*For the Second Time*
Cloud would often lie in bed, unable to sleep. An image replaying in his head each night, the image of her death. Even until the last moment Cloud looked into her eyes. Those beautiful eyes of her's. He missed them.
~*~*~*~
Cloud was in the middle of a small tornado. It didn't really seem dangerous whatsoever... or maybe he was just too relaxed to notice. In fact, it didn't even seem like a real tornado. It was bright pink in color, and a dreamlike mist was forming around him. Where he was, he didn't know.
But Cloud wasn't scared.
Then all of a sudden, very slowly, a form of a human was taking shape on the other side of the tornado. A pale hand entered the mist, urging Cloud to pull whoever it was inside. Cloud reached out, and the person stepped inside. Cloud staggered back, surprised.
It was an angel.
The angel was a female with long flowing blonde hair. She was wearing a simple white dress that fell down to her ankles. She seemed to be glowing, which filled up the misty tornado, like a moon that lit up the night. A halo shone around her head adding more to the angelic features. However, she didn't have the one thing Cloud was expecting.
Wings.
"Hello Cloud."
Cloud stared at her. "Hi."
She looked back at him. "Cloud, is there something you want to ask me?" she asked. Her expression was unreadable. She wasn't smiling, and yet she wasn't frowning either.
Cloud just stood there. What exactly do you say to an angel? It was true that he did have things to say…he just didn't know how to bring them up. He wanted to know where he was…and what in the world was going on.
And he also wanted to know if this had anything to do with Aeris. If this lady knew her. He wanted to tell Aeris that he was sorry…so sorry that he couldn't save her.
"I do know Aeris, Cloud," the angel said abruptly.
Cloud's eyes widened. "How did you…?"
She smiled. "I'm her guardian angel."
"Oh…how is she?" Cloud wondered if he should have asked that.
"She's fine…but she's sad."
"Tell her I'm sorry." Cloud said, softly.
The angel gazed at him sadly. Then a determined look fell across her face. "We can help each other, Cloud."
Cloud shook his head, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You wish for her to be alive, no?"
Cloud's forehead creased. Where was this leading?
"She had so much to live for," he said.
The angel nodded. "I agree. This is where you come in. I can help you Cloud. I can make your wishes a reality."
Cloud's heart leaped at that statement. "How will this help you?" he asked.
"I will finally have guided the person I have to care for. And by doing that, I will gain what all angels need in life… Wings."
"Okay." Cloud said. "So Aeris will really live?"
The angel nodded. "However…there is no guarantee that she will share your memories Cloud. She will be living – like you want – but she will have no memory of you. She lives in a world where she never met you. In a world where she has no idea who you are."
Cloud swallowed hard. Was he ready to give up everything they shared? So Aeris can live?
"What do I have to do?" he asked.
"Just wish for it. Just say it…"
Cloud breathed in. "I wish for Aeris to live."
~*~*~*~
Cloud woke up suddenly. Where was the angel? Then he realized.
It was just a dream.
He groaned. It had been so nice too.
Cloud stood up, and checked the clock beside his bed. 12 o'clock, noon. He must've slept in.
Cloud stretched out, got dressed and ready to walk around the town as his morning ritual.
He stepped out his door into the bright sunshine of Nibelhelm. Many of his neighbors were walking by, greeting and waving at him hello. Cloud just smiled back. He didn't feel much like talking to anyone.
He decided he would go hang out at the lake, and maybe tell the ducks there about the wonderful dream he had that previous night. He often did that lately. Just let out his thoughts, even if he knew the ducks weren't listening and could not answer back. Even if it does sound crazy, it actually helped sometimes.
As Cloud turned around the corner, a basketball rolled to his feet, and he picked it up. Cloud turned around and saw a little girl around the age of eight running toward him.
"Hello Mister!" The girl had long brownish-blonde hair, and emerald green eyes.
Cloud smiled at her. "Hello, is this your ball?"
The girl rocked back and forth shyly. "Yep…"
"Hehe…here you go." Cloud gave her the ball.
When Cloud stood up, he saw a woman walking towards them. A woman that looked awfully familiar… "Annie!" she called out to the little girl.
It was Aeris.
Cloud watched, gaping at her as she hugged the little girl.
"What do you say to this kind man, honey?" Aeris said to Annie.
Annie looked up at Cloud. "Thank you, sir."
Cloud forced himself to stop staring at Aeris and looked at Annie. "You're welcome."
"Good girl! Now go and play with your friends before we have to go." Aeris said, and Annie ran off.
Cloud watched as the little girl met up with some of her friends and continued their game of basketball.
Then he turned to face Aeris, who was also looking at him.
She laughed. "You'll have to excuse my daughter. She can be quite a handful sometimes."
Cloud shook his head. "She's beautiful."
Aeris continued to stare at him, frowning a little. "You know what? This may sound awfully out of place, but I feel as if we've already met." She shook her head. "That can't be right though..."
Cloud held his breath, staring into her green eyes. The eyes he once fell in love with.
For a split second, Cloud had the urge to just hug her, to kiss her. To tell her what was going on. To tell her that she really did know him. That they had even gone on a date. That they had traveled on a journey together to fight against the most powerful sorcerer of all time. That she had died, sacrificing herself to the world.
And that he still loved her.
But Cloud resisted that urge and just smiled. As if nothing was wrong. As if everything were perfectly normal.
"No…I don't believe we have," he said, saying the one lie that stopped her from knowing the truth.
Aeris sighed. "No, I suppose not."
"My name is Cloud."
"I'm Aeris…Aeris Findley. It's nice to meet you Cloud." Aeris said.
Cloud's heart broke at those words. But he fought back the tears.
"Same to you."
"Well, I have to go now," she said, smiling. "I know we'll meet again someday."
Cloud watched as Aeris walked over to Annie, who said goodbye to her friends, and they walked over to a man with black hair who was standing outside a store. The man picked up Annie and twirled her around in the air, while she laughed hysterically. Aeris punched the man playfully and he put down Annie. He hugged Aeris and kissed her, and she returned it.
Cloud gazed at Aeris longingly, knowing he could never have her back in his arms. Tears formed in his eyes as he watched the girl he loved disappear…again.
For the second time.
*The End*
Author's Note: Man, I feel bad for Cloud! Anyway, I have to give credit to the show Hercules for helping me come up with the idea to this story. What happened in Hercules was that he went back in time right? And he stopped his wife from getting killed by Ares. (Haha same name!) But then in the future, he meets up with her again. She already has a family and everything. It was a pretty sad episode. See how my story kinda relates to it? Anyway, please review! Thanks for reading.