linkingup | yoon's palace

[ Something prickles at her memory, and while she can't recover even a fraction of a second of whatever it is that's been missing every since that fight on the highway in Midgar, the fact remains that there's something there, something familiar.

And she's ready to take the brunt of the pain for Yoon, as he's been through enough already and she'll be fine after this she knows it—

But that doesn't happen. There's a shift and something changes, the hurt she had resigned herself to for his sake crumbling as he shields her from it, shields the both of them from it. It all happens in a flash, too fast for her to easily process it even as the palace walls come crumbling down and they're right outside the library.

What is she supposed to do? What is she supposed to say? Aerith is unusually quiet when the real world settles around all of them again, her silence contemplative and a little shellshocked. ]

Thank you.

[ That much, she knows she should say. ]

You seem fine with...all of this.

[ Fucking gods, honestly. Schneider has no patience for either of them. But when the sword pointed at Aerith, Schneider watched too closely. Worry? Fear? Neither are like her.

That resignation to that fate though...Schneider doesn't like it.]

Fine with it...

[ She tests the words out on her tongue, thinking about how that statement feels in her voice. ]

I'm not. I'm glad I'm alive, but that I could have died at all, or that Yoon could have... I'm not okay with that.

[ And she isn't so sure that she's okay in general right now either. ]

[Something undefinable eases out of Schneider's tense shoulders. It's not a feeling she can place, all things considered. It's not quite relief, or gratitude, or sadness. But--]

...good. You should value your life.

[That's as much as Schneider can admit to, with her stone cold heart. She's not someone easily moved. And yet...]

You looked too resigned to it. I don't like that.

I do. I've got lots of friends back home I care too much about to ever throw it away.

[ This much she feels strong about, at least. There's a certain conviction in her words that Schneider can probably hear. ]

I wouldn't call it resigned, but... resolve, maybe. [ A pause. ] I don't know how I feel about it either. I knew that it could be bad, but I had a feeling that everything would work out.

[ That isn't quite right either, but she doesn't know how to put it into words. ]

...Or something like that.

[ Aerith is one of the first people Yoon sees when they're back in the real world again. He takes in a deep breath, exhales just as heavily. Aerith is alive, and so is he. That worked out exactly how he hoped it would. ]

No. Thank you, Aerith.

[ Sorry, Yoon, but she's hugging you. Her arms immediately wrap around Yoon's shoulders as she pulls him close into the kind of hold that makes it obvious how relieved she feels that he's safe. ]

No need to thank me. You did a lot of the hard work there.

[ He is surprisingly quick to hug her back. He doesn't really think he worked hard at all; standing in front of Aerith felt like second nature, like something he should just do in that moment with the knowledge he had. Still, he can't help but start crying. He's so glad they're both alive. ]

I'm just glad...it worked out...

[ He really is a lot like Nanaki. So fierce and yet so sensitive at the same time, turning into the kid he really is the moment he's allowed to be vulnerable. ]

So am I. I couldn't have asked for it to work out any better.

[ She rests her hand on top of his head, a small gesture of comfort. ]

[ If he reminds Aertih of Nanaki, then she reminds Yoon of Yona – fiery in her resolve, gentle when it comes to matters of the heart. If Yona is his best friend, then Aerith feels like someone he looks up to.

And knowing that is inspiring, but in the moment, it's crushing him. ]

M-me too! And...and if you – if you died because of me, I –

[ He would have never forgiven himself for it. ]

I'm sorry...I'm really sorry...

But you protected me. That's what matters here, you know.

[ Even if it felt all too familiar to her for reasons that she really can't explain, reasons that she really doesn't want to look into too deeply. ]

We're both alive.

....

[ She's right. He can't and shouldn't keep moping over it. They're alive and he is grateful for that. ]

Yeah. You're right.

[ He wipes his eyes with the back of his wrist. ]

You know...I saw what you did for the people in my village. I know they weren't real, but I'm not going to forget that. ... Thank you for that, too.

No need to thank me. It's what we should do, even if they're not real.

[ Not helping someone in need... whether or not they're figments of some sort of magic, she can't stand by and let them suffer. ]

yoon's palace

vague ff7 remake/rebirth spoilers here

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