But there is no life on Earth.

[waterfell]

Near the north pole of planet Mercury, there are signs of life, all enclosed in a thin, transparent dome that still allows a clear view of the heavens. Inside, the air is clean and breathable, and even stirs itself in artificial breezes.

The entire city is a mass of blue crystal, luminous with the glow of thousands of solar trees both within and without, their blue cels attached to silvery branches and trunks. It makes a striking contrast, and the structures provide the city's energy, veritable solar power farms, bustling and thriving like the city itself. . Everywhere, the roads lead inward towards a palace, attention drawn to it by its height, taller than any nearby building.

The lush sound of splashing water comes from a clear, ornamental pool in the entryway. Tropical fish swim contentedly there, glimmers of golden koi amid and around the stems of water lilies. There is greenery, too, and flowers provide a seasoning of color. Overhead, the ceiling is dizzyingly high, adding to the sense of open space.

Seated at the edge of the pool, dressed in an elegant gown and with the sigil of her planet showing proudly on her forehead, is the Princess Mercury, now queen of her reborn kingdom. She plays a simple, longing melody on the harp she holds in her lap.

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<3

[waterfell]

"This kingdom has been restored." She has long practice in emphasizing the achievements and triumphs instead of conceding the defeats. It will take awhile before she's ready to confess what else happened - through no one's fault, this time, but a series of natural disasters.

She smiles, a bit mischievous, like Ami of old. "Want to see it all?"

[findmyownreason]

He blinks. That's what it is. She's not bragging. She should be bragging. She's got her kingdom back. But... she doesn't sound triumphant about it.

She should. And she doesn't. Which means this isn't a triumph the way she wanted.

It makes him frown but his eyes lift when she asks her question, sounding more like herself than before. He's not distracted but he will be sidetracked for the moment if it's what she wants.

"Sure."

[waterfell]

The palace is a sequence of wonders, built for beauty and adorned with stunning examples of artwork all kept safe here. Yet while its design gives it the feel of size and grandeur, it is sparsely furnished, largely empty. She waits for him before moving on, each step graceful, still confident but without the brash force of earlier years.

"You can choose," she tells him as the near the entryway again. "The palace, or the city."

[findmyownreason]

He keeps pace next to her, taking in the palace around them and it feels empty still. Not as empty as it felt before but it still doesn't feel full of life and energy. Tranquil... but it's not the same. It makes his answer easy.

"City." And, after a moment, he repeats his question of: "What happened?"

[waterfell]

The context makes it an entirely different question, and Mercury halts, just for a second, before she continues on, talking as they go.

"There was a series of natural disasters on Earth." No one's fault. She tells herself that frequently. "In the end, it had no chance of sustaining life. The humans still left came here."

[findmyownreason]

"I'm sorry." He knows Mercury is her home but he also knows that Earth was too and that she considered herself one of its protectors. No one can protect against a planet turning in on itself but he suspects it's still hard for her to remember that, as well as simply hard to lose a place that was home to her. Her answer is still lacking in - in something though. Fire? Energy? And he watches her as he paces along next to her.

"What happened to you?"

[waterfell]

She's older now, though she doesn't look it. She's seen family, friends, and associates come and go by the simple process of time. She works hard to be the person strong enough to keep things going.

It takes a lot of energy.

"It's nothing," she says, as she nudges just a bit closer to Cloud as they walk. A comforting presence - a presence - is welcome. "This was all my own choice." And what could be happier, than having her past restored?

[findmyownreason]

He notices the slightly closer shift but he doesn't comment on it. He also shifts just a little closer to her as well, recognizing, at least a little what she needs from him at least in that area. It doesn't stop him from asking.

"Then why aren't you happy?"

[waterfell]

Then why aren't you happy?

She'd like to say that she is, brush it off, turn away with that little gesture that means he's on the wrong track entirely. But the pretense doesn't quite come.]

I didn't want to lose one thing to gain another.

[findmyownreason]

"Earth?" Which seems like a pretty big loss. He's had his planet threatened with annihilation twice in his own memory and he knows what the thought of that happening does to him. Still... she's all alone here. Shouldn't a princes... have people around her?

"Or something else too?"

[waterfell]

There are people here. There are doctors and lawyers and police, and there are politicians and soldiers and businessmen. She meets with them as needed.

But they are not here, at the heart of the city or at the heart of its princess.

"Anything else," she answers Cloud. "I won't make that type of bad bargain." There's a lot she'd have given for precisely what she has in this dream; but what she actually gave up, she wouldn't have sacrificed willingly.

[findmyownreason]

"You're alone." It's the point of the problem to him. He's good at abstract thought. He's aware that an entire planet has been lost and no doubt a lot of people with it. He can understand what that kind of things means. But it doesn't move him except in the general sense. Cloud's always been moved by what's personal and important to him, even if he'll fight for the abstract whole, and he can be sorry a planet and it's people are lost but what bothers him like a thorn in his heart is that someone he cares about is still, even now, alone.

[waterfell]

It's a bleak summary of her current life. She can tell herself it was inevitable, and no fault of her own, but it's gotten hard to tell herself it doesn't matter.

She deflects it. "You're here, and there are people outside these walls. Inside them, too."

It doesn't make those people friends, a word she gave up except in bitter sarcasm. It makes them the same as always: hangers-on seeking favor, wanting something.

[findmyownreason]

He's not going to argue even though he knows people being physically present isn't the same as not being alone. Cloud's very familiar with being surrounded by people and still being alone. If he was going to hope for a future for Ami - this isn't it. But it's not his choice and there's some comfort that this is a dream and maybe, maybe it's not the way things are for her in the waking world. He's already realized that time is fluid between the dreamers and when they meet each other. So instead he ducks his head a little but he nods and, not good with physical expression but feeling as if it's important because no matter what she looks like or when she is, she's still his little sister, he reaches out and takes her hand in his while they walk.

"I'm here."

[waterfell]

Mercury stares down at their joined hands for a moment, perhaps even more unused to touch even among family, with family gone for long as well (Mama...)

But she doesn't pull away. After that brief moment, she seems to relax, and even smiles, far more natural than her usual arrogant smirk. They walk in silence for awhile, as a new thought builds:

It doesn't erase the simple truth. "You'll wake up."

[findmyownreason]

It is the truth and he hums to show he's heard, a quiet sound low in his throat. But then:

"You will too."

A pause as they walk.

"And then we'll dream again."

[waterfell]

They're such simple words, that say so much more. It's a process she's starting to become familiar with, starting to be able to live through. She loses them each morning - but she goes back to them at night.

They're still there.

It's a little like an internet chat, she supposes. Though they aren't a part of her everyday life, she still speaks with the people in her dreams and experiences things with them.

"We'll dream again," she agrees belatedly. It's a nice thought, especially here, where she has few other things to look forward to.

[findmyownreason]

It's what he wants her to remember. He may leave, but he always comes back. It's something he's good at. Both the leaving and the coming back. He's working on the first one though.

"Yeah." He agrees it quietly and gives her hand, still in his despite them both, a light squeeze. Looking sidelong at her there might be the faintest hint of a smile at the edges of his lips as he says: "Now show me what makes you happy here."

[waterfell]

She's become good at leaving, too; or at least, at leaving before she can be left. Never again will she be the one left behind and rejected. (She smells its potential too quickly, and is too eager to shrug someone off before she can be hurt.)

Ami lets Cloud squeeze her hand, and something about his smile makes hers come, too. "I'll show you," she promises, and for a moment she's that eager girl with something to look forward to again.

"I'll show you everything." There is a lot to be proud of, here. The entire planet bears her print on it in what's been done to make it habitable and prosperous. She hurries on, and - of course - comes to a massive, open room distinguished by the computer system and screen that up the entirety of one of its walls.

[findmyownreason]

The bands around his chest loosen up at bit as he watches the change in her. It's enough. He knows life isn't about being happy but - he wants her to be anyway and if he can help, even just a little, from time to time with that, it counts. To him at least. So he follows her with a bit of an easier step, keeping up with her more lively pace and when he sees the computer screen, it's familiar enough that the edges of his lips twitch upward. He doesn't say anything though, simply letting her run the show.

[waterfell]

It's more than showing off the computer, of course. Mercury takes her place and expertly calls up the correct screens. They display various portions of the city in a zoom-in map.

It's like any other city, really: parks, businesses, restaurants and shops, homes. But the blue crystal pervades everything, and it's all enclosed in that thin dome that separates the habitable from the inhospitable.

"Want to go somewhere?" she invites over her shoulder.

[findmyownreason]

He steps forward to join her once she gets to work, looking up at the pictures that come into view with wide blue eyes. It's a little strange, to think that this entire city is in her hands. He's never been comfortable with administration or even large shows of leadership, content only with his small, patch-work and perfect for him team. He doesn't envy Reeve and he doesn't envy Ami. But he knows they're both perfectly suited to the task and even embrace it. Someone has to and Cloud knows Ami well enough by now to know that she'll give it everything she has. His eyes skim over the different scenes, so much neater and cleaner than what he's used to seeing in a large city.

"Your favorite place. I'd like to go there." He finally decides, looking over at her.

[waterfell]

That's easy, but it's a place few others might name. It's a place that's been her favorite since she was a little girl, a place she went to time and time again (when it wasn't the amusement park, which has been rebuilt here but no longer exists the way it had in her memories).

"The library." This is a girl who'd probably even consider that a suitable place for a date. It shouldn't be surprising, even if it may not precisely be what Cloud had hoped.

"Shall we go to the library?"

[findmyownreason]

Cloud hadn't had anything in particular in mind but somehow hearing it's the library doesn't surprise him. He'd never even seen one of those before he'd gone to Midgar at fourteen and he certainly hadn't spent much time in it. He did remember it had been quiet and none of the large, louder, more boisterous cadets had been interested in being there. So he just nods with a grunt in his throat to agree. Wondering if she managed to save all the books she'd probably loved as a child before her other world had ended.

[waterfell]

Some of the books are saved, but more often, electronic copies have been stored on the computer systems. It's a trade-off, really. The knowledge is preserved, but there's no more feel, weight, smell of the paper.

"It's a small building," she cautions Cloud. "However, it stores a great deal more than it seems."