onepassingnight | But there is no life on Earth.

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But there is no life on Earth.

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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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."

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."

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?"

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.

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."

"I'm - not one for books usually." He admits it as he walks next to her. Education had been limited in Nibelheim. His mother had had books but they'd been for rainy days or wintertime. When he'd gone to Midgar it had been with dreams of being a SOLDIER and his focus had been on that. He'd caught up on some subjects thanks to cadet classes but Shinra had only been interested in teaching their military certain things and any book education he'd been having had been cut short pretty abruptly. He'd spent his time pouring over books of research when Denzel had come to them sick with geostigma but - he didn't read for recreation. He doesn't have Ami's love affair with them but he can, in his own way, understand it a little. He had, and has, his own things that comfort him.

"What do you like? What hobbies?" It's the simplest of questions, whether it comes from a girl, a doctor, a soldier, or a princess. It's also been a long time since she's asked anyone something that simple. She let the people under her brainwashing go years ago, and she's never been good at believing she could draw someone to her without it.

"Training, I suppose," she guesses before letting Cloud answer. "Maybe sports." He seems the athletic type to her, even aside from being a SOLDIER.

His shoulders shift a little at her question and his face turns toward her as she muses over the answer herself, his lips lifting a little at their edges. His head dips though, chin almost touching his chest for a minute at her assumptions.

"I never was good at sports. No one was ever interested in having me on their team." It feels like a lifetime ago. He's got friends now. Friends that insist on being on his team despite knowing how messed up he can be. It goes a long way toward filling that hole in his childhood even if the insecurity from it isn't probably ever going to be gone for good. His chin comes back up. "I train. I like tinkering though. Fixing things." It made him feel useful. "There's a lot to fix where I live."

Physical and emotional. He felt more confident in the physical area.

"I see. So that's why you wanted to work on Talaria together," Mercury guesses. It had been a long time ago, for her as she is now; centuries. The motorcycle had been sound, but there's always more to do in those cases.

Cloud fixes more than he knows, by being there and by things like that, wanting to do things together and spend time together. The corners of her mouth lift in that still-mischievous smile. "So do you want to try your hand at fixing the things here?"

It's a bit of a joke and a bit of a trap; most of it wouldn't be familiar to him.

"Hn." A brief dip of his head is his nod. He'd wanted to work on her bike because if he could explore its guts, he'd feel as if he'd somehow helped make it safer for her. And he'd wanted to work on it because everyone should know how to break apart and put back together their own bike. Mostly though, silently at least, he can admit that he just wanted to work on it because he would have been working on it with her and times like that, being useful and together and not having anything expected of him but what he already knew he could handle, were special.

At her question though, his eyes slide sideways to look at her and he knows she's teasing. A mild shrug.

"I could. But I might break some of it before I figured out how to fix it."

A part of her would like to be in the midst of working on the computer system, or immersed in research, herself; but it isn't this future that took that away, not really. It's the same busy life she would have had as only a doctor, or any other profession she gave herself to.

"You'd break it," she says, "but if you did, you'd try to fix it." She isn't sure whether this is noble, or futile.

"I would. But it would be easier if I didn't break it in the first place."

It's still better than someone who'd expect to be forgiven without consequences, without making it right; but today is not the place for those thoughts.

"It won't be broken," she says easily.

He looks over at her and maybe they're not talking about tech any more.

"You're sure?"

Edited 2012-04-28 14:15 (UTC)

She'd claim to her dying breath they're talking about tech.

"I'd be here," she says, and a mischievous smile starts to form. "As if I'd let you break something of mine."

It makes him smile, just a little.

"Good. Than I guess I'm safe."

"Stay be me," the queen says simply, "and nothing will go wrong for you here."

It isn't quite the arrogant statement it sounds like; she simply wants him at her side, and while he is, she will show him the things of this world. They have plenty of time to do it.

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But there is no life on Earth.

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shall we wrap this up?

sure~ seems about right and i wanna steal him elsewhere