The cool night air whistled through the rocks as Nanaki crouched by the spring. The walls of Cosmo Canyon towered above him on both sides. He noisily lapped up the cold, delicious spring water with his tongue. Butterflies danced around in his stomach. He didn't really know why he was so nervous. Everything had been going fine.
 Earlier that day, he had asked Tifa if she and Cloud would like to come with him to search for the elusive female in Wutai. She said that it was a great idea and that Cloud thought so too. He would meet them in Costa del Sol in another three weeks. He was very excited about it.
 Nanaki pushed his nervousness to the bottom of his mind and decided it was time to go. He delicately picked up the flower in his teeth. It was a beautiful orange lily, the same colour as his eye. They only grew around the spring, and they were rare, too. He kept one in a pot in his room.
 He padded away from the spring and towards the canyon wall. Then, with a slight grunt, he jumped up onto the first ledge that formed a natural staircase up to the top. He would have to be careful not to accidentally bite through the stem of the flower; if he did, he would have to find another.
 Nanaki kept climbing, even when the ledges began to get narrower. Occasionally a rock would fall from its perch on a ledge and clatter down to the canyon floor. Yet, he knew he wouldn't fall. At last, he reached the top of the wall. He slowly walked towards the edge. He could see a cluster of the lilies growing a little farther ahead. That was his destination. The moon and stars twinkled overhead, and the lights of the town were visible even from five miles away.
 Nanaki began to feel sad, even though there was no reason to be. Maybe it was the importance of the place that made him sad, or the memories he held. He sat on his haunches in front of the flowers. The flowers surrounded a small plaque, worn with age. It was still legible, however.
 His tail bobbed towards it, and the glowing tip cast a faint light upon the words:

 Nanaki gently placed the flower below the plaque. The sadness inside him began to disappear. Even though he missed his mother dearly, he knew that she would always be alive within him. He remembered his words to Cloud as they sat beside the Cosmo Candle: When I think of my mother, I am filled with pride and joy.......
 The time to mourn was over. Nanaki tilted his head back and let a howl escape from his throat. It was not sad, or angry, or lonely, but happy and joyful. He howled again and again, as if the entire world could hear his happiness.
 "Mother........I miss you, but I'll never, ever let your memory fade and die!" he called jubilantly.
 And in the gentle ebb and flow of the Lifestream, he could feel her smile.