Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy or any of their affiliations. I do not own the song Return to Me, originally performed by Dean Martin.
RETURN TO ME
"Return to me… oh my dear I'm so lonely."
"What's this music, Aerith?" Tifa asked curiously, looking up from her computer screen.
"Just an old song, from a few centuries ago… I'm sorry, I can turn the transmission back to the popular music channel if you like," Aerith answered distantly from where she was standing, staring out the spaceship's view of the starry universe.
"Hurry back, hurry back, oh my love, hurry back, I'm yours."
"No, no, it's ok… I was just surprised, that's all…" Tifa said, resting her chin on her hands, gazing as well into the dark expanse."
"This is one of my favorites, from the oldies," Aerith spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence. "It's from… a long time ago… before the wars. The Moon Wars, the Space Wars… the War with the Heartless. On a small world called Earth, peace existed for much longer than it ever has… here. In our time. Our troubled times."
"Return to me, for my heart wants you only…"
"Earth?" Tifa questioned, curious, never able to learn much history as she had always been preoccupied with changing it.
"Yes… the ancient name for a planet which has changed identity many, many times… perhaps the names Hollow Bastion and Radiant Garden are a bit more familiar to you?"
"Really?" Tifa got out of her chair and walked over to Aerith, joining her. "I wonder what kind of place Earth was like? It doesn't sound like it's changed much… the singer, he sounds so lonely and… I guess we can all relate."
"The heartless destroyed everything," Aerith whispered, a hand trailing down the glass. "They broke apart friends, ruined happy families… Radiant Garden is filled with lonely people." She looked down and put her hand over her heart.
"Hurry home, hurry home, won't you please hurry home to my heart?"
"I wonder where he is right now…" Tifa's words, barely audible, expressed what both girls had been thinking since the start of the song, but had been unable to say.
Their grief was still too painful, still too fresh.
"I'm sure he's safe, Tifa. He will come back to us one day," Aerith replied shakily, clasping her hands together.
"Return to me…"
"Cloud…" Tifa whispered, overcome with emotion.
"Please come back, bella mia…"
"He will find his light, Tifa. We have to believe in him. We're all he's got, Tifa…"
"… Be safe. Please."
"Hurry back, hurry home, to my arms to my lips and my heart."
The two girls gazed off into the galaxy, and prayed their thoughts would reach him.
