Hello all! This is my writing submission for Day 2 of Clerith Month. The theme of the day is 'The Highwind Promise' made between Cloud and Aerith, where he promises her to take her for a ride on the Highwind one day. This short story was written to take place after my previous entry 'Tears'. I hope you all enjoy!
The Earth and Sky
"Wow," Aerith whispered, her eyes sparkling at the sight before her.
From the sky above them, the Highwind descended down towards the plateau of patchy grassland where the soldier and the flower girl stood. Floating between the streaking rays of the setting sun, the Highwind seemed to cast a vast shadow over all of the edge of the northern continent, towering over Cloud and Aerith.
"It's Cid's pride and joy," Cloud said with a smirk. "Treats the thing better than he treats any of us, that's for sure."
Aerith chuckled and marveled up at the descending airship, hearing the roar of the rapid propellers and the exhaust tanks which was loud enough it felt as though the echo could have been heard from across the ocean. The wind picked up, as Aerith brought a hand up to her head to keep her stray brown hair from wildly flailing about. She looked at Cloud with a smile and then up at the Highwind, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
It seemed larger to her than before, Aerith thought to herself as she looked up at Highwind. The last time she'd seen it in the living world, had been during their daytime adventures in the ocean-side city of Junon, prior to their group sneaking onto the cargo ship to set sail for the new continent. Amidst the commotion and excitement that carried through the town due to the Welcoming Ceremony to the then newly-announced president of Shinra Company, Rufus Shinra, it was all too easy for Aerith to sneak into the hangar bay above the city.
It was then that Aerith knew that she wanted a ride on the Highwind, at least once. She knew, just by looking at the plane, it would be amazing to see her world from such extraordinarily great heights and her heart soared at the idea of it. An hour or so later, when disguised aboard the cargo ship, when Cloud had promised her to take her on a trip aboard the Highwind one day, her heart soared to even greater heights, higher than those that the Highwind could ever scale.
There was something about Cloud's promise to her that was special. It might have been how determined he was to make it happen or maybe it was that after their adventure, they would have traveled the world aboard it. Although, it was happening much later than either of them would have expected or wanted, it was happening now and that's what mattered.
Unbeknownst to her, Cloud stared at her, like he'd just seen the most amazing sight. When he saw the spark in the flower girl's eyes and the excitement in her wide smile, his eyes softened at the sight of her. He felt his lips thin into a small smile, one always saved just for her. He felt his own heart stir with excitement - now that he was finally able to help make the flower girl's long-time wish come true, just as he'd promised.
It was such a small and humble wish on Aerith's part, but to Cloud, he'd travel the whole world one-hundred times over if it meant getting the flower girl up on the Highwind.
"Well, I'll be damned!" Cid's excited voice called down from the Highwind intercom. "Aerith! Holy $%#$ #$ %! It really is you! Get yer asses up here!"
Aerith laughed and waved up at the cockpit window, even though Cid looked like the size of an ant from up there. "Looks like Cid's excited!"
"He's one of many excited to see you. The rest of the group is back in Edge waiting to see you, They all can't wait to see you, Aerith" said Cloud with a smile. "Besides, Cid's playing a part in helping you get your wish. Turns out he has a rather uncommon soft side only a few can bring out of him."
Aerith smirked and playfully patted him on the chest, "Sounds like someone else I know."
Cloud raised his hands up in innocent defense, "I don't know what you mean."
"Right," said Aerith, squinting her eyes at him with a small smile. She leaned towards him and whispered, "Well, for what it's worth, I like when you show me your soft side, bodyguard."
Cloud felt himself blush and gulped down. He tried to hide his smile as he scratched a hand through his blonde spiky hair. He'd nearly forgotten how Aerith's little, cute flirtations had always left him speechless and his heartbeat sped.
She tilted her head at him and flashed him a quick smile. She found endearing that a strong, handsome soldier like Cloud carried this shy and cute boyish charm about him, brought to the surface always with her. It was just one of the many things that she loved about him.
The two of them stared at one another in content silence, before Cid's voice came over the intercom again. "What the #$ % are you two pinheads waitin' for? Climb up the damn ladder already or else I'm leavin' yer sorry ass behind, Cloud! Aerith, yer still comin' though."
Cloud and Aerith let out a chuckle and saw the rope ladder swaying in the cold winter's breeze. They moved over to the ladder and Cloud securely pulled it down taught, making it more stable for Aerith to ascend.
"Ladies first," Cloud said, moving his open hand out to Aerith, who gently took it and grasped the rope ladder with her other hand.
Aerith smirked and winked at him, before smoothing out the creases in her long pink dress. "In that case, no peeking, bodyguard. Eyes on the ladder, soldier. Got it?"
Cloud blushed again, flustered and wide-eyed. "Oh! Aerith, n-no! I didn't...I didn't mean any-anything like that," he stammered, embarrassed. "I j-just wanted to make sure...you'd be safe going up first where I could see you...but not like that! I swear! Im ju-"
Aerith silenced him by placing a finger lightly on his lips, "Relax, Cloud. I'm just kidding around. I know you're not like that."
"Good," Cloud sighed, relieved. He didn't need any 'special views' to already know that she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.
"Besides, you're not that lucky..."Aerith took a step up the rope ladder and turned to look at Cloud again, "...yet."
Cloud was once again flustered by her and he blushed fiercely at the flower girl's words. Before he'd let Aerith's flirtations fade into some romantic fantasy in his mind, he felt his heartbeat pound and quickly stepped up to the rope ladder behind her.
The two quickly scaled their way up the rope ladder, as Cloud occasionally gave Aerith a helpful hand by pulling down on the rope ladder to hold it steady for her as she stepped. It wasn't too long before the two of them had made it to the top of the ladder and Aerith had reached up to the rails on the deck of the Highwind, Cloud arriving right after her.
"So, this is it," Cloud said, leading Aerith to the far side of the Highwind's deck. "Just look at the view."
Even though they weren't moving just yet and were only a short distance from the earth, the view was still breath-taking and nothing like anything she'd ever seen before. From where she stood, she could see beyond the vast, endless wood of the Sleeping Forest, the icy, snow-covered fields beyond and the sloping, tall mountainous ranges of the legendary Gaea Cliffs. It seemed too beautiful, too ethereal to be real and the way the setting sun cast a hazy, orange glow over the earth before them seemed to create a daydream-like fantasy out of the landscape before them.
"It's...it's amazing," Aerith breathed out, taking in the first of many views she'd see.
"You haven't seen anything yet," Cloud smiled. He turned and shouted up at the deck's intercom, "Hey Cid, we're all ready to go!"
Cid's voice replied back a moment later, "Alright, kids! Where the hell we headin' to!?"
"Anywhere." Cloud turned to Aerith and when he saw the happiness, the excitement and the love that was there in her eyes, he smiled warmly down at her. "Everywhere."
Aerith beamed up at him, filling her heart fill with such a feeling she couldn't describe. She was finally getting to see the world the way she always wanted to with Cloud right by her side...and she didn't want to have it any other way.
"Alright! One trip 'round the world comin' right up," Cid said over the intercom, before commandeering his way through a series of buttons and levers on his control panel.
From the deck, a distant rumbling began vibrating through the airship, as the engine fired up, the propellers whirled faster and the Highwind prepared for it's ascension. They felt the Highwind lurch, as if it was about to leap up and take off into the air at any moment.
Aerith tightly grabbed onto the railing of the deck out of both surprise and excitement and gasped when she felt the Highwind's power accelerate.
"You okay?" Cloud looked at her, a light smile on his face.
"Y-yeah," Aerith turned to him. "A little scared, I guess. And excited."
"Scared? What's there to be scared about," asked Cloud, curiously.
She looked down at her hands on the railing and then to the outside world before her. From up there, the rest of the world seemed so small and far away to her.
She spoke then, quietly to Cloud. "It's funny. I remember...it was so long ago, but there used to be a time when I was afraid of the sky...when I was still just a young girl back in Midgar."
Cloud's eyes softened as she spoke of her past, "You were?"
"Hm," She nodded, "I thought something so vast, so endless, I could get lost in it and not find my way out. I'd never seen the sky before...I'd never seen the world outside of Midgar at all before..." she paused and then turned to him, tears at the edge of her eyes, "...until I met you, Cloud."
He felt his cheeks redden and a warm expression appear on his face then, the Cetra's soft voice caressing his heart as soothingly as a lullaby.
"Cloud, with you, I had the first chance to see beyond the only world I'd ever known and see that...there was much more out there then I could ever imagine," she said, speaking from her heart. "It's more than just the towns we've been to, or the mountains and beaches and grasslands, you...opened my eyes to many things I'd only imagined."
Cloud scratched the back of his head and took a step towards her, blushing, "And you've done the same for me, Aerith."
"When I look back at everything I've seen in the world, everything I've done..." she smiled up at him then, "...I wonder why I was ever afraid of the sky in the first place. And it's all thanks to you, Cloud. Thank you...for showing me everything I never thought I could see." She turned to look out into the outside world, "Now, I can see everything differently the way I always wanted to, from up here...with you."
Cloud's blush intensified, but he smiled and walked up behind her, taking his hands and gently placing them over hers on the railing, his arms resting by her sides. He spoke then, his breath tickling against her ear, "Don't let go."
Aerith tightened her grip on the railing and turned to look up at him, "I won't."
Cloud securely leaned into her, making sure the initial take off wouldn't be too jarring for her and to make sure that he was there to keep her secure, "Alright. Here we go."
The Highwind churned one more time, before the engine roared and the floating ship ascended deeper into the sky.
Before she could react to anything else, Aerith felt her heart rise through her chest as she tightened her grip on the metal railing. Her eyes widened in excitement and adrenaline as she looked over the edge of the deck, watching as the earth below her grew farther and farther away. Soon, the ship rose through the sunset's rays of light, rising through the clouds' orange glow. Aerith watched below as the clouds parted and moved, peeking down through the outside earth and ocean below.
Her heart lifted joyously, feeling so overwhelmed with excitement and wonder. She couldn't help but let out a victorious shout followed by a overjoyous laugh, as she felt so fully lost in the sky...and she loved it.
Cloud smiled at her from over her shoulder, falling deeper for her at that moment, if he even thought that was possible. Seeing her smile, the way she looked down into the world below with such wonder and excitement, he'd want to spend an entire lifetime exploring the world with her by his side.
The ship drifted through the sky, over an orange sea of clouds as the sun continued to set. The Highwind descended downward then, moving quickly across the ocean and towards the body of land before them. They descended through the clouds then and before them, several small isolated islands dotted through the ocean, leading the way to the main body of land before them.
Cloud pointed the way downward towards Junon Harbor. From up there, they could spot the city, the beaches and the forests just beyond. The forests gave way towards the mountainous ranges of Fort Condor and the regions beyond. They darted just over the vast, fogged mountain peaks and hovered over the endless grasslands.
"It's...so beautiful," Aerith whispered out.
"Yeah," Cloud whispered back, looking at her.
"Cloud, look," Aerith excitedly pointed down, towards the endless fields and farmland. A flock of chocobos sprinted across the grassland. They happily skipped through the fields, not a care in the world.
"Yeehaw! We're takin' a dive down," Cid's voice came over the intercom. "Hold onto your britches!"
The Highwind descended closer to the earth then, floating closer down towards the chocobo farmland. The chocobos continued their sprint, keeping in tune with the steady pace of the Highwind above. The dozen of chocobos chased alongside the jet, racing towards Kalm Town. They gleefully 'warked' up towards Aerith and Cloud, just as the Highwind picked up speed and make its' way further into the sky.
The ship darted through the air and towards the remains of Midgar, as Cloud pointed down to the city, or rather, what had become of it and then to the districts of Edge, which was right nearby. Before long, the Highwind continued higher up and back through the clouds, crossing over the ocean again then.
There was a sudden upheave in the Highwind's motion then, but it wasn't anything serious, just the plane battling against the wind. Aerith smiled happily to herself, feeling Cloud's hands lift off of hers and move to hold her waist securely. She slowly leaned back until her form was nicely rested against Cloud's strong chest. She wanted to stay like that with him forever if she could, not that Cloud minded at all, either. Her smile widened when she felt Cloud rest his head over hers.
By the time the Highwind had crossed over the ocean, the sun had set, only leaving a few orange streaks in the night sky. It wasn't too long before the Highwind shot over Rocket Town and made t's way towards the Nibelheim mountains and the sun-scorched Cosmo Canyon valleys, which, from all the way up there, seemed to nearly bleed from one right into the other. They could make out a small bonfire at the heart of the canyon and townspeople carrying about their business. As the night settled in, small dots of light from the towns and cities began to glow, across the world, like fireflies lost deep in the night.
Then, there was a popping sound heard as the Highwind crossed over the Corel mountain ranges and continued onward. From where they stood, they could make out a small sandstorm whipping through the desert below. The popping sound continued through the night and drew nearer.
"What is that," Aerith questioned, squinting through the dark, endless desert beneath her, before looking up and her eyes gleaming with color.
Fireworks exploded through the sky around the Gold Saucer, illuminating the dark night in a vast array of color and shapes. Aerith watched in amazement as the fireworks blasted off from the base of the Gold Saucer and burst a few hundred feet beneath them. From this view up here, with Cloud especially, everything seemed so magical. The distant firework display illuminated the deck of the Highwind in a colorful array of brightness.
Cloud smiled at Aerith, seeing the colors flash over her beautiful features, just like they had done on their date at the Gold Saucer before. At that moment, Cloud felt an overwhelming sense of gratefulness that she was back in his arms again. He wasn't going to take these small moments for granted, not anymore, not when life was once so unpredictable and dangerous.
She was here with him again. They were exploring the world together just as they always wanted.
And he was going to make every moment count. Every moment he had with her.
And he silently prayed he'd ever many of them to come in the new life before him, as did she.
The Highwind left the desert and flew over the beaches of Costa Del Sol, before descending down towards the open ocean. The waves were still, as the ocean seemed like a dark blanket that covered the earth in its' depths.
As they moved downwards towards the ocean, the Highwind began to slow to a stop, hovering above the calm sea. There, the ship swayed in the night, wrapped between the stars and the sea.
Cloud leaned down to speak quietly into her ear, "So, is it everything you'd hoped it would be?"
"No." Aerith shook her head and turned to him, a tear falling from her face when she stared into the deep, blue eyes she loved so much. "It's more."
Cloud's smile beamed as he felt himself lost within her emerald eyes, not able to look away.
There they both stood, under the moonlit night, the stars covering the sky above with hundreds, thousands of twinkling orbs that filled the darkness.
The Highwind slowly moved above the ocean then, just a short distance above it, floating gracefully above the ocean waves and towards the closest continent.
Cloud and Aerith were unable to part their gaze from one another, feeling the warm glow in their hearts, something they could only define as one thing - love.
The night stars in the sky reflected along the ocean waves beneath the Highwind and as the two remained lost in one another's eyes, the entire world around them seemed to fade into a sky and sea of shimmering stars that whirled around them like a magic spell. The two couldn't shake the overwhelming happiness and love they both felt in their hearts, a feeling that had been building not only during their flight around the world, but across the entire time they had known one another.
Even with an entire world at their fingertips, all they needed right then was one another.
As they made their way through the sea of stars, Aerith gently took Cloud's hands within her own. "Cloud's star and Aerith's star - they make a perfect match."
"That fortune," Cloud said with a hint of surprise, recalling the fortune that Cait Sith had given them in the Temple of the Ancients. "You remembered?"
"Of course I did. How could I forget that?" Aerith said with a small chuckle.
Cloud nodded and grinned, gently squeezing her hands within his own.
"Thanks for everything, Cloud. It was...more than I ever imagined it would be," Aerith said, looking up at him with a smile. She leaned into him and rested her head down on his chest, staring off into the stars before them with a content smile on her face. She couldn't help but notice Cloud's fast heartbeat as she embraced him. She felt as though his heart would burst out of his chest. She placed a hand on his chest, directly over his heart, as if to soothe him.
"Cloud..."
Without another word, Cloud brought his lips down to hers and captured them in a soft, sweet kiss. Aerith's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, before they happily closed, savoring the kiss with her beloved. She kissed him back, their lips gently pressing and moving against one another perfectly. As a first kiss for them both of them, this was more than either one of them could have ever imagined. Their hearts soared as they felt their feelings for one another rise to the surface every time their lips touched.
Cloud's hands delicately held onto her waist firmly as he passionately kissed her, trying to put every ounce of love her had for her into his kiss. She reciprocated and matched his lips movements with her own, bringing her arms up to wrap around Cloud's neck, continuing their kiss late into the evening. They never parted from one another once, as one kiss ended and another soon took its' place. Their kisses were slow and sweet, but passionate, building with every passing second.
It was magical.
They both gently broke away from the kiss then, their eyes opening to stare deeply into one another's, forehead pressed up against forehead, a small smile appearing on both of their lips then.
Cloud tightly gripped onto her waist and pulled her so she was right up against him, her body molding against his. His breath came quick and rugged, "Aerith...I..."
She leaned up to him and smiled, gently placing kisses along his neck and collarbone, waiting for him patiently, just as she'd always done when Cloud expressed what he wanted to say.
Cloud moaned out, feeling the soft kisses the flower girl was teasing him with. "Damn."
Aerith quietly chuckled up against his neck, finishing by placing a quick peck on his lips.
With her there, he brought a hand up to her cheek and delicately caressed her. He stared deeply into her eyes, his own filling with happiness and love for her.
"I'm...I've...fallen in love with you, Aerith." Cloud felt his heart nearly burst out of his chest when he finally said it out loud.
Not even a second passed before the flower girl smiled up at him.
"I'm in love with you, Cloud," Aerith said back, before grabbing Cloud's vest and pulling him down for another kiss, just as sweet and passionate as their first.
Cloud let out a chuckle into the sudden kiss, feeling his heart's endless, eternal love for her match that of her own love for him. Their love for one another was eternal, perfect. In the entire world and all the mysteries found within, at that moment, they knew one thing - they were going to spend every moment of their lives...and ever moment beyond it - loving one another.
The rest of the world was theirs to explore, together - just as they'd always wanted.
"I love you, Aerith," he whispered to her, a small smile on his lips.
"I love you, Cloud."
And so he kissed her again. And he kissed her again. And then again. And again. He'd spend the night kissing her until she'd fall asleep in his arms and wake her with a kiss the next morning.
The Highwind drifted through the night, Cloud and Aerith wrapped in one another's embrace, surrounded by the stars.
Cloud chuckled and leaned his head down on top of hers, "This beats the buggy any day."
"I know," Aerith smirked. "More space to kiss you."
And Cloud leaned down and kissed her again.
And then again. And again, their kisses filling the night ahead like the bright stars above.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Please review if you'd like to!