"Cid, tea time!" called Shera from the house.
"Look Shera, can't you see I'm *@$^&# busy?" he called.
"Uh, sorry Captain," she said weakly.
Cid was hardly any different from 5 years back. Shera always remembered him as the cocky kid at heart, who always had dreams of flying planes and rockets. Although the war had hindered his progress, he had left off where he was before defeating Sephiroth and fighting the war. Only now, he had gained great fame in being victorious with both these acts, as well as going into space.
He put the finishing touches on the paint job for the Baby Bronco. Since the Tiny Bronco had been blown down in the war, he felt the need to build a 'little cousin' for it, hence the name 'Baby Bronco.' Guess I'll go in for tea, now that I'm finally finished, he muttered to himself.
"All right Shera, I'm coming!" Cid yelled to her.
Cid took his time coming back. "It's about time you came, Captain," she told him. "It's not nice to keep the visitor waiting."
"Oh, not another godamn visitor," grumped Cid. He was used to high profile people wanting his help with their projects. He always turned them down, after all, they weren't part of his long term goal to go back into space.
"Well, this man is a little different. He's certainly dressed oddly, you can barely see his face. He claims to know you personally. He's waiting outside the front door, you should go check it out."
Cid headed outside, expecting some kid who wanted his autograph. Instead, Cid found himself face to face with Vincent Valentine. "Vincent! Who, where, what-"
"May I stay?" asked Vincent.
"Holy shit, it is you!" cried Cid. "I thought you'd vanished off the face of the earth after beating Sephiroth! Of course you can stay. Shera will make you some tea."
15 minutes later, the two old companions were catching up with each other with drinking tea.
"Where have you BEEN for the last five years?" Asked Cid.
"Out on a quest to find Luceria."
"I should have known.," said Cid. "I take it you didn't find her?"
"Actually, yes I did. She, well she committed suicide. That's why I came here."
"I'm sorry," replied Cid, although Vincent looked as emotionless as always. "Why did you decide to come to Rocket town?"
"I have no idea. Now, tell me what you've been doing."
"Well, I spend 3 years as captain of the military in the great big war-"
"There was a war?" Vincent asked, feeling stupid.
"God, you really have been out of it," muttered Cid. "There was a war between Junon and Wutai. Neither side ended up winning, and now the world is rebuilding. Since then, I've been working hard on two projects. I'd be happy to show them to you."
"Sure, just one more quick question," said Vincent. "Could you tell me what has become of everyone else that helped us beat Sephiroth?"
"Well, sort of," Cid began. "I haven't really seen anyone in a while. Two years ago, I saw Tifa and Cloud because we fought in the war together. Tifa's living in Kalm, and nobody knows what's happened to Cloud. He just vanished. Yuffie is rumored to have been killed along with her father at the beginning of the war. Reeve and the Turks are alive, somewhere, and Red 13 is living in Cosmo Canyon. Barret died in the war towards the beginning. The last person I saw was Cloud, at the end of the war. The kid had turned pretty dilusional by the end of it."
"Wow, we're pretty much the most normal people now!" said Vincent.
"I guess so," said Cid. "I just feel bad for everyone. My life isn't great, but things have worked out well, considering..."
"Considering what?" said Vincent.
"Uh, never mind," said Cid.
"All right then, could you show me what's so special that you've been doing?"
Cid's eyes lit up like a little kid. "Follow me," he told him.
After walking to the outside of the house, Vincent saw a beautiful little plane. It looked exactly like the Tiny Bronco, only Baby Bronco was written on it.
"This scene is familiar," mused Vincent, remembering the time he and his friends had first discovered the Tiny Bronco on their quest to defeat Sephiroth.
"She's a beauty, isn't she?" Asked Cid.
"A nice looking little plane."
"OK, now I have the best surprise!" Cid exclaimed. He ran back through the house, with Vincent following him.
After a short walk to the other side of the small town, Vincent saw what Cid was so excited about.
"Nice rocket," he said. "But it doesn't exactly look finished."
"Well, it won't be for another two years. But I'm gonna do it Vincent. I'm gonna conquer those damn planets. I'm gonna become the first! And you're gonna become my copilot!"
"Huh?" Asked Vincent with the most emotion of the night.
"You heard me. Don't give me any shit about not being able to fly because I'm going to teach you. And did I mention I want you to hang around Rocket Town?"
"I figured that out," said Vincent. "In that case, I'm hungry. Can we have some dinner now?"
"Sure," said Cid, still started of his decision for Vincent to help it. Damn, you're getting soft old boy, he thought.
And Vincent was doing his own thinking. What could Cid be unhappy about? He looks like he's got a lot going for him. And WHY did I decide to come here? He realized he'd go insane if he couldn't figure these questions out.
"Shera, you're a great cook," said Vincent as they were just finishing up their dinner a couple hours later.
"Thank you," she replied
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom," Vincent said quickly.
After he left, Shera turned to Cid. "Is there any way I can help you?" she asked him.
"Uh, uh, uh- you can not be so damn intrusive!" he roared.
Shera was clearly shaken after the outburst. "What are you talking about, captain?"
"Well, you know- just don't be! You gotta be tough!"
"Uh, maybe you should lie down-"
"God Shera, don't go offering me shitty advice! You know it does me no good!" he yelled. Cid stormed out of the room, only to run right into Vincent, who overheard the entire scene.
"You really care for her, you know that?" he said quietly.
"Oh god, does it really show that much?"
"To me it does," answered Vincent. "You know you have to tell her."
"I wish I could," said Cid. "But you know I can't. I'm a tough guy, not a softy with love on his mind. But it's the one hole left in my life..."
"Look Cid, I'm going to make you do this whether you like it or not. You know how I decided to visit you over the rest of my friends without knowing why? Well, now I know. You have something I can never have, something I lost with Luceria's death. You have the chance for true love. And I'm not letting you get away with losing it, like I lose mine."
Cid looked at Vincent in shock. He would have never guessed the emotionless asshole could care so much. "I'm going to turn in," he said, and left.
The next morning, Cid walked over to Shera's room after a sleepless night. After thinking hard, he realized that Vincent was right. He couldn't waste his whole life away like that, thinking of love he had a chance at. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Shera called.
"Morning Shera," Cid said as he walked in.
"Would you like some tea, Captain?"
"No, that's not the reason I came in today," he told her. "Actually, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it, Cid?" She asked sweetly after noticing Cid's apparent tension.
"Well, Shera, I've been hiding something from you for years," Cid began. "I can't believe it took me this long but- dammit, forget the speech. What I really wanted to tell you it that- that I love you."
Shera looked at him in surprise and walked closer to him. "You know what Cid?" she proclaimed. "I've loved you too." She then proceeded to give him a hug. The two began crying in happiness and continued the embrace until Vincent, who had witnessed the entire scene, walked in.
"Finally," he muttered just loudly enough for them to hear.
"You were right Vincent," Cid told him. "For the first time in my life, I'm completely happy. How can I possibly thank you?"
"Three things. First, let me stay with you guys- forever. Secondly, I would like to take you up on that offer to be your copilot on your space mission. And most importantly, I want you to admit to us that you're not as gruff as you try to appear."
"Of course you can stay, Vincent!" exclaimed Shera. "You're practically one of the family now."
"And I'd still like you to copilot with me," said Cid.
"Now, let's hear it," said Vincent sternly.
"Oh, all right, I admit I've got a lot of shit up my sleeve," he said. "I've been getting soft over the years."
"Group hug!" said Shera happily, and the two men gradually agreed. During the hug, Cid and Vincent's eyes met. In less than a day, they had grown a special bond of caring."
Vincent had helped Cid by giving him the courage to talk to Shera and finally make his life fulfilled. Cid had helped Vincent gain his heart back after his devastating loss.
"You know what?" said Cid. "We're the two luckiest men on earth. And our life is just beginning."
Vincent, in his typical emotionless manner, silently agreed.
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"Here's your change. Thank you for stopping by," Tifa told the customer.
Since the defeat of Sephiroth, Tifa had attempted to keep a fairly low profile. She took over the bar in Kalm and with her newfound fame, it was an overnight success. A short while later, she was drafted in the war but managed to make it through with Cloud and Cid by her side.
Cloud...she didn't even want to think about him. He had been seen by no one since the end of the war and was thought to be possibly dead. Tifa remembered the last time she saw him. He had been a mere shadow of his old cocky, determined self in the battles with Sephiroth. She had tried to move on but thought of him every day.
Tifa glanced up at the clock. "Kira, break time!" she called. Kira was her top and most loyal employee.
"Thanks, but Tifa, you really need a break yourself," Kira said to her.
"Nonsense."
"Look, I can see it, we all can see it, you could use a break. Please take my break and relax in the bar or something."
"Oh, thank you!" cried Tifa.
Tifa went back to her house to take a shower. But it isn't really the shower I need, it's a life, she thought. This is so depressing. Tifa missed all of her friends. If she could have just one last wish, it would be to have a great big get together with her friends, or at least the ones that were alive.
An hour later, Tifa went to a restaurant. "How many?" asked the waiter.
"Two," came a voice from a man behind her.
"Huh?" Tifa turned to face a young, handsome man about her age.
"Hi, my name is Boris. I've had my eye on you for quite a while. Do you think maybe you could share dinner with me?"
"Certainly," Tifa said, smiling at him. "I'd love to!"
A short while later, after having a pleasant conversation over their food, Tifa visited the bathroom. During that time, Boris ordered some wine and slipped something odd in it just as Tifa came back.
"Oh, another drink?" she asked. "You are very sweet." Tifa took the drink, and almost immediately blanked out.
Three hours later, Tifa woke up in the grass. She screamed as soon as she saw the scene. She was lying naked with cuts and bruises all over her. Her clothes were tattered any lying by her side. "Oh my god, I was, I was RAPED!" she shrieked. Then she noticed Boris standing over her with a knife in his hand.
"That's right, and you're going to do it with me again, or I'm gonna kill you with this!" he roared.
"No, no, no," Tifa whimpered. She sat there, Boris drew his knife, and-
"GET AWAY FROM MY FRIEND, YOU ASSHOLE!" cried a young man.
"You slutty friend was asking for it, you know!" cried Boris.
Tifa looked up. The young man looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember who it was. But when he drew his sword out to kill the bastard, she knew. "Cloud," she whispered and then fell unconscious.
Some time later, Tifa woke up in a hospital bed. After giving thanks that she was alive, Tifa noticed Cloud sitting beside her.
"Oh, thank god you're alive Tifa!" Cloud cried, giving her a hug. "I wasn't sure if you were gonna make it."
"You- you kept your promise again Cloud. My hero came when I was in need."
Just then, the doctor came in. "Tifa, I'm glad to see you're awake," he said. "The STD and pregnancy tests came back negative."
"What happened to me?" she asked him.
"You became yet another casualty of the date rape drug," he told her. "From now in, be more careful when you go out with strange men. You may go now, just try not to do anything to strenuous for the next few days."
Cloud and Tifa happily left. "Come on, let's go to my bar," she said.
After the short walk, Tifa came back to see it covered with a banner that said 'WELCOME BACK TIFA!' She found Kira waiting at the door for her to arrive. "I knew you would be back," Kira said, as the two hugged.
"I'll be working again in a few days," she told her. "For now, my old friend Cloud and I are going to sit down and catch up on a few things."
A few minutes later, the two sat down in a small booth. "Cloud, what happened to you?" asked Tifa. "Everyone thought you had committed suicide."
"Tifa, after the war, I was so lost. I thought that I was going to become like Sephiroth. I lived on weeds at the abandoned Chocobo farms. I just realized a few days ago that you were the person that could help me the most. I guess that I came just in time."
"You will always have a home with me," Tifa told him. "You are my best friend ever."
"You too, Tifa," Cloud said, grinning. "And now, a toast to friendship!"
The two clinked their glasses together. During this time, both were thinking about the same thing: romance.
God, I can't believe I had a crush on him once, thought Tifa. Now I realize that it wasn't meant to be. His true match was Aeris. But I see that we were meant to be lifelong companions.
Wow, I used to have a crush on her, thought Cloud. But now, she's like my sister. I know now that romance never happened because it wasn't in our fates.
"You, know I used to have a crush on you," both said at once. They looked at each other and dissolved into giggles. "But I don't anymore, big brother!" said Tifa.
"Me either, little sis!" cried Cloud. "Wow, it's good we go that all worked out. Now we have nothing preventing us from our friendship."
"Yup," agreed Tifa. "So, wanna work at the bar?"
"You bet!" said Cloud. "I will be gone a lot because you know that I'm a mercenary for hire. You saw last night that I've kept my skills up. But I'll be here for you as much as I can."
"I understand, Cloud. You can rent an apartment next to me."
"All right," said Cloud. "And who knows, maybe someday we'll want a kid, just to carry on the Cloud and Tifa dynasty!"
"Cloud you're terrible!" Tifa cried, throwing a french fry at him. The two proceeded into a very long food fight. Everyone turned to look at them, and could see that the two had each been in trouble, but just being together made their lives better. Nobody would ever doubt either of their happiness again.
After all, that's what best friends are for!
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Up in the heavens, a young woman stared down at the world. Aeris was an Ancient, which meant that instead of going to the lifestream at death, she went to live in the heavens, never to be reborn again.
For the first time since controlling the lifestream and saving meteor with her friends, Aeris looked down at the world with happiness. All of her friends were happy, and the world was at peace.
Her 'mother' Elmyra and 'little sister' Marlene had gotten to say their last respects to Barret.
Red 13 had finally found Nipandra, who she had known about her entire life but died before she got the chance to tell him.
Yuffie had been rescued by Reeve and the Turks, who were on a peace mission.
Vincent got his life back together, and Cid finally got together with Shera.
Cloud and Tifa, her two best friends in the world, had reunited and helped each other in very different ways.
Aeris knew she couldn't talk to them anymore, but she knew they would smile if they knew she was happy. She could never see them again, but she would let her presence be in their lives forever. Now that all her friends were happy, she could relax.
After five years of constant worry, Aeris left her observation post and got ready to take a nap.
THE END