REMIX Chapter 2 of 3

It took a while coming, sorry guys. Hopefully this is satisfying enough that you won't kill me.

--

Like a silken curtain, the mist of consciousness parted before him as he walked further into the lifestream. Here the presence of the planet hung heavily in the air- the fog itself was incredibly dense, and if he looked behind him he would see no sign of the place he had entered from, only a solid wall of lifestream. But the cloying, caressing tendrils of green didn't bother him- he was welcome here. He ignored the heaviness settling on his shoulders and instinctively walked the path that led him straight to-

"...hey," she said, soft spoken as ever.

"Hey," he echoed back, hesitantly moving closer.

"It's been a while since I saw you last, Cloud..."

"Sorry," he half-whispered, hardly daring to look at her. "It took me a while to come to terms with everything, I guess... It took me a while to be able to come here." He took a deep breath. "Thank you for everything, Aeris. And... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I di-"

"Don't be sorry, silly...." Aeris told him, touching his cheek gently. "You did wonderfully, I'm so proud of you, Cloud. And thank you. Really."

He gingerly wrapped his arms around her waist, but Aeris lunged in and held him tightly. They remained like that for a while before they drew apart slowly.

"Do you know why I'm here?" Cloud asked, looking a little more relaxed.

"Of course, you're a part of us Cloud, we always know what you're thinking," Aeris told him with a smile.

"Uh..." Cloud said, a slight blush tinting his face. "You know everything I think? Isn't that a bit..."

Aeris pinched him on the cheek, giggling. "We don't spy on you, silly!"

"Then what do y-"

"Never mind that!" Aeris said abruptly. "Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Would you let me?"

"We've been waiting," Aeris said, an almost wistful smile on her face. "We've been waiting quite a while, Cloud."

"A-aeris. Can I?"

"I told you, didn't I?" Aeris said, her eyes sparkling with a gentle cheekiness. "We've been waiting for you."

"I-"

The fog around them warped suddenly- shifting to give way to two forms.

Two figures that Cloud had not seen- at least not like this, healthy and sane, for a long time.

"I-" Cloud choked, looking at them with wide eyes.

One of the figures grinned, cheeky as ever, and extended a hand to Cloud. The other looked on, a slight smile on his face.

"It's been a while, spikey"

"Yeah," Cloud gasped out, a delighted smile finally appearing on his face. "Way too long."

--

"But you?"

"Yeah."

"And it's all-"

"Yeah."

"But the-"

"Yep."

"And-"

"Reeve?"

Reeve sighed and collapsed back into his chair.

"Sorry, I'm just no good at accepting weird stuff like this- you know, like, erm- resurrections and," his voice raised a few pitches, edging on the slightly hysterical of someone overworked, "resurrections of an insane psycho who destroyed the city we're rebuilding!"

Cloud tapped his fingers impatiently on Reeve's desk. "But Jenova's dead now, Sephiroth will just be a normal sane man without her."

"Yeah," Reeve grumbled, rubbing at his temple. "A normal guy with superhuman powers! And that Zack guy, he was a SOLDIER too!"

"Can I remind you I joined ShinRa with the intention of becoming a SOLDIER?" Cloud said calmly. "Vin and I are artificially enhanced too. Anyway, can you imagine how handy they'd be with rebuilding the city?"

"You make it sound like you're on steroids or something," Reeve grumbled, collapsing further into his chair. "Okay, fine- the planet is going to spit up two dead guys, and you wanted to let me know. Thanks. Now, what is it that you wanted from me?"

Cloud fidgeted. "Well, they're going to be releasing them through a natural spring near Mideel. The location is one that affects the wildlife the least, and is far away from any humans."

"But what's the closest place like that? Mideel is an island, after all- all that's around it is ocean!"

Cloud fixed him with a piercing stare, bright blue eyes glowing. "I did say I needed your help, Reeve."

"Oh, Jeez." Reeve sighed. "This just keeps getting better and better."

--

Slumbering deep inside the planet's heart was like being wrapped in the softest, warmest blanket, or like a mother's embrace. They spent the time curled up inside the lifestream, listening to the whispers of the others around them, or the movements on the planet's surface. Occasionally they would surface for moments of lucidity for proper conversations with Aeris or when people they knew first entered the lifestream after death, before they were absorbed into the collective consciousness, but normally they just talked and listened through thoughts and emotions.

The reason for their instinctive unwillingness to abandon the thought of their human forms became more clear to them when they reached out to Cloud and felt his need, his longing to have them back. Aeris, too, expressed that they obviously felt they were not yet ready to let go, and in characteristic fashion the entity that was Zack made a crack that they were like some type of ghost in a horror film, with 'unfinished business'.

And so, they waited. Finally, that day was upon them. Aeris's mental touch was gentle as she guided the two beings through the lifestream. They travelled upon the currents of the lifestream until they came to a place where it pressed against the world, lifestream slowly filtering out to eventually return, as all the lifestream did. Here it was colder, and more turbulent than the warm, safe enclose of the planet.

Is this it? The one that was Zack thought, spinning excitedly in the currents. The other said nothing, but extruded a sense of nervousness to the others.

Aeris whispered a sense of calm to both of them, reaching out to open the way into the world. Are you ready?

Y-yeah! Zackbeing replied, suddenly as nervous as Sephiroth's entity. Wait, are you coming too?

Of course! She told them. I couldn't have you all having fun without me, could I? In any case, the rules have changed a little... they're happy for me to go back if I want to. And besides, I need to make sure the Cetra race continues, don't I? She smiled cheekily in a way that would have made Zack blush if he had a body.

Okay, so let's go!

Wait, how does this work, exactly?

Well, I'm not really sure, we've never tried something like this before...

W-what?

It's fine, Cloud'll look after us!

Are you sureeeauuugh!

And with that, they plunged into the black.

--

One would think that having your body regenerated from nothing would be painful, but the pain was flushed out with the sensation of being suddenly immersed in the incredibly icy cold of the ocean, in the pitch black of night. A million new cells were stunned into immediate numbness as the current pulled them around like puppets. It took Zack a few moments to react, before he reached an arm- An arm! He had arms again! He had a body! It felt so good to have a body again! – in front of him, reaching out for anything. But nothing met his fingers but more of the same icy cold water. He struggled in the direction he thought was up for what felt like an eternity, finally breaking the surface. He tried looking around but something amazingly bright shined directly into his eyes, and he was pushed under again by the rough waves. The bright light shone in a beam down into the ocean's depths, highlighting silvery tentacles slightly below him, which he realized was attached to a body. Oh, he thought idly. It occurred to him that he should try to look for Aeris, but he was finding it hard to think for some reason. Actually, all he really wanted to do was sleep. It felt like he'd been here forever, fighting against the ocean. Zack felt himself slowly drifting off, lulled to sleep in the rhythm of the ocean. He could just stay here forever...

What seemed like an eternity later something grabbed him, latching onto his forearm with a steel grip. Zack hardly struggled as he was pulled up through the water, bumping against something large and warm in the water. A body? He thought tiredly, wondering who it could be fighting against the immense strength of the ocean. He felt himself being hoisted and eventually deposited on a cold, hard floor. The wind whipped against his wet skin, but even as someone called his name Zack's eyes drifted shut.

--

That's all for now! Sorry about the long wait, but maybe if I get a couple more reviews the next chapter will be much quicker! And reviews are also delicious and love! Anyway, I wish everyone a happy 2010! Much love, Rafira! Rafira . livejournal . com

Thanks always to my lovely Beta, Kazuhiko! I don't know why she's still stuck with me :P