I'm one of those people who believes Aerith knew she'd die. So this is something of a look into Cloud's mind if Aerith had hinted to him that she would die soon. Not necessarily Clorith, unless you lean towards it. I do.


The ceiling fan spins and the whirring is like the whirring in my brain.

She says she wants to die.

I'm looking at her now, sitting calmly on the wooden chair, smiling softly at me.

She wants to end her life.

What do I say? What do I tell her? I can't do this, I'm not strong enough. I don't know what to do.

She's lying. She must be. She can't be this desperate. I know she's lying.

She shakes her head at me gently, that soft smile still on her lips. I'm serious, she tells me. It's the only way, she says.

I see the bloody light of the evening sun slant through the windows, and I see how red the room looks. I feel sick. She's sitting next to the window and she's red too, bathed by that bloody light.

I hate her. She wants to leave.

Why is this the only way, I ask her, my voice as steady as it always is. The only way to what, I wonder. I know she won't tell me.

She looks away, gazing at something I can't see. You'll understand, she says. Her voice is finally sad. I knew she wouldn't tell me. That's how she's been since the day I met her. She doesn't trust me.

She turns to look at me. Cloud, it's something I have to do, she whispers. I don't want to hurt any of you.

I look into her eyes. She trusts me.


I'll save her. I'll stop her from doing it. I don't know when she plans to do it. I don't know how she plans to do it. But I'll stop her. I won't let her kill herself.

The Ancient City, Tifa murmurs, as we approach its forgotten magnificence. Should I tell her as well, I wonder. Or Barrett. Or maybe Cid or Vincent. They could help me save her. Maybe even Yuffie could help. I don't know. I don't know which one of them she's closer to.

No. There's no need to ask for help. I'll protect her. She chose me, after all. I can do it.

I look over at her. She's glowing, with a glow from the inside, her soul overflowing with some unnamed emotion. This is her city. It feels like her too, in a way. Deep secrets hidden beneath the surface. So strong and so weak.

It doesn't matter. I'll keep her safe. We both have a mission. We'll both save the Planet. We'll fix what's wrong.

There's nothing to worry about, Aerith. I'll make sure of that. You're not going to die.


Very short, I know. Hope you liked it. Please tell me what you thought of it, whether you liked it or not. Thank you for reading!