Wutai, five years later

Aerith walked along the streets, admiring the view. Spring had come again, and so did the beautiful blossoms of the Cherry trees lining the road. The pink blooms were a wonder to behold, like the first time she had seen them many years ago when she was still a Turk. The trees were beautiful during the morning, but they were marvelous at night time. Most especially when the full moon shone brightly. Just like tonight.

Then she clutched her abdomen, grimacing in pain. The six-month old baby in her womb was a fighter, occasionally giving her a kick or a two. Not that Aerith complained. Babies were a blessing, and her child with Cloud was definitely worth it.

"Eager to see the world are you, little Infalna?" she cooed as she rubbed her belly.

It had been five years since they migrated to Wutai. Five years since she had reconciled with her mother and moved on with her life. No one said healing was easy, but she was thankful for the support of the people who cared for her. Elvira. Her therapist. Nearby support groups.

And the love of her life.

Cloud was waiting at the peak of Mt. Wutai. It had been their yearly ritual to see the full bloom of Cherry Trees at midnight.

And she was going to be late.

Walking a hundred steps wasn't forgiving for a pregnant woman, but she wasn't an ordinary expecting woman. She had been a Turk, a killer, a stripper, a kidnap victim. A mere hundred steps paled to her past experiences.

But it was hard.

Familiar faces were climbing towards Mt. Wutai's Peak as well. Friends and acquaintances. To her right, several tourists descended from Mt. Wutai. Strangers she would never know nor see again.

She froze.

The couple wore a traditional Wutai attire. A handsome couple, as a matter of fact. Both of them smiling and talking as they walked down the steps, happily holding their child in hand.

Aerith felt her throat constrict and she blinked. They hadn't seen her. The probably wouldn't, given the large volume of people. But the woman's head turned to her direction, a ghost of a smile on her lips. Lucrecia was still a beautiful woman. Vincent was no longer brooding and his eyes twinkled with happiness.

And their son who looked exactly like them. With

They were smiling at her and she blinked again, wondering if she had really seen them.

"Is something wrong?" asked her mother.

Aerith rubbed her eyes and pinched her cheeks. They were gone, lost in the sea of walking people.

"I thought I saw…" her voice trailed off.

"A ghost?"

"Old friends" she breathed.

Elvira chuckled. "Wutai's a small town. I'm sure you'll meet them later. Come, let's hurry. Your husband is waiting for us."

Aerith looked at the crowd again, before turning away and resumed ascent. Cloud had told her about his last conversation with Lucrecia. That they would meet again at the right time, and it wouldn't take six years, Lucrecia had joked. She certainly kept her promise.

Aerith smiled. The world was a small place, and old friends were always welcome.

AN:

Thank you very much for reading this story! FFM has come a long way, from the initial five story chapter I conceived, to the 23 part story it is today. Posting a story is always a risk, and for me, my hesitations and perfectionism nearly stopped me from finishing this fic. In the end, all the effort and delays are worth it.

Austin Kleon said, " Write the story you want to read", and I did. I always wondered if some people would like or read this fic. The statistics and reviews were kind though! I'm glad when Kasey, Unforgettable Green Eyes, Lovely Precedent (and the others too! )wrote their thoughts about the flow of the story, or what the ending would be . Your words gave me the push to continue writing. For that, thank you!

And now that FFM has finally ended, I will be moving back to the FF8 pages to write His Eyes on Me (Laguna-Raine fic) and Lion's Oath (mystery-suspense). I have another FF7 Fic in line too featuring Cloud as a painter who is commissioned by Sephiroth to paint a magnum opus. Now if you've read FFM, you'll have an idea of the story's tone.

So once again, thank you, and I hoped you enjoyed reading FFM.

Love lots.

- Chryselis

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