-Unfreezing Her Smile-

Aerith Gainsborough… flower girl from the slums, the sole surviving cetra… my friend… the one I let die… the angel I failed… but above everything else, the one I love—the one I loved... The one I'd give up forever for…

She had the most amazing eyes—I could get lost in them and find myself all at the same time… I wasn't sure how and I didn't care. I still don't.

Her laugh… I remember as clear as the sun shining in the sky. It was so innocent… so sweet. The tune of her soft giggles could put the world's prettiest sounds to shame. I always wondered if she knew, if she knew how breathtaking it was to hear her laugh. I wonder if she knew how much her laugh mesmerized me? I can only hope that she knew how much I loved her laugh… otherwise; I just failed her on one more thing.

She had such an enchanting smile… a smile that could be compared to a flower, if only a flower was able to be as beautiful as her smile—so gentle and sweet. Even though I've seen her smile hundreds of times, would you believe I still haven't seen a flower as beautiful as her smile? I'd like to say it reminded me of a rose or a lily but even those aren't beautiful enough to compare to her smile.

It seemed like every time I reached the deepest pit of my darkness she would flash that smile at me, and as if her smile was the sun itself, her gentle beams of light would come and save me.

There were endless times where her smile was able to make me feel as if nothing was wrong… as if everything was all right… even when it wasn't.

Despite everything she was put through her entire life, she smiled always—like a flower fresh in bloom after a harsh winter had tried its best to stop her beautiful bud from blooming into a breathtaking flower. I always wanted to know why she smiled, even in the darkest of times. I wanted to know what or who made her smile… I wanted to know… if she knew that she was the sole reason why I ever smiled.

I wish I had asked her what made her smile so much… now it's too late. And it's just another thing I regret not ever doing.

Her smile was able to melt the ice around my heart… and now, it was her smile that was frozen.

Frozen because I let him hurt her… frozen because I failed her when she needed me most. It was all so sudden, I wasn't able to even think or move… If I could have, I would have given up the entire world to just have the chance to tell her how sorry I am for failing her.

…We're heading to the Northern Crater today. All of our friends by my side, ready to put an end to Sephiroth's plan… the very thing she tried to stop.

Saving the planet was her dying wish and I will finish it… for her. Because that's what she would have wanted; to save the planet and all of the people, including all of her… our friends.

So I will fight. I'll fight for our friends, the planet…

But above all else, I am fighting to unfreeze her smile… so that smile I love so much could shine again. Free of his frozen clutch.

In my dream, she told me that she would come back after it was all over… Maybe… if I can unfreeze her smile, I can see her again… somewhere… someway…

Okay, that was kind of angsty, but I did it for Clourith day! And Also for Alan Bates 102 Clourith Theme Challange. Yay? xD