I like to use "Aeris" for her name but in Advent Children, her name was Aerith, even over here so, since this is AC related, I'll use Aerith.

Drabble #19: Belief

Summary: What is the point in believing?

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot. Characters and places belong to SquareEnix

So here he was, riding towards the one place on the Planet that he least wanted to go. Making his way to the place where misery clung to the air, where nightmares were awakened.

"You're just scared that something is going to happen that can never be undone!"

"Tifa, I can't protect anyone! Not my friends…"

…Aerith…Zack…

"Not my family,"

…Mom…

Now he was about to lose Marlene and Denzel too. Why did everyone leave it up to him? Why did they always have to believe that he was the hero? If he were so heroic, he would have saved his mother from the flames of burning Nibelheim! If he were so heroic, he would not have needed Zack to rescue him and the cheeky Soldier would still be alive! If he was so heroic, he would have pushed Aerith out of the way and taken Sephiroth's blade himself.

But he did not do anything to stop those close to him being killed. They believed in the wrong person.

And even if he did, by some miracle, manage to rescue the children and lived up to the image that everyone believed from him, the question would burn in his mind of 'why.' Why could he save them and nobody else?

"I believe in you…I always have,"

That voice! He would recognise it anywhere.

…Aerith…

The world around him turned white, his motorbike disappearing from beneath him. He looked around nervously until his eyes fell upon her as she stood a few feet away, her back turned away from him.

"You came! Even though you're about to break," she whispered as he stepped closer to her, the faint smell of fresh flowers surrounding them. She lifted her head a little and he could tell by the way her arms moved that she was wringing her hands together.

"So? Why did you come?" she asked with a hint of playfulness. Cloud sighed and stood behind her for a moment before turning around to place his back against hers. He knew, from previous attempts, that it was impossible to see her face.

"I...I want to be forgiven…more than anything…" he replied in a pained whisper.

"From who?" she questioned after a moment of silence.

Cloud did not have the chance to reply before he was once again back in the real world and his motorcycle was roaring towards the Forgotten City.

"I believe in you,"

The soft tone of her voice was carried to his ears and he felt his confidence grow. If she believed he could do it, then he would. He would not let her down again. As Kadaj turned to him, sword drawn and a smirk forming across his pale face, Cloud was not afraid. He believed that it would turn out right.

Just like Aerith believed in him.