For the love of a mother!

By

SILVER TENSHI

DISCLAIMERS: I don't own FF or any of its characters, but since I love Cloud I take upon myself to change his destiny. No richness is being gained from this if you exclude the spiritual value, but since we live in a very commercial world where everything is being calculated in monetary value then rest assured that I'm not making any profit from it.

Prologue

Fairytales Characters?

Tsukurugi was shining peacefully under the sun of Goblin Island. The wind ruffling the golden locks of his owner just a few paces away from it, lying on the golden mantel of the beach. Everything was so peaceful and picture perfect that no one would have guessed the tragedy behind the scenery. Blue eyes, clouded with the fever and blood lost, were still shining with the unnatural light of mako. Different shapes and tears in the color of reddish marking stains like deaths ornaments decorated the blue black uniform that encased the body lying so peacefully in the sand. It was so peaceful. It was just the sand, the sky, the ocean and a breezy wind, to cool the fevered body of the Planet's Hero. Who would have guessed? With everything that has went on everyone would have expected a different ending to this epic life, not the one were hi was slashed by the one entity he was trying to protect, The Planet Himself.

A very distinct mocking laugh was heard suddenly a few steps away from him. With all the willpower he could summon he turned his head in that direction.

Ah! Of course it would be her!

Is this your revenge Aeris? It's not that I blame you, it was my fault for everything but still I don't understand. Why now? You could have done this a long time ago!

Surrounded by the ether green light of the mako the beauty neared the fallen hero. Gentle chocolate eyes filled with pain, compassion and understanding. But before she could make a sound another presence manifested near them. This one was totally different that anything known over this planet. To the fallen hero, Aeris was like a fresh gentle presence of a spring of mako, powerful but so gentle in its flowing. The new presence was like a full blast in his dull senses. It was as if the bright essence of lifestreem was condensed in a material form. He couldn't raise his eyes to the being that was approaching them, because he knew, he just knew that he couldn't handle what he would see. However he kept eye contact with Aeris, begging her helplessly to explain the situation. The flower girl turned and crossed eyes with the being approaching and her sole reaction was a petrifaction of her body and a single breathless gasp.

Hush child, you are in the brink of liberation! Isn't this what you wanted?- asked a voice as ancient as time itself

Bell Flowers! That was how the voice sounded. Like millions of bell flowers being swept with the gentle breeze. Cloud wasn't sure what was going on anymore but he knew who the other being was.

A bloody mangled arm raised in the direction of the being, eyes still locked on Aeris form. He knew now how it was possible that he didn't have a bone intact in his body even though he hadn't battled anything or anyone. He knew how come he was here, on the beach when he had fell asleep in his own bed in Midgar, in the once upon a time the Shinra barracks for recruits. Yes now he knew how, but not the why, not the why and he was almost afraid to ask that!

But it appeared that it's wasn't necessary for him to ask it, and frankly he wasn't keen on knowing one more reason of why he have failed the planet, so he just closed his eyes and waited for the underserved end and peace.

What the hell do you think you are doing? – A sharp crisp new voice shattered the silence.

I'm giving him his wish! I'm giving him the peace he deserves! – The voice like bell flowers responded irritated now.

And who died and made you a Destiny Protector to interfere with his destiny? - came the question from the sharp voice.

Cloud was tempted to open his eyes and look at the new addition. He was sorely tempted but so tired that all he wanted was peace. Plus he knew to whom the sharp voice belong to. It has been some time since he had seen her last, but she wasn't somebody he could forget. Suddenly he felt a small hand over his chest and a bright warm energy flowing in his body. It wasn't anything like curaga, esuna or anything else that he had experienced with materia. It was as if life was being bleed into him, and he felt the bones mend and knit themselves, the torn flesh coming together, blood lost being stopped and inverted and every ailment cured. He opened his eyes to clash with golden irritated ones. She smiled at him but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She turned where the other two females were standing. Now he could look at them and he felt once more the need to close his eyes. How could there be beings so perfect was beyond him.

Gaya, you know that he can't turn back to you yet. Why are you doing this, and thru Aeris nonetheless? – The owner of the golden eyes turned fully on the two females.

Because enough is enough! He has been broken, humiliated, tortured, dissected and everything else the sick mind of the humans could come up to no avail. I want my son and daughter out of this. I don't care what their destiny is. I want a stop to this madness.- Like bell flowers shacked by a tornado the voice of Gaya exploded between them.- How would you feel if it was Phoenix or Skylight being in this situation. I don't think you would have taken it as rationally as you are taking it now.

Mother that was cruel, you know they had it worse and she didn't interfere. – Aeris voice shattered the ongoing debate between the deities.

Cloud decided that now was time to interfere. Raising up, sending a small smile in the direction of Aeris and Gaya, he turned his attention to the one that had healed him.

Ar, I apologies for this, but it's my fault. I wished for it to end, I can't take any more!

I know Cloud; you seem to forget who I am. I know that this is the conclusion of the wish you made, but you can't give up, there is so much to lose. I thought that letting you experience everything as a human being was what it took for you to set things right, but it seems that the human factor in your blood is too diluted for you to connect with them in their basic form of communication and form a normal relationship, and that's why it all ended like this…

Hey, I resent that! – Gaya's voice interrupted the impassionate rational explanation that the golden eyed beauty was making- He isn't human so he can't communicate or connect with them in a personal level, he is connected to the core of my soul. Of course he can't understand their stupid emotional upheld.

You are wrong Gaya. The reason why it was Cloud the chosen for this battle and not Aeris is because he can rationalize their emotional upheld, and thus so can connect with them in a personal level. I never thought that he would embed those perceptions in the way he should act…

Wait are you saying that I dissected and copied the behavior of an emotionally stunned teenager so that I could torture myself consciously, because I couldn't solve a dilemma in my inner being? – Disbelief and anger was dripping from Cloud's voice.

Yes! Something like that! Instinctually even when we are not aware of who we are for real we still know that we don't belong with humanity. Depending in the circumstance it could be a strong or weak point for us. In your case, it was a weak point. You knew that you didn't belong but you didn't know why, so you constructed the identity of shun, emotionally creped persona, to help your rational mind keep up with the divergence. And from there it went downhill. - The golden beauty rationalized.

So, as you are putting it if I go back in time, with my memory intact I could change the outcome! - Cloud's voice was calm and intrigued.

What? Absolutely not! One time was enough, I don't like to mess with the time flow, it's more than dangerous, and it's self-destructing. – Gaya's voice had finality in it that made Cloud and Aeris pale. And after a brief pause she continued. - And it's not as if the situation risks the whole materialized life forms. It's just the human component that is facing distinction, and frankly good riddance, they brought this upon themselves.

MOTHER- both Cloud and Aeris exclaimed horrified. They were looking at her as if they couldn't believe that she was their mother for real.

What? It's perfectly rational! It's not like it's the first time that a species has wiped themselves out as a consequence of their own irrational behavior. It's perfectly normal! Why should it be different for them? – This time the voice of the spirit of The Planet was petulant, like a spoiled 10 years old child, arguing in a rational manner the irrational desire of being selfish.

I totally agree with you! – Came's the Golden eyed beauty response, in the most cold analytical voice.

Have you two gone crazy! We are talking about three billion lives here, from the six billions that were before this all mess started, which are deteriorating as we speak. What's wrong with you! We protect life, not destroy it!- Aeris was furious! What was wrong with these two? One moment they were arguing with each other, and the next moment agreeing that flushing down the toilet six billions life's was nothing.

Aeris is right! You are out of context! You raised us believing that we should do everything in our power to protect life in all forms, even if we have to sacrifice everything in order to achieve it. Now you are saying that it's ok to let some life forms die because they are a little more dummy than the others to understand the rules? – Cloud couldn't believe what he was hearing. Especially considering that here was Ar, saying it. His own mother he could understand, but Ar?

I don't care what you think! This is my call! Big sister it appears to be only me and you this time. Come we need to combine our powers! You two are not interfering this time, and this is final. I still am the Protector of this mud ball and you can't override my decisions! S-t-a-y o-u-t o-f TH-I-S! – with that said Cloud reached for Aeris, whom after throwing a seething glare two the two deities, reached for her brother's hands. Clasping each other they called their power and in a nano-second you could see wings materializing in Cloud's back, and after that a brilliant light and they were gone…

I can't believe I agreed to this again- Came the Voice of the Soul of this planet.

Well you said that if they wanted to do it, you would agree, and as you can see they weren't influenced by us. We agreed to let them take the decision didn't we! – Was Ar's answer in a passionless voice.

Ar, please take care of them! I can't go thru this again! – Gaya's voice was weighted down with all the pain of a mother and someone who knew all too well what was going to happen, and couldn't lift a finger to change it.

Don't worry! This time it will be different! You know to all the reason able beings of the universe, with the exception's of a selected few, we are only fairytales character, created by their wish to have something better and hope in their lives. But this I promise you: You children won't be fairytales characters. They will be legends, transcending throw the flow of time…

And with that said the golden eyed beauty disappeared in a silver light….

TBC

Next update : February first!