Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 3: Pursuit

FIFTY-FOUR

An intermission followed the second act of the play, and I took the time to go back to my dressing room, check the script to look over the lines for my upcoming scenes, and just think for a moment. Cloud was getting ready as well, so I had a little time alone. Part of me felt almost ready to cry, I was so happy. Being up on stage again, looking out at the audience, performing under the lights... I'd wanted to find a way back to that life for so long. And now I finally had.

In spite of their fun little quirks, Zander and his friends really were talented performers, and I liked working with them. As for Cloud... he was doing a lot better than I'd expected. It was like he was made for the role. My Alphried. It had been so sweet and funny hearing him talk so differently than usual and seeing him get out of his comfort zone a bit, especially since I knew that he was doing it for me. But what made me happier than anything else and left me smiling almost in a daze as I sat there by the mirror was that he'd said he loved me.

In my head, I knew it was just a part of the play and the scene, but my heart didn't care one bit. I'd seen the undeniable warmth in Cloud's eyes when he'd said it. That line had been different in the script and in rehearsal, but I didn't mind. A good performer knows how to enhance a scene and mix things up on the fly, and Cloud had done that, leaving me so completely floored that I'd almost forgotten my line. It wasn't the same as if he'd said it to me as himself and not as Alphreid to Rosa, but it was a nice start. And I was very happy to take it.

There was a knock on the door, and I looked up. "Come in!"

Gwen stepped inside, a gentle smile on her face. She'd changed out of her orange and white outfit and had gotten into costume for a scene we'd be sharing together. A touch of makeup and a little gray dye in her long, dark brown hair made her look about fifteen years older than the thirty she really was. She would be playing Queen Jayne, Rosa's mother, and I was looking forward to performing with her.

"How are you holding up, Jessie?" Gwen asked.

I sighed contentedly. "It's like I've come home, Gwen. Two years... that's how long I've been away. I didn't want to leave, but I didn't have a choice. And now... well, I feel as if I've been given a second chance. So I'm happy, even if nothing comes of it. Just being on stage again is all I need, really, even if it's only for this one night."

She laid a hand on my shoulder. "Well, if you keep performing like you have been so far, I don't think you've got anything to worry about. You really are an incredible performer, Jessie. Did you see how packed it is out there? We usually get a pretty good crowd, but we've never sold out before. Not until you came along. Thank you."

"Glad to give you guys a boost!" I grinned up at her. "You, Zander, and the others gave me my dream back, Gwen. And I don't think I can ever put into words how much that means to me."

She smiled and went to the door. "It's the least we could do after all you've done for us, Jessie. Ready to get back out there?"

"You gotta ask?" I smirked, standing up.

"Act Three's about to start," she chuckled as we headed back toward the stage. "Let's go see your prince make his journey."

I laughed. "Cloud or Alphreid?"

"Both," Gwen teased.

Cloud and Marcus were already in position by the time Gwen and I made it back to the stage with Ruby, and as the music started to play, I flashed Cloud a little smile and waved. He nodded in return, his eyes only on me in that moment, then he turned as the curtain began to rise and focused on the scene. The holographic background was a winding path through a gray, rocky hillside under an ominous, overcast sky full of thick clouds that left everything in gloom.