Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII
Note: This is for the CxA 100 Themes Challenge. Wish me luck
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Hotel
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Memories of her still flooded his mind. Everywhere he looked, everything reminded him of her. Everyone was telling him that time does heal all wounds; but how could time heal the big gash on his heart? A death of a loved one in never easy, and he knew this, but she was much more than a loved one. She was more to him; so much more that he couldn't describe it in words alone.
He remembered the look on her face as he came down and struck her. Her face, so peaceful, yet strong. She was everything to him; then he had to go and take away his everything! Damn that man, damn Sephiroth! He was going to pay for what he did.
Why do you torture yourself like this Cloud?
He looked around to find nothing. Was he just hearing things? No; he couldn't have. The voice was too pure, too alive for him to be hearing things.
I told you that I would come back once things were finished didn't I?
He knew she was near. She had to be! She was there, right beside him, but yet, no where near him. He cursed himself for letting her die. It was all his fault! Her face of an angel, her voice, filled with passion as she spoke to him, was gone. Forever gone. She was his ray of light, but now his light had dimmed into something barely seen. He had to see her again, and he would.
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He took the backstreets out of Midgar. He had to get away; get away from everyone and everything. Go somewhere that she wasn't connected to, but yet be close if something happened. He walked and walked, but while he was still in Midgar, everyone he saw, was her.
He realized why he never told her the way he felt. He was afraid that she would reject his feelings; she had talked about Zack after all, and that was someone that he could compete with even if he had passed on. But on the date, she had told him that she wanted to meet the 'real' him; and he finally knew what she meant. Before, day in and day out, he would act like Zack. Shoot, he even went as far as making up a fantasy about making it into First Class SOLDIER, but he always knew that it was a lie. He'd only been a cadet and his ranking officer had been Zack. They had been friends yes, but he never met to disgrace his memory like he did. He was someone that could and would never be like Zack. Only Zack was Zack.
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He finally made it to Kalm; something that he thought of as an actual achievement. It was a pity that Kalm had been taken over my ShinRa, but it was nice to see the town more lively. It may have been a change of scenery, but nothing could take his mind away from her. He sighed and heaved himself to the hotel nearby. Once he'd gotten his room keycard, he made his way to the small door up the stairs.
Three; her lucky number. Of all the rooms, he had to see something that reminded him of her once again. He came here for a way to escape. No, he was running away. Running away from the fact that she was gone and was never coming back. He sighed once more, slid the card and opened the door. He turned around as if to let someone walk in first, but he was welcomed by open air. Nothing changed the fact that Aerith wasn't following behind him this time any more real.
"I wish you could be here with me now…" his voice trailed as he put a pillow over his head and finally went to sleep hoping his dreams would ease his pain. They didn't.