied.
She handed Denzel the moogle to hold, taking a few steps to where her brother had been laid to rest. She squatted down, caressing the petals of one flower; Denzel could tell, without knowing how, that the flowers were happy to see her.
It brough something Marlene had said to his mind. Flowers are proof energy is flowing through the world. Me? I think they're the essence of love.
"Hi, Shun," she began. "Or I guess… goodbye? Kind of. I'm going off to college, Shun. I didn't think I'd get the chance to, but I am."
She motioned Denzel to join her. "This is Denzel, Shun. My boyfriend. I know he's been here before, but I didn't really introduce you. We're going together; we'll be living together. It's all set up – our classes, our apartment. You don't need to worry about me. He loves me just as much as I loved you."
She was almost ready to cry; Denzel wanted to throw his arms around her, to comfort her, but he knew she needed this moment. "But this isn't the end, Shun. We'll see each other in the Lifestream. Someday. Not tomorrow, not next week, but when I get there… I know you'll be waiting. You and our parents, and Denzel's parents, and everyone else."
She started to get up; Denzel offered his hand to help. She carefully took the moogle from him, hugging it to her chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind, burying his head in her shoulder.
"I feel a little more like I can talk to him every time we come here," Mina admitted.
"It's not impossible," Denzel told her. "Marlene certainly seems to think so."
"I wonder… I should ask Marlene. Do you think we can cross before then? Maybe I can meet him sooner?" She turned her head to face him; Denzel offered her a soft kiss.
"Marlene says she'll check with Aerith and Zack. She wants us to meet her parents to start; meeting others might be kinda harder. But she says she wants to try, even if she has to pull us in herself – you know, until we learn to do it ourselves."
"Will we? Eventually?" Mina asked.
"Probably. I have no reason to doubt Marlene," Denzel assured her. "She mostly just says to keep on practicing."
Mina didn't have anything to say; they just stood there for a long time. Together. Finally, Denzel softly whispered. "I think it's time to go."
Mina nodded, and they departed with reluctance, but not without hope.
This wasn't goodbye; this wasn't forever.
The day had to come sometime. But that didn't make it any easier.
Denzel looked around his room, now all boxed up except for a few small things he needed to keep at hand. A change of clothes, toothbrush. Razor, although he barely needed to shave. (Cloud didn't need to at all; Barret had to step in to teach him not to cut his face to pieces.)
Quite a lot of the boxes were actually Mina's. She'd finally given up her room at Petal House on Reeve's assurances that she'd still have a home in Asgar even if she and Denzel broke up.
Not bloody likely, Denzel thought. Not as long as he had a promise to keep. But he could understand her fear. He'd been very lucky ending up at Seventh Heaven. She'd had less time than him on the streets, but the traumatized fear of ending up back out there was still potent for them both.
She'd had her going-away part with the Petal House girls the night before, and was just picking up a few last things before coming to Seventh Heaven for the farewell dinner. Just the Seventh Heaven residents and Mina, who might as well be another member of the family by now.
And after that… Well. They'd be celebrating in their own way, just the two of them. Though they'd be back to visit, it just wouldn't be the same. But he wanted to be with her tonight for no reason more important than being close to the person who would be coming with him to the future tomorrow.
Before she got here, though, he had to do one more thing.
He ambled down the hallway to the bathroom, turning to cross the family room and dining room. The table was set; Tifa wasn't there, but he knew where to find her. He crossed the doorway into the casual family kitchen.
Tifa stood at the counter; fortunately, she hadn't really started yet. Just cutting and chopping, things Denzel knew how to do well. She was so happily absorbed in the process that Denzel hesitated to disturb her, finally clearing his throat to get her attention.
Tifa flinched; she'd been just as distracted as Denzel had thought. "Denzel," she greeted him, smiling. "What's going on?"
His relationship with Tifa had always been a little strained, overshadowed by the plate fall that had taken his birth family. It still hung over Tifa's head, no matter how many times Denzel tried to assure her he had long since let it go. Denzel didn't know how to say outright what she'd come to mean to him, going back to the way she'd taken care of him during the weeks that Cloud had left; the promise she had made that he was welcome to stay even if Cloud never returned. But there were other ways than words to say things.
"I was wondering if I could cook with you tonight. Do the stew together," Denzel began. "You know, my last chance to practice it." Either of them could make this recipe in their sleep, but that wasn't really the point. "Mina really loves it. I want to make sure I can do it right on my own."
Tifa looked at him for a long moment; he wondered what she was thinking. Her new haircut made her look older – well, not older, exactly, more like more mature. More… mom-like? It made him wonder, like he had so many times before, why she and cloud hadn't had a baby yet. Was it because of him and Marlene? It worried him a little bit, but he kinda felt like that wasn't the case; and something stopped him when he wanted to ask more.
"Sure thing, Denzel," she agreed warmly; he nodded, and grabbed one of the several aprons that hung off their fridge. He took his place next to his adopted mother and began, the two of them working together with the harmony established the many times they'd done this before.
Tifa looked up at her son. How long had it been since she'd been able to look down? And even longer since she'd been able to hold him in her arms – he and Marlene, both. When they'd started this tradition, he'd been just a kid, but now he towered over her, his voice deepened into a man's. It reminded Tifa sadly that he was a man destined to move on.
This had always been their way to connect, and she walked through the step for that very reason. As if Denzel didn't already know to sauté the onions first, or brown the meat before the liquid was added. He'd shown his own talent for ever -improvised versions over the years. The version they'd planned for tonight was one of both Denzel and Mina's favorites; a ton of extra spice (which Tifa enjoyed, but made Cloud turn beet red) and extra vegetables that Claudia and Nibelheim had never heard of, but were now readily available in Edge.
"What are we doing for sides?" Denzel asked, calmly stirring before placing the lid on the pot and turning down the heat.
"Nothing too fancy, I guess. Mashed potatoes. The veggies you used to hate."
Denzel chuckled. "I remember," he told her. "I was scared to tell you I didn't like them, just in case…" He suddenly froze, realizing where he had accidentally been heading. In case you got rid of me.
Tifa put one hand on his shoulders; she had to stretch a bit to reach. Her smile was concerned, understanding. "Until we ended up cooking them together."
"And I learned I liked them," Denzel answered. "With all the nuts and berries and stuff that you put in."
"I'm trying bayberries tonight. It's a more local berry, Junon region, kind of like the Nibel cranberries I usually use."
"Did you make the olive oil kind of mashed potatoes? For Mina?" Denzel asked. Mina had stomach troubles with regular milk, though like many other orphans, she'd eat whatever she was given without complaint. So Denzel tried to be the one to look out for her.
"Better," she told him. "I got my hands on some of that Kujata cheese. The kind she can handle." Kujatas were a different, though related, type of dairy animal – he'd heard them called buffaloes now, but the original name still lingered – and Mina didn't seem to have the same problems with their products.
"What's for dessert?" Denzel asked. He wanted to make sure the special occasion was… well, special.
"Cloud's picking up some stuff. A chocolate thing and a raspberry something. And Marlene… she went to the Wutaian neighborhood tonight. Said she was going to bring back some appetizers we needed to try."
Denzel openly laughed. "Of course she did. Something probably too spicy for anyone else. Or with monster bits." Marlene had always been the most adventurous eater of the family. She'd been the one to suggest the stew be made even spicier. Cloud had openly choked at that suggestion.
"Rix called a little while ago. He's going to make it for dinner." Rix had let bygones be bygones, and he'd become Denzel's best friend; Denzel hoped even with him leaving for university, they'd be able to keep that friendship going. He hadn't made it to the Meteorfall party, calling late, all apologies, that he'd gotten held up at the shop and was going to a Meteorfall party closer by; so Denzel was extra glad to have this chance to see him.
"I pulled out some stuff for him, too." Tifa pointed to the alternate meat products they'd begun to stock since Rix and some bar guests had become vegetarian. "I, uh, tried to marinate it. You know I'm not very good with this stuff." Tifa was used to working with regular meat; cooking this new WRO product left her lost.
"It's okay," Denzel assured her. "I'll take care of it." He rummaged for the salt, herbs, spices he needed.
Tifa watched him intently as he sauteed the concoction into something presentable and edible. "Denzel," she said softly. "You're going to do well." He looked up, confused. "I'm proud of you," she added, and he put down the spatula to spontaneously give her a full, two-armed hug.
"Thanks.. Tifa." Tifa had never asked him to call her Mom; even Marlene just called her Tifa, and she didn't seem to mind. And although she was indeed his mother now, there was more to her than that.
She was Tifa, and that was all he needed her to be.
It would be hard to let go of this home. But he was heading to a new one, and for both his sake and Mina's, he would make it on his own.
Dinner was done; it had been a bittersweet mix of nostalgia and hope. Bottles of wine were passed around; Marlene's appetizers brought tears to Cloud's eyes. Everyone enjoyed the stew, except Rix, who ate a dinner that Tifa had to admit actually looked appetizing once Denzel was done with it. Mina, pleased she could actually eat the mashed potatoes, filled up so much that she barely had room for the dairy-free raspberry dessert, but managed a few bites. Tifa brought out both desserts lavish with candles and a paper sign saying CONGRATULATIONS.
And now? Time to do the dishes.
Cloud had gallantly volunteered, but Tifa had shooed him away; he had an early day tomorrow. He'd be going at the crack of dawn to do a few urgent things at the WRO, in order to make it back for the official goodbye, then returning to Asgar for the move-in. Fenrir could only carry so much, so they'd go on ahead while Tifa drove the truck with Marlene and all the belongings they'd be loading up in the morning.
She heard footsteps behind her; turning, she saw Mina waiting anxiously in the kitchen doorway. "Tifa," she asked. "Could I help you with the dishes?"
"I've got them under control. Just go ahead and relax."
"Ah… well, really I was hoping to talk to you about something. I thought maybe while we worked."
Tifa rinsed her hands and shut off the faucet; with their new dishwasher, half the work was already done, anyway. AN open bottle of wine was still on the table; she topped off two glasses, before motioning Mina to sit beside her. "I always have time for you, Mina, if you want to talk." Mina was likely to be her eventual daughter-in-law; Tifa wanted to make sure she knew she was welcome.
The girl took the glass offered her with a grateful, thirsty sip, but stayed silent. "What's on your mind?" Tifa gently prodded.
"Well…" Mina seemed frightened to begin. "It's just, I don't really know how to live with a guy? I lost my parents and I never found another set like you and Cloud… so I've only really been living with other girls." She raised her glass again; this time it was more like a swig. "So, uh," I was wondering… what do I have to do, really? Should I be doing the cooking and cleaning? Denzel said it was his mom who did that stuff…"
Tifa reached her hand gently to Mina's shoulder. "It's not like that," she assured her. "Denzel's mom was a homemaker, which is why she did that when he was little. Besides, Denzel particularly enjoys cooking. And he's not bad with cleaning, though to be fair, he hates doing dishes." She jerked her head to the stack still waiting.
"Oh," Mina said. "So… what do I do?"
"That's really for the two of you to decide. Every couple is different, but… It's more like a partnership. It's not like one person does something or does it all the time." Tifa scooted her chair closer. "Look, it's not like there's rules for how things go. Cloud and I still sometimes have things we need to figure out."
"Really?" Mina asked. "I thought you guys were, like, the perfect couple."
"Not perfect, but we're pretty good. And that's because we keep talking about things." And how long had it taken Cloud to do that? At the same time, Tifa had learned to read between the lines and all the things he said without words.
Without words…
"Is, uh, your romantic life okay?" Tifa could feel herself blushing as she asked. "You know… bedroom stuff?"
Mina dropped her head; she was blushing even worse, absolutely crimson with embarrassment, but Tifa didn't miss the smile on her face. "Yeah," she said. "That part is… really good."
"Well." Tifa wasn't planning on prying for details. "Just keep communicating. You love each other. I know it will work out."
Just then she heard the familiar stomp of Cloud's boots, right before he poked his head into the kitchen. She motioned him inside; he came behind her chair to wrap his arms around her neck, resting them carefully over her breasts as she relished his radiating warmth.
"You guys will figure it out, Mina," she said, feeling the love radiating from her own cherished man. "We wish you guys all the love we have as well."
Zack wasn't as powerful as Aerith in the Lifestream – in fact, he was feeling like he'd almost reached his limits – but he did have quite a bit. Enough so that he was now able to recreate for Aerith and himself some of the things he'd wished they'd have a chance to do in life. The places he wanted to take her; the sights he wanted to show her.
She'd gasped in surprise the first time he'd shown her a random field, somewhere between Midgar and Nibelheim. The sky wide and clear above her, stretching on forever. He motioned her to lie beside him in the grass, where he lay splayed out, staring upwards. "I remember being here with Cloud," he told her softly. "Just like this, telling him how I wanted to take you to see this." He turned to look her in the eyes, those pools of Lifestream green wide in fascination.
"Sky… freedom…" Aerith mused. "I'm not scared. Not anymore." She turned with a smile brighter than the sun. "I never will be. Not with you by my side." And of course… he would be by her side. Forever.
She kissed him. Fiercely. And didn't stop there.
That had been a very pleasant surprise, one they had figured out very early on. They could make love here, and it worked just the same way as in life. It was Aerith herself who had changed.
She'd had no other lovers but him; but in life, she'd been a young girl the first time they'd made love – the first time for her, ever. And for Zack, the first time he'd shared the experience with someone he loved. He remembered it well; he, desperate to feel something other than pain at Angeal's death; and she, wanting to soothe his tears, as together they fell almost without thinking into each other's arms, amongst the flowers, together discovering what lovemaking could really be. She'd been shy, though eager; but now she was aggressive, unrestrained. No longer a girl, he was now able to enjoy Aerith as a woman in full.
"It's love. Safety," she had told him. "I'm not afraid to do anything, be anything, with you."
He'd eventually asked her the most important question. Why. Why had she become pregnant.
"It was the Planet," she told him hesitantly. "It… told me it was something I needed to do. And maybe it's because I'm a Cetra, I guess we're more in tune with our bodies, but I was able to… override the materia, I guess. Tell my body to let you in, to make the baby the Planet wanted.
The baby that was to become Marlene.
"I wish I had known," Zack said sadly. "I would have asked you to marry me right then and there."
"I know you would," she soothed, reaching up to push back spikes of black hair. So soft. "Maybe that would have put her in danger. Maybe that's why it had to be this way."
Zack pondered. "You're right," he told her. "I'll take the way things worked out any day over the chance that Hojo could have gotten his clutches into her. Despite his courage, he shivered; even after his captivity, he'd had no fear of Hojo, but for his daughter, it was another matter.
"I wanted to marry you in any case," he told her shyly. "I was planning it. I would have asked as soon as I got back from Nibelheim…" he felt tears coming to his eyes; he didn't bother trying to stop them. A true hero loves; he isn't afraid to cry.
Aerith threw her arms around his neck. "We can get to that later, if we want," she assured him. "We have all the time in the world."
In this moment, though, he had something much smaller in mind. A date. He'd recreated Sector Eight, decorated for Yule, filling it with the people and places from his memory; the actual Sector Eight no longer existed on the Planet's surface. He'd decked himself out for the occasion – a tailored maroon suit over a black vest, white shirt. Blue tie. Topping off the look was a long plaid coat and a slender scarf to match, which he left untied to dangle as an accent.
She'd eagerly played along, snapping into existence a white knit dress, belted empire-style just below her breasts. White boots, above which cheekily peeked blue stockings, and even more so a furry garter that made Zack think of… things. Fingerless gloves with sky-blue nail polish. A long quilted coat with faux-fur trim, and to top it off a knit hat with a pom-pom that made think Zack think of an adorable, cuddly moogle. He hadn't bothered to assign himself a weapon, but she had – a staff with two bronze circles near the top, offsetting luminescent blue arrows pointing out.
She looked sideways at him. "There's something missing." A yellow flower appeared in her hand she affixed it to his lapel, stepping back to admire her work. "There. Now you look perfect."
The flower of reunion. Their reunion was now eternal. He'd worried the afterlife would be an eternity of being bored, but… He hadn't quite figured it out, but it seemed to be a matter of will, either theirs or the Planet's. They appeared when and where that wanted, or maybe where they were needed, and that seemed to work out just fine.
He'd taken her to see LOVELESS – the only play he actually know, resurrecting it from bits and pieces he'd gathered as well as Genesis's endless quoting. She'd helped fill in the blanks, telling him how she'd seen it in the Gold Saucer; he was pleased and intrigued to learn how she'd been tapped to sing on stage, nervous but bolstered by Cloud and Tifa in the wings, and the words of encouragement Tifa had mouthed in her direction. How she'd sang her little heart out… not knowing if she'd ever have another chance to tell her friends how much they meant to her.
"But I was also singing to you, Zack," she told him, leaning against his shoulder as the curtain fell on their ephemeral production. "I didn't know if I would see you again."
She told him how Cloud and Tifa had gone to ride the gondola, and how she'd quietly been cheering them on.
She chose not to tell Zack how she'd first gone to Cloud's room, nearly blurting out a confession of love, before being interrupted by Tifa and fleeing in embarrassment.
Zack hadn't been able to see that at the time; though he could get blurred images through the Buster Sword, Cloud had brought a different weapon that night, leaving Zack blind. Aerith could easily reach backwards through time, following the Lifestream's river of spirit energy upstream, but they'd agreed in the end to leave Cloud and Tifa their privacy.
"Dumbass Cloud should have made a move," Zack mock-grumbled.
"I don't know if he did, but they definitely figured things out eventually," Aerith laughed. She could see into Cloud and Tifa's bedroom if she wanted… but decided the happy, satisfied looks she'd later see on them both told her everything she needed to know.
He'd taken her to a romantic restaurant just off the main plaza, willing a meal of New Junonian cooking into existence. (Marlene had reported that with the Planet healing, quality seafood from Under Junon had become readily available, and an excited Tifa had been quick to incorporate it into her menus.) Eating and sleeping were irrelevant in the Lifestream, but that didn't stop them from enjoying it either if they liked. A bottle of crisp white wine appeared; two glasses turned Aerith buzzed and giggly, but only because she chose to be that way.
Afterwards, he'd walked her out to the fountain centering the main square. Places he would have loved to take her in life, had it not been simply too dangerous for the last Ancient to go.
He looked around; the buildings were a little blurred, like a poorly rendered image, and the view only stretched so far. "This is the best I can do," he admitted.
Aerith smiled shyly. "I didn't want to interfere with what you were trying to do," she told him. "But I can improve it, if you want me to."
Zack was quiet for a moment. Aerith's power was expanding, and didn't seem subject to the same limits as his. "Show me what you can really do," he encouraged.
Instantly, the square snapped into perfect resolution; and Midgar beyond, the city that no longer existed. Further, even, a world reaching far into the distance. The people around them multiplied, became alive; talking, laughing, infinite conversations chattering around them in this, their own private world.
And for a final touch… A trail of yellow flowers, almost like a golden road. Leading out of Sector Eight, out of Midgar itself. A metaphor for their own journey.
"Wow," Zack breathed. "What else can you do, Aerith?"
She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Time and space don't seem to be barriers. But I can't reach the Advent Children, not yet. Or not on my own? Marlene thinks she and I might be able to do it together. We haven't tried." The dilemma, too, was how much she should really influence the world. How to bond the Planet to humans, prepare the world for what was to come.
And Cloud… She'd had to work against the pulls of Jenova and Sephiroth. Marlene did not. It was left to her daughter to decide how to push and pull Cloud in the right direction, though so far Marlene had been in agreement with Aerith. As little as possible. Let him find his own way.
"Yeah, that's WAY beyond me," Zack affirmed. "But it needs one more thing…"
This was his doing, a little something he could surprise her with, as sparkles fell from the sky. His breath came out in soft gray mist, as Aerith looked to the sky in wonder.
"What is…" She left the question hanging.
"Snow," he told her. "It used to fall above the plate, this time of year. I just guessed you'd never seen it before."
She didn't answer; she didn't need to. Her open-mouthed astonishment, her pleasure and wonder, told him all he needed to know.
"I just thought of something," Zack eventually interrupted. "So I've been wondering. Am I, like, a Cetra now too?"
"Like a Cetra, yes. Actually a Cetra…" Aerith mused. "A Cetra is a steward of the Planet. I think you're more like… a guardian? It's not really an absolute line, though. More like… a spectrum?" She hung her head. "It goes the other way, too. My mother… they cut her off from her Cetra connection to the Planet. Made her dependent on artificial mako; she started to withdraw as soon as she was out of the Shinra building. I wonder if that's why we haven't been able to find her yet? I feel like it's possible – I just haven't figured it out."
"That might explain Angeal, too," Zack concluded. "He really got away from his roots, his honor as a SOLDIER. Maybe it's kind of the same thing. I mean, we've talked about SOLDIERs and Cetra having at least some things in common."
"Yeah. Explains a lot about Marlene," Aerith agreed. "Cetra… under normal circumstances… we're supposed to live a long time. Much longer than a regular human. If SOLDIERs weren't contaminated by Jenova, I wonder if they would, too? Not immortal, but closer?"
"I don't have the Jenova in me anymore," Zack reminded her. The Lifestream seemed to exclude it; Aerith would have known if there was as much as a hint of the alien's presence left in Zack. "It's all me. Just like Marlene. You know, she really is the best of us both. She's got what she needs to take on the burden." He laughed. "Bet you're glad now you took me up on that one date, huh?"
Aerith laughed, snuggling into his chest. My hero, she thought. I never have to scream for help. He'll come running to me in rags, even if I don't say it. The one I can always rely on.
The one I will always love.
Zack wrapped his arms around her, and wondered if it hadn't all turned out for the best after all.
He had found his angel; he had found his wings.
Some things had to come to an end… but that end, could also be a beginning.
At least that was what Denzel had been telling himself as this day approached and the butterflies in his stomach threatened to eat their way out. But inevitably, time crept forward…. And it had finally arrived, the day he would be leaving Seventh Heaven.
He'd been standing in Marlene's room, in the spot where his bed had once stood (though it would continue to live downstairs; the Asgar student apartments came furnished.) Reminiscing about he'd been found and brought to this very room, nearly ten years before. He hadn't lived his entire life at Seventh Heaven… but it had been his most formative years.
Cloud stuck his head through the doorway. "Ready, buddy?"
"I just… need a minute." Cloud nodded, and Denzel heard him tromping down the stairs to the garage.
He had so few memories of his biological parents, and even those were beginning to fade. A little less so for Mina, but Denzel had only been six years old when he'd lost them. He reached into his pocket for a worn floral handkerchief, a memento of his time with Reeve's mother. That had been so brief, before Meteorfall had put him on the street – a little kid just trying to survive.
Denzel shuddered. Rats and garbage trying to find something to eat. Hopelessness and the pain of Geostigma waiting for him every day when he awoke.
Then a motorcycle, a woman's kind voice on the phone, and waking up to Marlene hovering over him.
Reluctantly, he turned to leave.
Mina would have already reached Asgar by now. She'd wanted a last visit to Petal House, to the flowers, and she'd excitedly texted him that she'd be bringing pots of flowers from there, rather than depleting the Seventh Heaven garden. She'd be traveling over to Asgar with her housesisters, who had insisted on coming with her to set up.
They'd also be bringing the rest of her stuff, including the housewares they'd needed to buy. Cloud and Tifa had paid for it all, naturally, but they'd simply stuffed a wad of cash into her hand told her to buy whatever she liked. She'd gone out with Marlen and the two had returned with dishes, towels, bedding, and all sorts of things Denzel would have never thought to buy.
He took his time going downstairs, stopping to touch every photo hanging on the walls as if they were talismans of good fortune. They'd started with just a few images Cloud had taken on his journeys with Strife Delivery Service, until Denzel had received a camera of his own. Now photographs positively littered the walls, interspersed with some of Marlene's better pieces of art; a happy montage of family, friends, bar regulars, and scenes from the town of Edge that he'd learned to call his home.
That was about to change today.
Cloud and Tifa had promised to keep his room as is, but Denzel wondered how long that would really last. He'd assured them it wasn't like they had to keep it as some kind of shrine to his existence. Accordingly, he'd packed up nearly everything, taking advantage of the chance to get rid of some things he didn't mean to take into his new life. Posters torn down, remnants of teenage décor. He wanted he and Mina to decorate their new place fresh.
They's start by taking a new set of photos of their own.
Slowly he made his way across the empty bar, taking the time to savor ever last detail – the ones he saw every day, but rarely took the time to notice. The table with the crooked leg that no one ever got around to fixing; Tifa had gotten so used to warning her guests to be careful there, that he doubted it ever would. The drip of the faucet they HAD tried to fix, time and time again, only for it to be broken again a week later. The designated "family" table, where once he'd pored over maps with the man his nine-year-old self had come to idolize, where only weeks before he and Marlene had discussed secrets that still must be kept. But inch by inch, his footsteps led him through the back, and into the garage.
They were all waiting. Marlene sat on the workbench, idly kicking her legs next to the clutter of nuts and bolts that made up Cloud's workspace. She and Tifa were going in a small truck they'd rented, an old Shinra three-wheeler. ("I know you can drive one of those," Cloud had chuckled, leaving Denzel puzzled and curious.) Petal house had a much larger van, as well as more manpower – er, womanpower? – which was why all the housewares were coming with Mina. And they already had friends once they got there – they'd been going back and forth to Asgar to attend the orientation events, meeting other students, many of whom would now be their neighbors.
Cloud leaned nonchalantly against the wall. But Tifa practically leapt forward with a delighted smile on her face. "Denzel," she told him eagerly. "We've been waiting. We have a surprise for you."
She stepped back, and Denzel almost gasped. Behind her, a new motorcycle – well, new to them, though clearly used, but Denzel hardly cared as he stepped forward to run a hand over slightly dulled chrome, worn leather seats.
"What is…" Denzel trailed off as Cloud stepped forward.
"It's for you," the older man nodded. "I asked Rix to keep an eye out for when one of these came his way, after the two of you took those motorcycle lessons."
"I remember those," Denzel said. "Rix and I had fun." Cloud had been adamant that no one was to drive Fenrir but him, instead signing up Denzel and his buddy for a six-session course.
"It's an older Hardy-Daytona. Not the power Fenrir has, but it's the most consistent, reliable choice."
"You can come back to visit more easily – if you want," Tifa suggested. "Or, you know, just take rides with it. Cloud always says long rides help him to clear his head…"
Denzel looked over to Cloud, thinking. Cloud hadn't really taken one of those long rides in a while. A "long ride" on Fenrir meant crossing half the continent; the commute to Asgar barely counted. Did that mean his adopted father had finally cleared his head?
For both Cloud and Tifa's sake, he hoped so.
"Fenrir's waiting outside. I'll drive slow enough that you can keep up with me," Cloud offered helpfully.
"But you need to give the bike a name first," Marlene said, hoping off the bench.
"Well," Denzel mused. The Nibelheim legends of their childhood that Cloud and Tifa had told him right beside the Stamp books he and Marlene both loved. "Loki," he burst out. The father of Fenrir.
It felt right.
Marlene pulled up the garage door, revealing the noisy streets of Edge beyond. He threw his leg over this newest acquisition, settling on the seat, getting the feel of the handlebars and the machine beneath him.
He paused. "Thank you," he said softly, turning to Cloud and Tifa. "For… just.. everything."
Tifa just nodded, and Cloud showed no reaction, but he knew that they had heard.
Turning the key in the ignition, the machine roared to life. His left hand twitched, reaching up to finger the earring he had chosen.
Ouroboros, the symbol of infinity.
He put the bike in gear, and lurched forward.
Denzel and Cloud arrived first, of course, patiently waiting downstairs for the rest of their family. Fortunately, Tifa drove fast, and it was barely twenty minutes before she made it as well, and they went up the elevator as one. Departing on the seventh floor, Denzel followed a sign right, finally finding the apartment number he was looking for. 7R.
Mina was already there when he arrived, with the Petal House girls and the housemother besides, all chattering happily. Her eyes brightened as soon as they entered the door. "Welcome to our home, Denzel!" she cried, walking to him and throwing her arms around his neck to kiss him rather thoroughly. Distantly, Denzel wondered if they were making the people around them uncomfortable, before deciding he didn't really care.
After all, this was a special occasion.
The Petal House group was getting ready to leave; Denzel reluctantly let Mina go to say her goodbyes to the girls she had lived with for so long. There were tears and hugs all around, as Denzel's own small family waited patiently. Denzel knew all of them except the youngest, and for several minutes he had to make his goodbyes as well, enduring both compliments and teasing.
"Who's the quiet girl?" he asked, once they had finally departed and the door had closed behind them.
"She's the one who's taking my old room. Kinda shy since she's a little younger than they usually take girls, only eleven," Mina explained. That was the age Mina herself had joined the house in the aftermath of Geostigma, when homes for the orphaned children were first being organized. But as the system had solidified in the past few years, pre-teens and younger first entered the Leaf House and its extended education program, with the six beds at Petal House being given to the girls with the best prospects for higher education. "They made an exception for her because she was academically so far ahead. Kind of precocious. I wonder if that's because she had Geostigma when she was only two."
"That's tough," Denzel agreed, instinctively pulling her into his embrace. Knowing she felt the same thing he did – gratitude that this girl would have choices the two of them hadn't. The same as they themselves had chances that had never been given to Cloud and Tifa.
Speaking of… Cloud had finished carrying the boxes up from the truck, a half dozen at a time, and now seemed unsure what to do with himself. Tifa had busied herself organizing those boxes into the correct rooms, while Mina and Marlene were already unpacking the kitchen to the left of the entrance.
Seeing the kitchen under control, he first walked forward to peep out to their balcony, checking out the view from seven stories up. Flowerpots had already made it out there; it seemed Mian had brought some of nearly everything, bringing a rainbow of color to the otherwise drab balcony. Returning inside, he went to start work on the bedroom. After a moment, Cloud followed, seemingly grateful to have found an activity. The two worked in silence, making the bed and hanging clothes – Mina had selected soft neutrals for the bedding, no decorations, suitably placid for them both – eventually hearing Tifa's voice joining the two young women in the kitchen.
One of the boxes in the bedroom was the memento box, with the small number of photos he'd selected to bring with him. It had been placed beside Mina's stuffed moogle, which leaned gently against the wall. Either Mina hadn't decided where to put it, or was just waiting for him, but either way Denzel had an idea.
Cloud had exited to eh central living room; Denzel had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he'd hadn't even noticed his sister at the door. "We're finished, Denzel," she announced, starting him. "Come on out and join us. There's a surprise."
Denzel couldn't imagine what it could be now – Ifrit, he'd already gotten a motorcycle today, what could top that? – but what Marlene was referring to was relatively modest in comparison. Waiting on the table was a large gift basket. A bottle of whisky – Kalm brand, rather than the old Shinra brand, which was increasingly rare and therefore incredibly expensive. Various foodstuffs, a few welcome cards, even miscellaneous helpful items like toilet paper. Which, of course, none of them had thought to buy.
"It just got delivered," Marlene told him. Cloud and Tifa beamed in the background.
"I never even heard a knock," Denzel admitted. Marlene was already removing a six-pack of beer to put it in the fridge.
"It's from our new neighbors. Our new friends," Mina proclaimed, smiling. "Another couple is moving in next door, and a few guys into the four-bedroom further down. They said with so many people moving in, it's kind of become a custom for the second newest to welcome the newest. Introduce them around. Start making friends."
"I guess that means we help send out the next one," mused Denzel. The WRO education system was coming together so quicky that new students were being recruited every day. "A bottle of some wine from home?" He looked for Tifa's nod.
"Not everyone is in our class," Mina explained. "Some are getting entered into prep work to officially start next year." She was smiling ear to ear, making Denzel realize how she, maybe even more than himself, was looking forward to their new path, their new future.
Their moving boxes were now more organized than not. Mina and Marlene had finished the kitchen; Denzel saw his set of mythril cooking utensils (a gift from Tifa for his birthday the year before) hanging on the wall, for the first time he would cook Mina a nice dinner. Not that they really had anything to eat yet, but their gift basket had cheese, bread, fruit – something they could at least have tonight. Poking around the kitchen cabinets, Denzel found at least some preliminary spices, ramen noodles, cans of tuna – things he could work with until they went to the store.
He didn't even know where the store was. They'd have to learn a whole new city, on top of everything else.
They would be receiving a nominal student stipend. Denzel, of course, didn't need to worry about money, as his mother was well-known as one of the most successful business owners in Edge. (He had no idea what Cloud made at the WRO, but it was likely significant as well.) But Mina did have to worry about money, and so did others. Denzel had a WRO account started in his own name with a generous nest egg, but he knew he was the exception rather that the rule.
He planned to spend some of that money on their new friends. Maybe treat them to a few casual meals; he didn't want to be guilty of flaunting the fact that he belonged to a fairly well-off family. Denzel didn't think Cloud and Tifa would mind at all.
Cloud looked around the living room. "Are you sure you don't want us to stay for a while?" Tifa asked. Cloud placed one hand on her arm, a gentle such, but Denzel didn't miss Cloud's crestfallen expression. Tifa sniffled audibly, and Denzel realized she was taking this harder than he'd expected.
Were those his own eyes burning?
Only Marlene seemed genuinely happy as, after more hugs, she started hustling their parents out. Tifa finally lost it, grabbing him for yet another hug. "My son," she half-sobbed, snot dripping onto Denzel's' jacket; he didn't care. Cloud didn't end up crying, but it sure looked like he wanted to. Marlene hugged both with smiles and enthusiasm, before placing her hands on Cloud and Tifa's backs and firmly steering them out the door.
Cloud looked back one last time. "Remember – we're always just a phone call away." The door finally shut; the latch clicked behind them.
Mina and Denzel were alone at last.
They plopped on the couch as one, taking off their shoes to put their feet up on the coffee table, as the excitement of the day would down and exhaustion really hit. "Tifa left a bottle of Seventh Heaven's wine in the kitchen," Denzel told her. "Should we open it up to celebrate?"
Mina slumped against him. "Too tired to join it. Let's save it for another day. Can you crack me a beer?"
He complied, returning with two beers as well as some salami and cookies, also part of their care package. He popped them open and handed one to his girlfriend. She took a large gulp, leaning back. Denzel rose briefly, returning with a shot of whiskey for himself.
An hour break – and a couple of beers each – and they were ready to tackle the next set of unpacking. Denzel brought out his photos, and together they affixed them to the walls; most of the two of them, but others taken at Petal House, at Seventh Heaven.
Denzel had selected only a few photos from home, but Mina had brought a large stack. "Marlene wanted to make us some art," he told her, "so let's leave room." Mina looked up, she'd been searching for a spot on the increasingly cluttered wall. "Actually, maybe we should stop now. Let's leave some open space," he suggested. "For all of the new memories we're going to make here."
She put the photo in her hands back down on the table. He abruptly rose, leaving to the bedroom, he returned with her moogle.
A moderately sized TV hung on the wall, with a mantel jutting out above. Denzel had carefully placed his single worn photo of Chloe and Abel on the left, and the wooden chocobo that had sat at his bedside near the end; the one of his new family on the right. He'd considered an earlier photo of just the four of them, but eventually rejected it – Cloud, standing off to the side, was not the mood he wanted. Instead, he'd placed the group photo that had been taken after he'd been healed, showing their extended family as well. Cloud and Tifa's wedding photo was even further to the right.
But he'd saved the spot in the center. Now, he placed the moogle carefully there, arranging its arms and legs so it wouldn't fall off. "It's like Shun is here."
He turned; Mina was staring at him intently. Rising, she joined his side, and he threw his arm around her as they stared at the toy in front of them.
"Thank you," she whispered, so low it could barely be heard.
They couldn't stand their forever. "I think I'm going to try out our new shower," Mina declared after long minutes had passed. A little bit of naughtiness entered her smile. "Interested in joining me?"
That didn't sound too bad. But… "I'll be there in a minute," he assured her.
Tonight might be interesting. They'd only had actual intercourse a handful of times. Denzel was now grateful for those impatient months they'd been doing everything-but; he now knew so much better what pleasure, sex, was all about. And they knew that much better what worked for each other.
He heard the fizz of water beginning to run, as he ambled through his new home. A second bedroom, with the bathroom between the two. He supposed it was implied to be Mina's, but they'd never have separate beds. It would make a nice guest room – Marlene was already making plans to visit. An open-plan living*dining room.
Denzel wandered into the kitchen to top off a splash of whiskey; he saw something he hadn't noticed before. Two stapled packets waiting on the kitchen counter. He picked one up.
It was the class plan and schedules for the two of them, but that wasn't what first attracted his notice. In large bold letters at the top – DENZEL STRIFEHART. His chosen name. He hadn't had many opportunities to see it in writing – but there it was, a reminder of who he was now – and the pages underneath, for what he would be.
He wondered if Cloud had felt this way when he left to go to Midgar. He'd forgotten to ask.
What if things had been different? He'd probably be on course to be a Shinra middle manager by now, a paper pusher desperate for a break to the Gold Saucer. A life lost, and though he still mourned, enough had come to take its place that it no longer broke his heart.
He'd tried so hard to harden his feelings when he'd first arrived at Seventh Heaven, on slowly letting them melt. Evolve. Into his own small web of connections, where his relationships with Cloud, with Tifa, with Marlene, were all a little different but equally special.
The other set of papers, Mina's name spelled out as well. She rarely referred to her last name. Probably for the same reasons. Though she'd never found adopted parents to create a new one.
His education would have been a corporate one, a destructive one; a suited exec in housing above the plate, draining the life of the Planet. Would not have been the same person; would not have been with the same woman. But the Platefall, Meteorfall had changed everything – things generally falling, dropping him into his current family.
A stretch to call him grateful, but he was content with what he had.
He picked up the photo of his birth parents. Dad, Mom, what would you think of me now? In retrospect, he realized he'd learned to be a man from Cloud, not Abel. Dad, I'm sorry, he thought. But this is the way it is. As much as he wanted to honor them… he was moving forward with the life and Cloud and Tifa had given him.
He headed towards the bathroom, dropping clothes along the way.
Author's Note: Hi again! I got this chapter done in exactly the seven days I quoted! Next one I'm guessing more like ten days. One scene is going to be trickier; and I also need to start looking for a job at SOME point, so I might be getting busier.
I'm sure you can figure out the Rebirth nods, as well as why Denzel's apartment is 7R, so here's the rest of the credits.
What does Tifa's new haircut look like? Somewhere between Taylor Swift and Dakota Johnson. She's not entirely sure about it, and neither am I, but she's in her thirties now and really couldn't stay looking the same forever. I think eventually she's going to switch to something like her OG hair with the blue Don Corneo dress, swept off her face – the hairstyle we were so cruelly robbed of in Remake.
Yes, Edge now has a Wutaian neighborhood. I live in a city with a large Chinatown, so it seemed reasonable that as Edge gets wealthier and more cosmopolitan, more diversity would appear. Also why establishments like hair salons are appearing and cuisines like New Junonian are appearing.
I put in boring details like Mina being dairy intolerant (many dairy intolerant people can, indeed, have buffalo milk) and Rix going vegetarian deliberately BECAUSE they are boring. The point being, Cloti are leading an increasingly boring, and therefore increasingly happy, life.
Zack wanting to show Aerith the sky is a CC memory that sometimes shows on the DMW reel. But for the rest of the scene… if you're playing Ever Crisis, you've already spotted the Zerith holiday outfits from there. And if you have the wallpapers, you know the inspiration for this scene. Aerith's weapon is the Radrod, which looks very nice with this outfit. Zack producing poorly rendered buildings is kinda my joke on some of the less-sharp textures in Rebirth, as well as the older technology of the original Crisis Core. Basically, Aerith turns PS2 graphics into 4K PS5 clarity.
Speaking of Ever Crisis… it has a line about the Lifestream traveling through time AND space. In that game, it's largely a plot device to introduce side stories, but it suited my lore just fine, so I feel very validated.
The line about Zack "running to her in rags" is from this tweet: https:** *89my_cho_umy*status*1807351948968067075?s=46&t=qBUND8Hdb2H1AudKIS_2tA 629512886200434689
The quote about flowers representing the energy of the world is from DFFOO. The love part is Marlene's interpretation.
Oh, and if you're curious, Mina DOES have a last name. It's Garamond, because of where I stole her and Shun's names from. It doesn't appear anywhere in the text because I didn't want people's minds going to "FFVI crossover".
