There it was again. The goatee'd schmuck. How Cid disliked the way he flirted with Maggie. But these past few weeks had shown less of the playfullness. Simon's dark brown eyes were different now whenever he looked at Magdalena. Cid grinned. Was the boy in love with her? Cid frowned a little when Erratic caught Magdalena's attention away from Simon. Cid actually did like the goatee'd schmuck. Reeve was a good man, and his son was very capable of governing.

He sighed. Magdalena was a wild child, he admitted as much. He was not ignorant of his daughter's almost-sluttish nature. Anyway, what could he do? He loved his little Maggie.... he trusted her decisions. She leant over her plans. Cid smiled sadly. She'd surprised him, that she had with her plans for a space-ship, far more sophisticated than the little hick he'd created thirty years ago. Simon was there with her, also looking at the plans, trying to make her smile. Simon was a good mechanic, Cid remembered.

Cid continued watching Simon as the young man fetched things for Magdalena. This was the son of the President. It should be the other way around! Cid nearly laughed. Magdalena had a way about her that forced men to do her bidding.... usually willingly. Simon, apparently, had fallen under the spell.

Magdalena and Simon leant over the plans again, their blond heads closely intimate, yet it was clear on her face that she wasn't interested in him. Cid sighed a little. Someday, you'll get your due, schmuck, he thought.

Vincent found his younger daughter upstairs again, perched on the highest roof of the building. She turned to him, her dark eyes lighting up in pleasure. "Hey Dad!"

"Hello, Akiranni. How are you feeling?"

"I'm sorry for causing that fight between you and Mom."

"Don't be. It was a blessing you did." Vincent smiled. Suddenly, he reached out and pulled his teenaged daughter into an embrace. "Thank you, Kira."

"Will you be marrying Mom?"

"As soon as possible."

Akiranni smiled brightly. "That's great!"

"But it occured to me, Kira... that I may have been neglecting you." Vincent's face turned serious.

"Neglecting? Me?" Akiranni's eyes went very wide as tears stung them. There were times when she felt neglected.... but she forgave her father for those times already. "Oh, Dad, I understand why you did what you did!"

"That's nice. Because I don't."

Both father and daughter were brimming with tears. "You've always been a great dad," Akiranni said wistfully. "Better than most I know. You were the only one who didn't grow old at all.... and Mom loved you most of all her consorts."

Vincent smiled softly. "I can't take back those years I made your mother and myself miserable.... I want you to be happy, Kira. And from now on, you are going to hve as much attention as you like."

Akiranni grinned. She looked at the sunset horizon. "Can we have a nice flight to the forest there?" she pointed.

Everyone was startled when they heard two great roars coming from the sky. They ran out. Lucrecia smiled and pointed upwards at the circling Chaoses in the air. They looked like monsters, but distinctly human as well. Akiranni's feral features clearly showed how delighted she was at this quality time with her father, while Vincent did not look nearly as horrible as he usually would... not anymore. They pushed themselves through the air towards the horizon.

Yuffie smiled. Godo would have loved to see this. But her son was not here, and anyway, soon he would be told that his parents would be marrying. Things were definitely looking up.

Politesse waited for Runner in the gazebo where they had been meeting for the past few days. It was always so nice talking to Runner, spending time with him, laughing with him. She laid a hand on her stomach. The baby hadn't shown yet, but she knew it would be soon.

"Lita."

Politesse turned. "Runner!"

He held out his arms and she ran to him, embracing him. After a short kiss which she preferred to have been longer, he drew back, a smile on his face. "I have something for you."

"Oh? And what's that?"

Runner grinned and took out a small box from his pocket. At seeing the velvet lining, Politesse's eyes went very wide. "Runner, no..."

"Why not?" He opened it, revealing the diamond ring inside. "Will you marry me?" he whispered almost reverently.

"What's this?" a new voice drifted in. Erratic and Reno were standing at the steps, their arms crossed. They looked almost identical next to each other, the similarities reminding Runner of gargoyles. Reno had his Nightstick, while Erratic had his evil-looking rod. "Well?" Reno asked, a red eyebrow arching over his eye.

"Runner was proposing to me," Politesse told them coolly.

"I see," Reno said sagely. "And...?"

"I just accepted."

"Lita, you're only twenty-five-"

"Uncle Reno, I'm already twenty-five," she corrected him firmly. "I've been making my own decisions since I turned sixteen, and Runner is asking me to marry him, not you."

Reno looked chagrined. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Politesse lifted her chin up. "I've never been more sure about anything else in my whole life." She patted her belly. "And while we're at it, I might as well tell you that I'm pregnant with his baby."

Reno immediately lifted his Nightstick. "All right, that tears it."

Runner took out his gun warily. "Sir, I don't want to have to fight you for her...."

"No, Dad!!" Politesse shouted at Reno, loosing her cool. She swung to Erratic, who had also taken out his gun. "And put that bloody gun away, Erratic. Nobody's going to shoot anybody today, because I'm marrying Runner and that's my final decision!!"

The Nightstick had fallen from Reno's hand. "What did you just call me, Lita?" he asked quietly.

"I called you.... Dad. It only makes sense, since you're gonna marry Mother soon."

Reno's eyes narrowed. "And how did you know I was going to marry your mother?"

Erratic coughed nervously. "WELL...."

The ex-Turk scowled at them. "Well...?"

"WELL..." both siblings said together.

"We were eavesdropping," Politesse blurted.

"We couldn't help ourselves," Erratic blundered further.

"But the important thing is that we like that, right?" Politesse finished, a sweet grin on her lips. "So anyway, I'm marrying Runner, and you can't change that!"

Reno was wincing. "I hate you," he said sourly to Runner.

"I don't share those sentiments, sir," Runner replied almost pityingly. "But at any rate, I suppose I'll have to make do with that first." Runner smiled a little. "You want me to buy you a drink?"

The older man's eyes lit up almost immediately. "Well, Lita, you may have chosen right, apparently," he said gleefully, rubbing his hands. "Where's that drink, kid?"

Cloud approached his old nemesis without fear. It was evening, and everyone had spread out after dinner. Sephiroth, as usual had left the room. Cloud suspected he did that to avoid Tifa and Cloud himself. Tifa was, last Cloud checked, mulling over a new recipe with Shera.

The hero and leader of Avalanche had come to seek out his former enemy with a firm purpose. In his mind, he tightly fixed the image of Aeris, his good friend. But the image he held was not that of her being killed that fateful day in the City of the Ancients. It was her loving smile, calm, serene and forgiving. Cloud realized hating Sephiroth wasn't going to bring Aeris back, it was only going to drive his son away from him.

Sephiroth had not changed. He still stood over six feet, his silver hair flowing down. He wore a simple blue shirt and black trousers now instead of the ominous black trenchcoat of the past. When he turned, Cloud nearly shrunk from the glowing emerald green eyes that had given him nightmares for several years after the threat of Meteor had been vanquished.

"Cloud Strife," Sephiroth said evenly, his eyes betraying his wariness. "What brings you to be out here instead of the company of your family?"

"You."

A silver eyebrow arched delicately.

Cloud nodded and went to stand next to Sephiroth, looking at the landing field, then at the moon. "When you killed Aeris," he began haltingly. "When you killed her... I remember being angry at you.... I hated you then.... because you took something precious from me. Aeris was a good person. She shouldn't have died."

"That much everyone has been drumming into me lately," Sephiroth said softly.

"But... Aeris wouldn't hate you."

The other man didn't answer.

"I never realized just how good she was until now. Until Storm resurrected you.... I never realized how much like Aeris my own son is. A young Aeris all along in front of my eyes, and I never saw it. And now I see.... Aeris can never truly die..... She always lives on, because she's too good to ever really die and leave the world." Cloud closed his eyes.

"Your son honours me with his friendship," Sephiroth said carefully. "It is odd, that I should return from death after thirty years only to have my first taste of friendship."

"Storm is only so young.... and I am giving him the reins of Avalanche to him...."

Sephiroth snorted. "You yourself were only twenty when you led Avalanche against Shin-ra."

Cloud winced. "Well, you don't need to remind him of that," he hushed. Then he sighed heavily. "Tifa and I will no longer be official members of Avalanche... And Storm will lead. And Sephiroth.... You were a war general.... and I feel that only you can properly guide him in this."

Emerald green eyes turned startledly to determined sky blue ones. Both pairs glowed in the moonlight.

"You owe Storm. He has shown you the love of friendship, and now you've got to teach him how to be a proper leader. We all love him, don't we?"

It was a long time, but Sephiroth nodded slowly. "Of course, Cloud."

Cloud turned to walk away. After a few steps, he turned back. "And Sephiroth..... thank you."

Sephiroth bowed. "Thank you, Cloud Strife."

Everyone sat in the meeting room. Cloud sat on one end, Tifa on his right and surprisingly on his left sat Sephiroth. After Tifa and Sephiroth sat Lucrecia and Storm, followed by Magdalena and Simon. Yuffie and Akiranni sat opposite Cid and Shera. At the other end of the table sat Vincent, Runner on his right, Erratic on his left. Runner and Politesse sat next to each other, holding hands, while Blazer slumped in his chair next to Erratic, both of them sharing a beer.

"This is it," Cloud announced.

"What is?" Storm asked his father.

"Tifa and I are retiring. Officially."

"And?"

"Storm will be taking charge of Avalanche from now on," Cloud continued.

"Yeah.... I'm going too," Cid said, sitting up and rubbing the small of his back. "I think Maggie can handle the field by herself now."

"No shit," Magdalena said. "So all the older members are leaving?"

"We're not 'leaving', Maggie," Yuffie said calmly. "We're just getting out of the picture. You kids can take care of yourselves."

"But Dad, if I'm suddenly left in charge, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Write a proclaimation," Cloud replied sarcastically. "You've been leading quite well without me the past month," he said pointedly.

"I have something to say about the Turks as well," Vincent said quietly. "I'm retiring."

"Boss??" all the Turks exclaimed, four bodies leaning forward suddenly. Vincent held up a hand.

"Yes," he said firmly. "You can take care of yourselves now."

"And who's gonna take charge?" Erratic asked skeptically. "Pansy-ass Runner? He's gonna marry Lita in six months and won' t have his head screwed on right!"

"RUNNER'S MARRYING POLITESSE??" various members from the other side of the table exclaimed.

"My fiance's not a pansy-ass!!" Politesse retorted.

"Sorry, Lita, honey, but I beg to differ," Blazer cut in dryly.

"Just because he's more intellectual than you doesn't mean-"

"Lita! How come you didn't tell us??" Magdalena sounded hurt.

"Next thing you'll be telling us that she's already pregnant," Simon drawled.

Erratic choked on his beer even as Politesse blushed. Runner cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling. Vincent's eyes flickered back and forth between the two siblings.

"No shit...." Akiranni breathed, her jaw hanging. "What else is new?

"Kira!" Yuffie scolded.

"Mom and Dad are getting married," Erratic said cheerfully.

"So's my Mom and Dad!" Akiranni tried to one-up Erratic. "What else'll happen? Simon proposing to Maggie?"

Everyone turned to the mentioned couple who glanced at each other. "Oh, crap," Simon sighed. He then winced, having been kicked in the leg from under the table.

"There appears to be an influx of marriages all of a sudden," Sephiroth murmured to Cloud.

"It happens."

"I'll take your word on it."

Back and forth went the congratulations, exclaimations of surprise and curses. Finally everyone calmed down enough to view the new situation.

"Okay, we Turks got no leader," Blazer said. "And Storm's now heading Avalanche. Anything else?"

"I have a suggestion."

The words had come from Sephiroth. Cloud turned to the man on his left with a look of curiousity on his face.

"The Turks and younger members of Avalanche have been working together for the past few months. Why not simply merge the entire group of them? Consider this: Avalanche has had eight members before, and this younger generation consists of only four. The Turks were five, and without Vincent are only four. A larger number is surely better."

"But then we would have to abandon the name Avalanche altogether," Tifa said. "Because even back then Avalanche would never think of working with the Turks. Old prejudices die hard."

"And we should give the youngsters a fresh new face instead of the old rocks we've been hauling on them," Cloud said admiringly of the plan. "New members, new name."

"Why a new name?" Storm asked.

"An avalanche is a snowfall, crushing those in its path," Sephiroth explained. "You're not going to fall.... you're going into space."

"All right, Mr. Leader," Magdalena said. "You get to choose a new name for us!"

"Polaris."

"What was that, Lu?"


"Polaris," Lucrecia repeated. "It is the name of the brightest star in the sky.... the Northern Star."

"And that's settled," Vincent said, standing up. "Coming, dear?" he asked, extending a hand to Yuffie. The rest of the older members also filed out of the room, except for Sephiroth.

"You're not going with them?" Simon asked.

"No. I'm supposed to baby-sit you children."

"Akiranni, what are you doing in here?" Blazer asked the teenager.

"Watching you guys."

Sephiroth sighed as a round of arguments burst out of nowhere. Patience, the voice in his mind told him. This is but the beginning.