Loveless

FFVII doesn’t belong to me. That distinction belongs to Squenix. 10. Forgiveness Cid, Barret, Nanaki, and Cait Sith sat on the precipice over the Lifestream, and watched Cloud and Tifa emerge from the gaping hole. Yuffie and Vincent stood apart from everyone else, their hands nearly touching. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and helped them out. Barret inclined his head to Cat Sith. “Glad they could make it. Reeve, what about the folks in Midgar?” Cait Sith spread his comic hands. “I made sure the people took refuge in the slums. But…it might not be enough.” Cid nodded. “Now what?” Nanaki cocked his head at Cid. “Now we wait for Holy. It will be here soon…so I think this might not be the safest place to be right now.” Cid looked to the heavens. “Hey, Lady Luck, how about one more favor for Ol’ Cid?” He grinned at his own wit, and then his mouth hung stupidly as the Highwind came crashing down on them. His cigarette dropped from his lip and detonated between his feet. Tifa smiled at Cid. “I guess you owe Lady Luck a favor, now, huh?” The ground trembled under their feet, and the very earth screeched. Cloud shook his head to clear it, and waved the others to the Highwind. “Come on, move it! There’s no time left! Everyone on the airship!” They boarded the Highwind, and as soon as they made it to the bridge, Holy erupted from the earth. It catapulted the Highwind and its inhabitants skyward. Both nacelles tore free from the fuselage, and the ship began to lose altitude. Everyone on board was knocked off his or her feet. They began to slide to the back. Cid grabbed at the nearest thing—a jutting pipe. He hung suspended, and he was slipping. If the others slipped, the back of the ship would stop their fall. If he slipped—well, it was a long way down to Gaia. He heard a maddening klaxon in his ear and looked up. Lady Luck was still holding his hand. The emergency boosters were still online. As his hold on the pipe began to slip, he grabbed at the emergency booster switch. He missed. “Shitfire!” He grabbed at the lever again, and caught it. He pulled the lever down with all his might. The emergency booster coughed into life, and the Highwind righted itself. Cid stood, and took the wheel. God damned if he was going to let just anyone pilot the ship for this last mission. He steered the ship towards Midgar, Holy, and Meteo. O-O-O-O-O Cid’s apprentice took the wheel back when they made it to Midgar. He joined his comrades at the prow, and watched as Holy flew towards Meteo and cushioned Midgar from its squeezing descent. Meteo, much to everyone’s horror, plunged through Holy. Nanaki gasped. “Too late…we were too late. Now, Holy is doing more harm than good. Never mind what Meteo might do to Midgar—this might be the end of Gaia!” As the members of Avalanche waited for the end, Tifa gasped, and pointed. “Everyone…look!” Cid followed her shaking hand. His eyes widened. Strands of Lifestream poured out of Gaia. The tendrils sped toward Midgar, and boosted Holy. Meteo was engulfed in a blazing white light. Some tendrils wound their way around the Highwind before descending on Holy and Meteo. Barret gasped audibly, and held his hand out to one small tendril. “Myrna!” Tifa was surrounded by wisps of Lifestream. “Cloud…it’s Biggs and Wedge…and Jessie! They’re here!” Cloud nodded. “Aerith,” he whispered. A tiny wisp wound about Cid’s hand. ‘Daddy…’ “S—Skyler?” ‘I’m not mad at you, Daddy…’ “Oh…Oh, Skyler!” Cid held both hands out, and the wisp wound its way around his body. ‘I gotta go, Daddy…gotta help the flower lady…’ “Okay, Skye…go!” ‘See ya…tell Mommy I miss her. Love you…and I’ll see you soon…’ Cid let the soul of his daughter go, and it flew to Meteo. Then… Meteo, Holy, everything…it was all washed away.