"So what do I do now?" Cid asked, undoing Vincent’s seatbelt. Cid had gotten the nurses to remove the IVs and stockings and everything else and they complied when Cid had asked if they could put some real clothes on him. Even seeing Vincent in the plane and dressed normally—for Vincent at least—didn’t take the morbidity of being near him away.
"Just… walk in, I guess," Cloud said.
"That how it worked for you?" Cid picked Vincent out of the seat and carried him outside. Cid cradled Vincent’s head against his chest and looked around.
The few people remaining in Mideel lounged in the sun and waited for a tourist to come by and buy something. There were a few completed building and a few more skeletons of houses, all surrounding the large green pool where the rest of the town once stood.
"What exactly did you mean, by ‘just walk in?’" Cid asked, stepping up to the edge of the lifestream.
"Just… go on in," Cloud said.
"I’m not going to drown, am I?" Cid asked, taking a few reluctant steps forward. The lifestream looked like water except it wasn’t moving. Cid expected his pants to get soaked, but they remained dry. He was surprised when he didn’t feel even vaguely wet. He was even more surprised when he didn’t feel anything at all.
"It’s the lifestream Cid. You can’t drown,"
Cid adjusted Vincent in his arms, putting Vincent’s head on his shoulder and hesitated before putting their heads under. "You sure this’ll work?" he said
"I have no idea," Cloud called back to him, staying on the edge.
Cid looked back at the lifestream. It just sat there and glowed slightly. He swallowed. He had no idea what was down there. Cloud told him there was no way of telling what would happen. Going in meant you couldn’t back out if you got scared. It probably meant talking too. Why did everything require talking? "What good’s this gonna do? Isn’t everyone is here dead?"
"Just go on in!"
Cid looked at Vincent. What little color Vincent had gotten back since they had found him was almost gone. Cid could barely feel Vincent’s breath against his neck. It was so calm, so light. It was as if Vincent were already prepared to die.
"Come on, it’s time to go home, Vince," Cid whispered and took a deep breath. He took one more step, completely submerging himself and Vincent.
Cloud kept watching from the shore as nothing happened and no one really noticed. After a few minutes, he sat down, wondering and waiting.