Moment no. 26: "Aftermath"

K+

Song written to: "Memories" (Within Temptation)

Disclaimer: I do not own these two wonderful and well crafted Final Fantasy characters. If I did... I'm not sure I could fathom what I could do with them. All credit goes to their original creators.

WARNING: This is an AerTi collection of one-shots, meaning there will be occurances of romance or hints of affection between two women. Don't like, then I implore you to hit that 'Back' button. Any and all flames shall be used for making S'mores.

Enjoy!

The sun did not shine today. It did not want to seem to grace its light and warmth upon the redeeming populace that was Edge, the clouds masking the hidden melancholy that lingered heavily in the air. People went about their business, trying to recover their lives after Midgar's destruction; children ran about in the streets, some of which were orphaned after the events of Meteor. They had been the unfortunate few to have survived as the plates came crashing down overhead. These children were emotionally scarred, but even if they had been left alone in the world, all was not yet lost for these souls.

I took these children in, and made them part of my family, or as close to one as I could get.

Meteor changed us. We were not the same people after realization came to our senses, the sign that our lives were not yet over. We could awaken to see another day, and the Planet would be able to heal itself. Our little misfit group was as tight-knit as they came, from the materia junkie, to the sinner. Our lives would be forever entwined. But, through all of the memories we shared during our grand adventure, there was one that we would all have in common.

You.

You changed all of us. I remember, the day we met, the day that forever changed my life. It was a special moment for me, and somehow... it was strange. I had never expected to meet someone from the slums who hadn't been as tainted to the darkness and come out alright, like you had. Your smile brightened people's lives, and the kindness you harbored knew no boundaries. I was awed by just how easily you could forgive. That isn't very simple for most people; for you, it was like a gift. There was nothing you weren't truly afraid of, and that bravery cost you your life.

I envy you.

Isn't it funny though? I've always thought that envy was a much stronger version of jealousy. Now that I think deeper on it, jealousy and envy are two completely different things. I envy your boundless strength. You weren't physically strong, but what you had went much deeper than muscle. No matter how hard or how difficult the dangers we faced, you pressed on, pushing us through and guiding us in ways I wouldn't even begin to fathom. My strength is fickle compared to you. I can't recall any time where I could be the crutch or the guiding force of such a large group. I guess I'm just... there. Another person who wants to preserve the world and its vast beauty.

That's something you and the Planet have in common, but I'm too embarrassed to admit that. It's more like... a secret I've kept inside for so long, but now that you're gone, maybe I can finally get it off my shoulders. Would you listen to me as I release these deep secrets? I'm sure you probably are. After all, you were always a wonderful listener.

I can't even begin to describe your beauty. You almost seemed... surreal- an angel who was bound to the earth until the day came when she could finally return to heaven. Yes, I thought you were an angel, trapped in the body of a human female. I loved everything about you. Your laugh; your smile; those deep emerald eyes; that pink bow in your hair. Cloud still has it, by the way, but it's hidden away in a 'memory box', along with several other important items that you once kept. He doesn't like to get it out much, but I do. I like to take it out of its hiding place and be able to feel the things you wore, or the materia you once used. It gives me the feeling that you're still here... right here with me, like you never left.

You're still here with us. I can almost feel it; that familiar warmth deep inside me every time you were nearby. And I couldn't help it. Couldn't help my heart from pounding or the stutter in my voice as I spoke to you. And, it's like the saying goes, 'you don't know what you've had until you lost it.' I guess that could be true, though I don't really think so. I've not lost anything, not to the extent that Cloud has lost. And from the moment I saw you return to the room after your little date with our ex-SOLDIER at Gold Saucer, I knew that love triangle of ours had changed. Something happened between the two of you that caused a shift. I noticed that gleam in your eyes, and it hadn't been for Cloud.

But, that's okay. You didn't have to tell me anything, because, somehow, I always knew, deep inside myself. I'm sure we might have had something if we'd not beaten around the bush and confessed our feelings... I regret not telling you that my heart had belonged to you the day we left Gold Saucer the second time. We just... ran out of time, and your duties as an Ancient wouldn't allow you another day. Do you feel that if for just one day, you could set aside your duties and just be selfish? I wish that... all the time. For that one day, I would've been able to get to know you, just as you wanted to get to know Cloud.

I've always liked you...

No... like isn't the right word to describe how I feel.

I've always loved you.

And, I don't want to be like Cloud. You gave us all a gift, so I want to live it. This is something that I don't want to throw away. So, since you're not here, then I will live.

For you.

You and only you.

I can feel the tears rolling down my cheeks now. It really is a wonderful feeling, and getting this off my chest has definetely taken the weight off me. My eyes are closed, and in the darkness, I see something. A pair of warm green eyes gaze right back at me, nostalgia and memories of months passed come flooding back to me. If those eyes are as warm as your smile, then I will never forget them, even till the day I die. You'll always have a special place in my heart, Aeris Gainsborough.

In the aftermath, I can still see the sun shining as bright as that smile, and I have faith.

I hope, in the Lifestream, your smiling as much as I am right now. That is my life's only wish: to know, that even in death, you are still smiling.

A/N: Just so you know, these one-shots will vary between the events of the game and Advent Children. I would recommend you to have played the game and/or have seen AC. Some might even be slight AU, depending on my mood.

Reviews would be greatly appreciated! Helps a writer to know what her readers are thinking about her work.