I was inspired to do this one shot after watching Titanic and the end scene where Rose and Jack are finally together again got the cogs turning in my head.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Characters and places belong to SquareEnix. "My Heart Will Go On" belongs to Celine Dion
We Will Be Together Again
Near, Far
Wherever you are
I believe that
the heart does go on
Once more,
You open the door,
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on
His body was tired, begging to rest eternally and he couldn't deny it's wish for much longer. He glanced around, laboured breaths escaping his aged lips. Vincent, Marlene, Denzel and Nanaki were the only friends here by his deathbed, the only ones to have survived long enough. He caught Marlene lower her eyes that were watered with tears and he gave a small chuckle.
"It's not bad thing to die," he choked hoarsely. "I'll see her again,"
They watched in silence as his eyes lit up and they did not need to ask as to whom he was referring to. He had made a life with Tifa and they had married but they had never had children. However, anyone who had ever known Cloud or travelled with him when he went on the mission to save the Planet knew of the girl he always thought of in his dreams, the girl his heart truly belonged to.
Their images slowly faded before his eyes, becoming hazy before completely being clouded in darkness. It seemed to go forever and he was frightened, as everyone is of death.
Then, he saw a light…
And the abandoned Church in Midgar was before him, built up in all it's glory and flowers littering the entrance with petals of all the colours in a rainbow. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he stepped forwards, making his way to her Church.
The doors were easy enough to push open, causing a small creaking sound but he ignored it. His eyes were focussed ahead of him.
The brunette was crouched down by the flowers at the alter, a small bouquet in her hand and as he watched, he saw her occasionally stop to brush her hair from her eyes. The sunlight from the hole in the roof that he created shone down on her, lighting her up like an angel.
"Aeris," he whispered, the name being on the edge of his tongue for so many years now.
She froze.
Then slowly, her head turned towards him and he saw a face that was not one day older than the last time he had seen her. Her eyes sparkled brightly, as bright as they had in life and he was reminded of the pain at having to live without her for so long as he watched her straighten up. For a moment, all they could do was stare at each other.
And then, she was throwing her flowers to the ground and running towards him, her arms outstretched and a huge smile spreading across her face. Cloud barely had time to open his arms and catch her, lifting her up as her arms flew around his neck.
"I've waited so long," she whispered as he set her down and pulled her back to look at her. She smiled nervously at the way he was looking at her.
"Tifa and Zack and all our friends are waiting for you," she explained softly but Cloud placed a finger to her lips to silence her.
"Forget them, it's just you and me," he answered before he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. All the feelings that he had kept for years, unable to ever express were poured in that kiss, his hand burying itself in her soft hair.
And in the background, a large group of onlookers smiled at image of two star-crossed lovers, reunited.
In their promised land.