Motherless
Chapter One: An Unheard of Dream
Ah.
The sky was clear, the sun was shining, it was beautiful. The day just seemed too perfect.
Cloud Strife was enjoying his job today more than usual. The weather effected him a lot, his thoughts, anyway.
When it was beautiful like today, he would be looking forward for the rest of the day.
When it was dreary, he wouldn't feel so motivated to continue on.
It had been three years after the whole incident with Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz...and the return of Sephiroth. Which, whom Cloud knew, would come back. One day. Just one day. But he hoped that day was far away in the distant future, and, maybe, just maybe, it would never come at all. He had still been working as always, getting his pay and buying little things for himself. He never thought of wasting too much money. Food wasn't much of a problem to him, since Tifa was willing to cook for him. But Tifa also decided, with her motherly side, that Cloud had to learn that he can't lean on other people. Although it's good sometimes, he had to be independent. Just not too independent that he would run off on his own again like her rebellious teenage child. She made him pay for rent while living with her. It was a fair price, and Cloud was greatful, that he didn't have to live out on the streets anymore.
But the church.
That very church that brought back so many memories to him. Both painful and blissful. He loved that place. He stayed there more than staying with Tifa, usually sneaking out at night to sleep there instead.
Something was constantly luring him there. The scent of the lilies? The art of the broken windows?
The memories?
Yes, that must be it. As soon as he stepped into it, he would immeadetly begin tending to the flowers. Soon after, he'd simply fall asleep on the floor, falling asleep with his thoughts silently embedded into his mind.
Aerith Gainsborough.
A flower girl.
His flower girl.
She was optimistic, bright, always looking forward to the future. A red silk ribbon laced into her silky chestnut hair, her eyes of beautiful emerald, and her voice of the sweetest angels. She tended to be flirtatious from time to time. One of her victims being Cloud.
"But I'm...we're here for you, right?"
Oh God. He was so glad he hadn't slipped out, pausing between words to fix his sentence. He would've felt so much worse if he let the duty of protecting her forever fall onto his shoulders alone.
No, it was too late.
He had agreed to be her bodyguard.
In exchange for a date.
Life or love?
They were both all so confusing to him.
But it didn't matter anymore. He failed and that was it. He lost her, and she lost life.
Yet never once did she blame him, or anyone else for her death.
She was independent, strong-willed, and confident. She had gone through so much suffering during her childhood, yet she was still willing to fight. Cloud wouldnt've minded being like her personality-wise. No, not at all. It would be a good change, in his eyes. But she liked him as who he was. So he never changed. To her, he could feel as if he could be himself. To others, he had to be the First Class SOLDIER Cloud.
And now here he was, riding Fenrir on the road, the scent of flowers mixed in with the scent of wet grass came to sense. "Hm...?"
Cloud put his foot on the brake, stopping his ride. He saw something at the corner of his eye. An animal? A person? People were never usually out in the field, and there were barely any animals besides a bird in the field either. He approached the 'thing' he saw, looking down, he saw a baby. In a brown crate.
The baby's eyes were closed, sleeping. It had brown hair...the same chestnut hair as Aerith. That was one thing Cloud compared the child to.
He picked bent down to the crate, noticing a note beside the baby. He picked up the note, staring at the words.
"Love this child. If you may.
With love that I was unable to give."
Cloud looked at the child. Unsure of what to do, he debated it all in his head. He couldn't just leave the poor thing there. His conscience just wouldn't allow it, and he'd be begging for forgiveness again in the church. Ah, now he knew what to do.
He'll take the kid.
After that, put it up for adoption.
All good.
Right?
With the baby securely in his arms, he continued his ride to the out-of-the-way home where he would deliver the package. During that whole ride, the baby didn't cry. Not even once. It hadn't even woken up.
Upon reaching the house, Cloud pushed the brakes again, taking the package in one arm, holding the baby in the other.
Cloud knocked on the door exactly three times. The door opened with a creak, indicating that there was need for a door change. A woman around 60-years old based on appearance smiled warmly up at him. "Ah, Cloud, working hard as always."
"Thanks." he said simply, handing her the package, with a clipboard on top of it, filled of forms. He searched his pockets for a pen for her to fill out the forms. "...I don't have a pen." he said with a small sigh.
The woman gave a chuckle. "That's alright, Cloud. Come in. I'll see if I have a pen."
Cloud nodded, entering her house and closing the door as quietly as possible. He sat down on the sofa, it was a good enough sort of comfortable, and the house gave an old yet welcoming feeling. The hardwood floor was nice and didn't creak. Paintings of landscaping and pictures in black and white decorated the walls without cluttering it all.
He felt something move in his arms.
Oh, the baby. He had been carrying it this whole time.
"Is it 'bring your child to work' day?"
Cloud turned around, seeing the woman come back with a tray of tea and, apparently, the pen on the tray.
Cloud usually stayed for a while at the woman's house to keep her company. She barely had visitors, and her husband had passed away recently. She set the tray down and sat down in another chair, opposite of Cloud's.
"N-no. This isn't my baby." he said, looking down at the child.
"It isn't?" the woman gave a light chuckle. "I apoligize. Well, then who's child is it?" she asked, taking the forms and beginning to fill them out.
"...I don't know." Cloud answered. "I found the baby in a crate on the side of the road. There was a note in the crate." Cloud waited for her to look up, before showing her the note.
She adjusted her reading glasses on her face, and read the words. "Oh my. You best take care of this child, fulfilling the baby's parents' wishes."
"Actually, I plan on putting it up for adoption soon. I don't really have time for a kid." Cloud told her, taking the note back.
The woman seemed appauled. "Mr. Strife, are you out of your mind? I'm sure you have plenty of time. This baby cannot just be left to be adopted by who knows who. A person who's barely trustworthy, maybe?"
Cloud gave it some thought, he'd be begging for forgiveness after all if that were to haapen.
"Well?" the woman urged on.
"Y-you're right." he sighed, looking at the baby again. Whom began to shift in his arms. "...I guess I'll take care of it."
"Good good." the woman said, continuing with filling out the forms.
And the loud sound of crying filled the room.
The baby's eyes opened, filled with tears.
Blue eyes.
Cloud raised the child and gave an unsure look. "It's crying! What do I do...?"
The woman looked up again, laughing a little, taking the child into her arms and patting its back, calming it. "There. Just carry it around, walk slowly and pat its back, humming calmly and quietly if you want." she said, giving the child back.
Cloud took the baby back into his arms, sighing. It was still awake, putting its mouth to his shoulder, drooling over it. "Did you give the baby a name?"
The blonde shook his head.
"...I noticed the baby's eyes are blue, like yours. And its born with a full head of hair too. From the looks of it, he's only about a week old...Ah, you should name the boy Sora."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes yes, I know. xD; SORA. I'm one of those people who think Sora should be Cloud's son /AUTHOR'S NOTE
"Sora...? I'll think about it." Cloud said, a little unsure. He took back the forms when the woman was done, and was on his way. "Thanks for tea." he said before riding off.
-A Month Later-
"Cloud, please...? Oh please let me carry him. I won't drop him! Promise!"
Cloud looked up at his jumpy friend, Yuffie. "Fine, fine. But if you do, you're dead." he threatened, handing the baby to her.
"Yes!" she said happily, taking the baby into her arms. "Hey there Sora...Say hello to Auntie Yuffie!" she said, gently rubbing her nose with Sora's, whom began crying at his seperation from Cloud.
"Gah! Dammi- Darnit! What do I do?" she said, trying to watch her language for once.
Cloud sighed, taking the baby back and doing what he always did. Calming the child with a soothing rub on the back and carrying it around the room slowly. "Gee Cloud, you make a pretty decent dad."
Cloud didn't answer, as he sat on the bed with the baby. He put Sora onto his lap, watching Marlene and Denzel play out in the front. "...hey, you feeling old and stuff?"
The blonde groaned, "Old? Why would I?"
"Well, you know, a kid and all..." Yuffie said, nudging him in his arm playfully with her elbow.
"Um, not really." he said, a little annoyed.
"Okay then, whatever you say daddums." she said with a giggle before leaving the room.
Cloud rolled his eyes, and then looked down at Sora, whom was busy trying to put his shirt over his head. He couldn't help but smile a little at this, as he watched rather than making him stop. He hadn't realized it earlier, but his hair was a lot like his. The hairstyle, that is. It was never able to be put down, even after a bath or constant brushing or combing.
Gravity defying hair. Odd.
He had also noticed, that everytime he had taken Sora to the church, he always loved playing with the flowers, rather than looking at his reflection in the water or playing in it. They had to bring back at least one flower, or stay in the church for an entire day. But Cloud never minded, it was an excuse for him to stay there as well, rather than working.
There were a lot of things he noticed about Sora. He loved staring at one certain picture.
The picture of Aerith that was taken at Gold Saucer a long time ago.
-Four and half years later-
Today was a great milestone for Sora. It was his first day of school.
But he didn't seem to be very excited. "Do I get to see Daddy again?"
"Yes, you do. But you have to spend seven hours without me." Cloud said, patting Sora on the head.
"How long is only one hour?" Sora asked.
"You'll learn that in school."
"Why can you just tell me?"
Cloud sighed, shaking his head and deciding to let Sora go without answering the question. "Have a nice day, okay? When they let you out, I'll be here, waiting for you."
"..." Sora looked back at Cloud, not wanting to move forward.
"...be nice. And make new friends. Do well." Cloud continued, unsure of what to say. "Well, what are you waiting for?"
"I don't want to go to school. I'll be away from you." Sora said, walking back to Cloud.
"...Sora, you'll see me again later. Go." Cloud said, gently pushing his 'son' forward. Sora only looked up at him with pleading eyes. "...I love you."
"I love you too, Daddy. And that's why I don't want to go to school."
"If you loved me, you'll make me proud and go to school, do well, and become a good person when you grow up."
Sora didn't answer for a moment, his small hands clutching to the necklace around his neck. A locket, rather. But the place where it held the picture was shaped like a lily, rather than the common heart. Inside was the picture of who Sora pretended was his mother.
And Cloud never made him stop pretending.
"...okay." Sora finally gave in, walking into the school, letting go of Cloud's hand.
---
Sora cried a few times in school. Saying he missed his father and that he wanted to leave. Whining about so and so.
"It's okay Sora. You'll get to see him again soon." the teacher said, setting a blank paper and some crayons in front of him. "Here, you can draw something for your dad." she said, gently putting a blue crayon into his hand.
"O-okay..." Sora said, giving in again. The teacher left him with the group of children who he sat with. Sora began drawing on the paper, stick figures, a field of flowers, all in a church. He was a poor artist, but it made sense in a way for his age.
"You draw funny."
Sora looked up, a boy with jet black hair and dark brown eyes said, as if his art skills were the most amazing of all. '...be nice. And make new friends. Do well.' Sora remembered Cloud say. "...H-hi..." he stuttered, his face wet with tears.
"And you look really stupid." the boy said, sitting at the desk in front of Sora's, drawing as well.
Sora tried to wipe away his tears, but he only continued crying. "R-really...?" he said, quietly.
The boy laughed at him. "And that necklace is really girly! You're a boy! You shouldn't wear that! Give me that."
And the boy's hands quickly reached to take away Sora's locket. "S-stop it!" Sora said, trying to pull the necklace out of the boy's grasp.
"Not a chance! I'm doing this for you! You should be nicer to me." the boy said, finally pulling it off Sora's neck, who fell back in his chair, crying even harder now.
"Robert!" the teacher yelled, taking back the necklace. "What is wrong with you?"
Sora ignored the teacher's scolding, as he stood up on his shaky legs. Shaking from all his crying. "...Sora, are you alright?" the teacher asked with an assuring smile. "Here, is this yours?" the teacher asked, giving back the necklace.
But Sora didn't take it back.
The teacher noticed it was open, revealing the picture inside.
"Is this your sister?"
Sora shook his head. "I-it's my mom."
"Oh? Your mom is very pretty." the teacher said, smiling still. She closed the locket and placed it around Sora's neck, as the boy that had taken it from him made his way to the principal's office.
"Thank you." he said, remembering to be nice. "...my Daddy thinks so too."
-Six Hours Later-
"Daddy! Look what I drew for you!"
Cloud watched Sora run up to him, a little bit more cheerful than he was in the morning, with a paper in his hand. "See?" Sora said, giving Cloud the paper.
He stared at the drawing for a while. "..."
"I drew Mommy."
Cloud didn't answer.
"And the teacher thinks Mommy is very pretty."
Still no answer.
"Daddy?"
"Sora...let's go home, okay?" Cloud said, giving back the drawing and taking Sora's hand.
"Okay." Sora nodded, walking along with him.
Rather than returning to Tifa's bar, which was still running well, they went back to the church.
As soon as they entered it, Sora asked Cloud for tape. Cloud shook his head, telling him the obvious that he didn't carry tape with him.
"I need it. To tape the drawing on the wall here." Sora said, holding the paper up to the wall. "Mommy will get to see it. She's always here...this is Mommy's place."
Cloud stared at Sora for what seemed like the longest time. He had to say something. Sora couldn't continue pretending.
He couldn't continue living in a fantasy that'll never come true.
-End of Chapter One-
Author's Note: Sorry I know this chapter is pretty cracky. I'll try to do better for the next chapter poofs