It's A Not So Wonderful World
Title: Nuestra Promesa
Author: Ziz
Plot Summary: What if Cloud and Aerith spoke to each other a bit more before his departure in Kingdom Hearts II?
It was the late afternoon in the castle of Hollow Bastion, former headquarters by which the Seeker of Darkness Ansem and his allies once established themselves. The sun was setting and dusk would soon give way into nightfall, the time by which the Heartless would multiply and strengthen with the lack of light. For a moment, they both stood there in silence, staring at the lovely pallet of colors streaking across the twilight sky.
Ingrid, one of the two bodyguards that were accompanying Aerith for the trip, observed the surroundings and tilted her head at Aerith, "Guess you better get going from here on, miss Gainsborough. Will you be safe?"
Aerith nodded, "You sure you two will be safe here?" She looked around the castle postern. It had only been recently when Sora expelled the darkness of this In-Between world. Despite this, there was always danger afoot. The flower walked to this section of the castle unarmed with the exception of a few magic spells taught to her by Merlin but carried no true weapon since her staff was destroyed nine years ago when her world fell to darkness. "I don't want you to risk yourselves to be attacked by the Heartless."
"Thank you for your concern, miss Gainsborough." Fillmore said confidently, "But we can handle ourselves in case of any Heartless deciding to attack us. We were members of Safety Patrol back in our world before it was destroyed so we're not any pushovers when it comes to offensive measures."
Aerith smiled at the generosity given by the two seventh graders and placed her hand on their shoulders. "Ingrid and Fillmore, thank you for getting me through the castle's upper floors," the brunette woman told them softly. "I assure you that this won't take too much of your time."
"There is no need to apologize, miss Gainsborough for taking up our time," Fillmore assured with a grin and a thumbs up. "It's our duty and responsibility as junior members of the Committee to make sure you as the civilian is well protected from any threats."
"And she did get us off the streets back at Traverse Town and allowed us to live in Merlin's home," Ingrid added in. "Take your time to give a proper good-bye to your friend, miss Gainborough. Take our word for it, we wished we gave the people in our world a proper farewell before they..."
"....were lost to the darkness," Fillmore finished and then looked at Aerith. "It's best that you take your time, miss Gainsborough. We'll wait outside for you."
Aerith nodded mouthing out a 'thank you' to her two protectors and ran towards the inner castle. Minutes passed by until she arrived right outside the Chapel. "There is no one here." A soft sigh escaped her lips as she looked around the Castle Chapel seeing it empty. The icy, cold wind whistled around the slim brunette and Aerith shivered, wrapping her arms around her body to provide some sort of warmth wishing she had her coat with her. "I wanted to say good-bye to him before he left. But I don't see Cloud around."
"You wanted to speak to me, Aerith?" A silhouette of a spiky haired man wielding a giant sword said from the ceiling and flapped his wings as he descended to the chapel floor right behind her.
"Cloud!" She admitted that she relished the sound of his voice, so shy and innocent yet so intoxicating to the slim flower girl. Her green eyes sparkled as she turned her head around to look into Cloud's blue eyes. "Yes, I did want to speak to you before you left."
"Wait a minute," Cloud took a few steps back from Aerith and dropped the Buster Sword onto the ground. "You know about that?"
"So it is true, you are leaving?" Aerith lowered her head and tried to hold back her tears. She did not want to force him to stay if he really was leaving due to Cloud feeling sorry for her. Yet the former flower vendor did not want him to leave after returning back to them just a week ago, "Tell me Cloud."
"What more can I say to you except that I'm leaving you? That I am going on a futile hunt to terminate the darkness within my heart." Cloud knew that deep down that he could not never tell a lie to Aerith, out of all people. "Don't cry and act like I'm the one who wants to leave. I've been away for ten years and I don't want to be seperated from you nor Leon, Yuffie and the rest.." The blond swordsman did not want to leave but yet could not tell her the truth.
"Are you going to, Cloud?" Aerith demanded, "You're leaving to fight Sephiroth again?"
"She doesn't remember what he did to us all.."The ex-SOLDIER responded with a simple nod of the head, unable to come up with the right words. He was intimidated by the inquisitive glare Aerith had in her eyes and unable to look at. She doesn't understand how he feels about the darkness within him and how much of a threat he poses to the worlds. Cloud needed to kill Sephiroth and destroy that darkness. Especially after he killed so many of their friends. "He helped plunge our world to darkness by aiding Maleficent take over the world."
"That's all in the past now! Why do you constantly push yourself to fight him?" Aerith asked, her voice was muffled as she threw her arms around Cloud's waist and dug her head into his muscular chest. "Can't you finally realize that, despite everything you can do, it is pointless to continue fighting againist him. You're already among friends and you should stay here. Ansem and Maleficent are gone thanks to Sora, may he rest in peace and it is up to us rebuild."
"It was because of me that he even exists in the first place." "I am the one who begged the great scientific mind Ansem the Wise and his top Apprentice Xehanort to experiment on my heart and purge that demon Sephiroth out from plaguing my heart in my sleep."
"But it wasn't your fault, Cloud!" Aerith screamed in response, "That guy...Sephiroth was hurting you in your dreams! You had to get help from Ansem the Wise to purge him out of your heart and stop causing you any more pain."
"Yet I brought him loose onto this world and allowed him to cause so much destruction to the Radiant Garden." Seeing Aerith's frown, he sighed heavily, "I know that you are looking out for what's best for me, Aerith and I thank you for it. But this is something that I have to do, I need to defeat Sephiroth."
"Then at least, can you," Aerith placed her hand on top of his and looked deep into his eyes, "promise me that you will return back to us in one piece?" The former flower seller tried her best to hold back her tears and faked a smile.
"From what I hear, everyone else except for Leon and Yuffie are not exactly pleased to see me return to Radiant Garden after a long period of absence. I don't blame them considering that I've been gone for so long."
"If you will not promise for them, can you at least keep your promise for my sake?"
The swordsman lowered his head in defeat and offered a rebuttal, "You know I can never guarantee my safety...especially when Sephiroth is involved."
"Cloud!!" yelled Aerith angrily.
"Okay then, I promise to be safe!"
"Are you sure that you're going to keep your promise?"
The blond wielder of the Buster Sword chuckled a bit and placed his hand over Aerith's shoulder. "What kind of person would I be if I didn't keep my promise to you," The former SOLDIER and flower girl hold each other's hand. "I am always with you and you're always with me. I'll swear on my life that I'll come back to you. I promise!" Cloud said as his wings flapped and his body began to levitate into the sky. "You'll always remain my beacon of light."
Aerith smiled, "I know you will, Cloud" Their grip on each other loosened and they seperated. Within a few seconds, Cloud could barely be seen as he flew to the horizon until he disappeared into a corridor of darkness, "Bye Cloud.."
"Did you say good-bye to your friend, miss Gainsborough?"
Aerith turned around and saw that it was Ingrid and Fillmore right behind her. The slim brunette tried to cover up her sadness and faked a smile, "I did say good-bye to tell him. I wanted him to stay and help us re-build our home but he told me that he needed to do something important to him."
"But I decided to be a good friend and support him in his decesion of leaving to fight the darkness within him. I somehow have the feeling that he'll return to us all someday." Noticing that that nightfall would begin soon, Aerith said to the two former Safety Patrol officers, "Let's head back to Merlin's home where Leon and the others are. We're late to dinner and I'm sure everyone is worried for us."
"Very well then, let's go," said Fillmore as he exited the castle chapel with Ingrid soon following him.
The flower vendor placed her hand over her heart as she had one final look at the spot where Cloud was previously. "I'll always think of you in the time of your absence and once you return from vanquishing that darkness, you can be showered by our light."
Aerith soon returned to Merlin's new home. The usual discussion in the dinner table concerning the reconstruction of the city gave away to everone listening to Fillmore and Ingrid talk about the friends they had in their own world and the cases they solved when they were members of Safety Patrol. She also prayed that the worlds would soon be at peace despite the death of the Keyblade's Chosen One and that the two seventh graders would have the chance to see if their original home and friends were safe and sound.
As naive as she sounded despite the gruesome reality of life, Aerith believed that everyone, after all of this, earned their chance at happiness.