Spiraling Universe

Chapter 5


The mansion was once again over-grown with weeds and crawling with beasts from the Nibel Mountains. Axys waited at the Inn with Zurui and Yuri while Yazoo, Loz, Reno, and Kadaj rid the house of the dangerous monsters.

“Mommy?” Zurui said hesitantly.

Axys looked at him and tilted her head to show him she was listening.

“Will you tell me about what happened? When you met Daddy and what happened after that?”

Axys’ brain came to a screeching halt. Hadn’t Tifa told him the story? Why would her son want her to tell him about the day she abandoned him?

“But Tifa told you the story…why would you want to hear it again?” Axys asked, playing it cool.

“Well…” Zurui said, “I like hearing it. It meant a lot to me, knowing what you and Daddy did just so I could be safe. Plus, I always wanted to be able to do the things that you and Daddy did. Aunt Tifa and Uncle Cloud said that you guys were the best fighters they ever saw. Even Uncle Vince said so.”

Axys sighed and nodded, beginning her tale. She spoke slowly, not really focused on her words. Instead, she thought with disbelief that her son didn’t seem upset that she left him. In fact, he seemed grateful for her sacrifice. She looked at her son, gauging his reaction to her story, and then to Yuri, who knew it as well as she did.

Her mood was instantly lightened to see both of them sitting on the edge of the bed, wide eyed and completely engrossed in the tale. She smiled and decided that maybe, just maybe, she should take advantage of her time with her son and her friends before she had to leave again.

“And then one day, while we were celebrating Christmas in Wutai, your father and I found out that we would soon welcome you into our lives.”

“Were you happy?” Zurui asked, scooting closer to his mother.

“So happy.” Axys answered, reaching out and running her hand over his dark silver hair. “You look just like him.” She said absently.

“Mommy?” Zurui asked.

“Sorry.” Axys said, shaking her head. “Anyway. A few months later we got married at the Forgotten City, and shortly after that, we welcomed you into the world. We lived here, in this mansion for a few months, and then-”

“Then the bad lady came back and took Daddy away, didn’t he?” Zurui said, getting into the story again.

“Yes. She did. Your father fought as hard as he could, but Jenova is very powerful, and she was able to defeat him.” Axys decided that because Tifa hadn’t told Zurui the specifics about her death, she should probably keep it that way. “I went after her, because I knew that if she wasn’t stopped, then everyone in the world would die. I made a decision, and acted. One more life, for a million others. I know that Tifa told you that I killed Jenova, but that’s not true. Cloud was the one to defeat her after she had defeated me. Your Uncle Cloud is a much better fighter than I ever was, and so is Uncle Vincent, and Aunt Yuffie. Aunt Tifa is the one who taught me to fight, you know, so when you see them again, you should remember that your father and I are not invincible, like they had you believing.”

“Aunt Yuri, can YOU fight like that?” Zurui asked, turning to look at the small Wutaian woman.

Yuri laughed. “Oh no, I don’t know the first thing about it. I’m the black sheep of the family.”

Axys laughed as well. “Are you kidding? You’re the only NORMAL…sheep.”

“Its okay, I like her that way.” Came a voice from the doorway. They looked up to find Kadaj standing in the doorway, covered in mud and monster grime.

“Kadaj…” Yuri started, looking at him, “Is that…guts…in your hair?” She suddenly looked a little green.

“Yeah.” Kadaj said. He shrugged and a piece of what could have been intestine fell off of his shoulder and landed on the floor with a ‘PLOP!’.

“Cool!!” Zurui yelled and ran over to his uncle. He bent down and picked up the…whatever it was. “Is there more?!”

“Oh gross!” Yuri whimpered and darted off the bed and to the bathroom.

“What? Its just guts!” He said. Axys rolled her eyes and smiled, trying to keep from interfering with a ten-year-old boys grotesque amusement.

“Well, as soon as Yuri’s finished, we can get going. We’ve cleared the monsters from the house, save for the basement, and we’ll take care of that tomorrow. We have the entrance blocked off until then.”

“Okay. You wanna stay here? Take a shower and I’ll get your room ready. I’m sure you want some time alone with your wife.” She leaned closer and added in a low voice: “I know I want some time with my husband.”

Kadaj smiled gratefully and grabbed his old black suit (taken from Tifa’s bar) and stepped around the two, patting Zurui on the head and smiling affectionately as the small boy gave a high pitched laugh and wiped more grime from his uncle’s clothes.

“Let’s go, Zurui. I’ll show you your old bedroom.” Axys said, leading the small boy out of the Inn and toward the old mansion.

“How do you know that I never saw the mansion?” Zurui asked as he walked alongside his mother.

“We could see you and hear you. When someone you love tells you that they will always be with you after they die, it is not a lie. We see everything, hear everything, the only thing we cannot do is contact the living. Only the Cetra have that power. I saw you on your sixth birthday, when you were so angry with Cloud and Vincent because they wouldn’t let you have a gun for your birthday. For the record, I wouldn’t have, either.” She ruffled his hair. “I saw you the first time you skinned your knee, when Denzel ran over your bike, when you woke up in the night and climbed up on the roof-don’t worry: I won’t tell Tifa- We saw it all.”

“Wow.” He was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, it was with a curious air. “Is it scary to die?”

Axys stopped walking. ‘I suppose … I was afraid … but it was more that I was afraid for you. There is really nothing to be afraid of. I know that for you, we have been gone your whole life, ten years. But for us, we feel it NOW, feel the time that has passed, but there, in the lifestream, it felt as if it were mere minutes. There was no pain, no Jenova, and no darkness or cold. It was warm, light, happy, and peaceful. Death is nothing to fear. It is our ultimate goal, after all. Everyone wants to be safe and happy. We live our lives, suffer, smile, laugh and cry, all so that we can rest in peace.” Axys realized that she may be speaking a little too spiritual for her son to follow.

“So its like…retirement?” Zurui said.

Axys burst out laughing so hard that she choked. She started walking again, scooping her son up and slinging him onto her back to carry him.

“Yes. Its just like retirement.”

“Here’s your room.” Axys said, leading Zurui into a warm, earthy colored room. Most of the furniture was still there. She walked over and rested her hands on the crib in the corner, and then ran her hands along the old wooden rocking chair.

“I used to sit here every night and sing you to sleep.”

She sat down and pulled him into her lap and started to sing the song that seemed to be his favorite back then,

“A gentle breeze
From hush bye mountain
Softly blows
For lullaby bay…”


Yazoo stood in the doorway and watched his wife and his son. A sudden ocean of rage filled him and he hated Jenova and Sephiroth and Hojo more than he ever thought anyone could. This was how it should have been all along. Him watching his wife sing their son to sleep every night, not the two of them floating in the lifestream watching someone else do it. Yazoo heard Axys’ voice hitch when she finished the song and he watched as she cradled Zurui closer to her body.

“I’ve remember that song…I remember your voice…” Zurui whispered in a sleepy voice.

“Are you tired?” she asked their son.

“Mm-hm.” he mumbled.

She kissed his forehead and picked him up, carrying him to the stack of blankets that had been laid on the floor for him to sleep on. “Then go to sleep. We’ll still be here in the morning. I promise.” She whispered.

The boy was asleep before she even finished her whispered oath.

She turned around to face Yazoo and he held out his hand for her. She buried her face in his neck and shook with silent sobs. Anger and grief and pain and joy all tossed into one big confused emotion.

“I know.” Yazoo said in response. He tugged her out of the room. “Lets go to bed, Axys. There will be time tomorrow. He needs his sleep. This has been a very exhausting day for everyone, and we need to rest now. We’re not invincible anymore, my love.”

Axys sniffled and pulled away from her husband’s chest. “Actually…I had something else in mind…”