Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own most of the characters being used in
this story except for the personalities of the "Fates." All others are
characters created, owned and copyrighted by Square Soft. This is written
for entertainment purposes only; I am not gaining any profit from this in
any monetary form or otherwise. Please do not sue me, for I am broke. This
is my first FFVII story so please be kind. So, Cloud has given his
testimony to the Fates who will decide his future. But what will it hold
for him? Read on and please review. Please enjoy the story!
La Raison D'etre - The Reason For Existence
By Anime Enigma
Finé - Reunited
"I am prepared," said Cloud, standing tall and proud, ready to face his fate.
"Let us begin."
The Fates known as Urtht and Skuld stepped back while Verthandi spoke: "Cloud, I am going to explain to you the way that our. system works. Each of us has listened to you speak and asked questions regarding the period of time in your life that affects us. And because of that, we each have our own opinion as to whether or not you are worthy of the goal you seek. Since there are three of us, this will be a majority vote. At the same time, though, one of us can decide not to vote if we believe that either your evils have equaled your good, or, in Skuld's case, that it is impossible to tell whether your future will be bright or dark. In either case, we shall now proceed with our judgments."
It was the eldest Fate, Urtht, who spoke to Cloud first: "Cloud Strife, your past is a shady one, at best; filled with various sinister and serious events I'm sure neither my sisters nor you would like to be brought up again. It was you who assisted, albeit unknowingly, the evil of Sephiroth by allowing him to regain the Black Materia and call upon Meteor to strike the Planet. It was you who destroyed two Mako generators in Midgar, killing untold numbers of people. And it was you who almost murdered the woman you are now here to bring back, although it outside of your control.
"However, I believe that from the events that occurred surrounding the reappearance of Sephiroth have managed to change you into a much better individual. When once you were a heartless man, who cared only about how his next pay would come in, you have matured into a person who deeply cares about the people you come to meet and interact with; the situation with Aeris is but one extreme and sad example. On the whole, I believe that your past is one that has benefited you greatly and may possibly serve as an example to future generations of how a hero should act. I am proud to say that I believe your past to be an honorable one and therefore give permission for the resurrection of Aeris."
Cloud nodded thankfully to the eldest Fate, before turning his attention to the Fate of the Present. "Please, go ahead."
"Cloud, when the whole incident was over, you were heartbroken, emotionally crushed, to say the least. But yet you held on strong to the memory of Aeris, going on day after day doing what you believed to be the right thing, something that would have been what Aeris would have wished for: an end to evil in the world. And so you wandered the desert sands, fighting the endless creatures, slaying untold numbers of monsters as your way of atonement, but also to remember the one you loved.
"As I discussed with you earlier, you could have easily gone and talked to others to help you destroy the nests of these things, but instead you inflicted cruel punishment to creatures that had not yet done any evil. You tried to rationalize your actions by saying that it was for Aeris, but now you know that that cannot be true. You also tried to make yourself believe that those creatures would have done evil, therefore making your destruction of them prior to the fact a necessary evil. But, once again, you have learned that such an action was incorrect and immoral in itself. While your realization of this is the beginning of penitence, it cannot completely overshadow the maliciousness of your actions. For that reason, I do not find enough reason to allow you to bring Aeris back to life. Please, forgive me," she asked of the stunned man, as she buried her face in her hands, kneeling down to the floor.
He gave no answer to the crying woman, the one who had taken the form of his friend Tifa. 'I've made Tifa cry two times now,' he thought absently as he stared ahead to the youngest Fate, the one who would decide whether or not he could have his love back.
After composing herself, Verthandi stood up again and motioned to her younger sister to go ahead, with a slight smile of her lips. Skuld nodded slightly and turned to the waiting man. "Cloud Strife, being the Fate who watches over the future, I see many different things in store for you. But the future is not a set thing; it never has been and never will be. I see some futures where you return with Aeris and are heartbroken and despondent when either she or Tifa leave to lead their own lives; you then fall back into your black hole of despair, never to return to your normal self again. At the same time, though I see futures where you both return and live happy, fruitful lives, some together as lovers, some as friends, some as neither. There are, of course, other futures, but none of them have any relevance to the decision that is being placed in front of me. I am sad to say that the frequency of these two different types of futures is essentially equal.
"I believe that the Cloud Strife that stands in front of me is a good and noble man, one who has returned from the darkest recesses of man's anguish. However, as I have said, I have no solid evidence to prove that you shall not return to that darkness that resides within your soul. By the same token, though, there is no evidence that says you shall return to that inherent evil. Due to the nature of this situation, I find myself at a deadlock: there is no evidence to either bless or condemn you. For that reason, I will withhold my judgment of you," she finished, leaving a blank look on Cloud's face.
Timidly, he asked, "So, what happens now? The vote is equal, 1-1. I don't understand the meaning of this decision!"
Verthandi spoke up: "Since we have tied on the vote, it no longer rests in our hands. Fate, the kind that no hand, either god or mortal controls, shall take our stead. Fare well, Cloud Strife; I wish you the best. Perhaps one day we will meet again. But until then, good bye."
Cloud watched as the woman masquerading as Tifa vanished into nothingness then felt a pressure on his shoulder. Turning he found himself face to face with his mother. 'Urtht,' he reminded himself. 'She is Urtht, only pretending to be my mother.'
The woman in front of him sighed sadly. "I truly believe you worthy of being with your love, Cloud. But there is nothing more that either myself or any of my sisters can do. You shall be left in this room, and the sands of time shall make the final decision. Take care, and do not hesitate should the chance present itself. True love, like the kind between the two of you is rarer than you'd believe. Farewell." Then, she too, faded away.
He was left facing the youngest Fate, Skuld. "I'm sorry," she said. "I wish that I could have voted to have you and her be back together, but I didn't have enough solid indications to say that your future would be what you think it would be. I am truly sorry." As she stepped away, Cloud spoke.
"Wait, please. You told me if I asked again, you'd tell me who you are supposed to be. Will you tell me now?"
A look of anguish crossed her eyes as she contemplated her answer. "It is my belief that, depending on what your future holds, the knowledge could be extremely detrimental to your health. If you are allowed to bring her back, then I shall return and tell you. Otherwise. you're better off not knowing. I'm sorry."
With that, the final Fate disappeared into nothingness. Once again exhausted, Cloud returned to his chair and waited. For what he did not know, as he had no clear idea as to what was going to happen now that the "sands of time" were in charge of his future. He tried to figure out what the whole meaning of this was know, especially if the Three Fates could not interpret what he was worthy of happening to him. A number of scenarios went through his head as he tried to guess what might happen to him. Maybe he'd be allowed to be with Aeris for a short while before being plunged back to his body and being forced to watch her body disintegrate into nothingness. After all he'd been through, would it have a purpose afterwards, besides to remind him of his failure? Or perhaps he'd be sent on a long journey to prove his worth to the gods. But in the end he couldn't come up with a strong, logically based answer, so he gave up and began trying to decipher the mysteries of the enigmatic room he was in. Or in other words did absolutely nothing.
So he simply waited. An eternity passed, perhaps several, before a change occurred in the room. At first he thought that it was his mind playing tricks on him after such a long time, but soon the change became more prominent. A portal appeared in what could be considered the wall of the room and out stepped an angel. No, his angel. Her eyes still sparkled with the vibrant life he had known so well. Her skin carried the vitality he had been hoping to see so much again. Overcome by the emotions of it all he broke down, holding hard onto her slender, but strong frame. Soon her tears were mixed with his as they cried in each other's arms. After they finally tears finally ceased, Cloud lifted her head from his chest (when did she rest it there?) and gently gripped her chin, bringing her up for a kiss.
It was soft and tender, just as he had imagined it would be, in all those daydreams he had suffered through over the time following her death. He held her tighter, determined to not let go of her, not now, not ever. All he wanted was for this to go on into eternity.
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"Why?! Why won't you wake up?! Come home Cloud! Please! I love you, you know! I want to see you happy; even if you're with Aeris, I just want to see you smile one more time!" cried Tifa, shaking the body of Cloud oh so gently.
Barrett had one hand on her shoulder as she continued to cry into the shoulder of her dead childhood friend. "Come on Tifa; let it go. He's gone, but he's with Aeris now. Just like he wanted to be. Let's leave them in peace."
Slowly she stood up, steadying herself before walking out of the lab, her eyes cast to the ground. Vincent was busy trying to comfort Yuffie while the others were quietly lamenting the final passing of two of the group's bravest. But all of the quiet murmuring ceased as Tifa, the one who had now lost Cloud twice, walked out to the front. While they did not care for Cloud in the same way that Tifa did, his passing nonetheless devastated them. Now was a time for remembrance, a time for mourning.
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It was a week later before the funeral. Everyone was dressed in their best clothes, coming by the Forgotten Capital to pay their last respects to their fallen comrades. One by one they came up to the pool where now two rested, to pray, speak final words, or simply drop off gifts in their memory. Cait Sith promised everyone there that he would stay here until his body disintegrated into nothingness by the passage of time. Red XIII vowed to come by and check on the pool from time to time and make sure all was well. Satisfied by their oaths, the group that had once been AVALANCHE left the sacred pool, all except a lonely woman and a robot with a word to keep. The woman's silent tears were the last things to break the serene calmness of the pool's surface for hundreds of years.
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Cloud and Aeris watched the funeral from the Lifestream, feeling horrible for the sadness that they were causing. But now that the decision had been made, nothing could be done to take it back. Although they could do nothing directly to help their former comrades, they were able to manipulate certain aspects of the surroundings, trying to give some sign to the others that everything was all right. Their efforts went unnoticed, except, perhaps, by the watchful eye of Red XIII. Where the destined couple had attempted to make some of the background move unnaturally, he had watched silently, not drawing anyone's attention to it. Perhaps a quiet funeral was best.
Cloud sighed quietly as everyone left the pool, putting one arm around Aeris' shoulder. "Well, we tried our best to comfort them, but maybe they'll be able to move on."
Aeris moved in closer to take better advantage of the arm Cloud had placed around her. "I feel sorry, but I think that this has made them stronger, as a family, of sorts. They'll survive, Cloud. Just like you did after I died."
"Yeah, I suppose."
Being heroes of the Planet definitely had some perks. Due to their role in the saving of the Planet from Sephiroth, they were allowed to retain their individuality even amongst the Lifestream for as long as they pleased. After they had fully comprehended the significance of the decision Time itself had made, they decided that they would wait together until everyone had come back to the Planet, just to say thank you to everyone individually. But today, something else was in store for them.
As the pair moved to see off their comrades, a rift appeared in the dimension, revealing the youthful Skuld in her true form, a young girl with long blonde hair wearing the robes of the Fates, a rather elaborate clothe for one as youthful looking as her. Aeris smiled at seeing her again. "Ah, Skuld! It's been a while. How have you been doing?"
Skuld smiled at them and replied, "Well, you know how it can be. Something's always going on. I barely managed to get some time away from my post to come and see you two."
"What can we do for you, Skuld? Is there something that you need us for?" asked Cloud.
At his questions, Skuld looked down at the ground at grimaced slightly. 'But I promised.' she thought to herself before re-establishing eye contact with Cloud. "Since you two are now together for as long as you please, I decided that I should come back and offer you that knowledge one more time. Last time we really were able to talk, during the judgment, you told me you wanted to know whom I was portraying. Do you still wish to learn that information?"
Cloud closed his eyes in thought. "I really don't know. Has Aeris ever seen you looking like that?"
Squeezing him tighter around his waist, Aeris asked, "What do you mean Cloud? Did she look different than now?"
It was Skuld who answered. "Yes, I did. I looked like this."
A bright light momentarily forced Cloud and Aeris to look away, but when they did Skuld had retaken the identity of the young girl in the dress similar to Aeris'. "Do you both really wish to know?"
Looking down to Aeris and seeing her nod, Cloud smiled slightly and answered, "Yes, we wish to know."
And so Skuld explained who she was supposed to be. Aeris' eyes slowly gained recognition before she turned to Cloud, holding him tight as she shed silent tears. For his part, Cloud simply closed his eyes and shook his head, trying his best to comfort his distraught soul mate.
Skuld bowed deeply, her own eyes brimming with tears, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you listen to that. I only made you hurt more."
Surprisingly, Aeris pulled away from Cloud's chest with a light smile on her visage. "It hurts, but I'm glad to know."
Cloud simply smiled to her before pulling Aeris back into his embrace. And with her job done, the Fate of the Future disappeared once again.
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Eventually, as all good things do, their time together came to an end. But it was many hundreds of years later, after everyone, including Red XIII, had returned to the Lifestream. Reunited once again, the group that many years ago had been known as AVANLANCHE reminisced over the days of old, remembering the time they spent together. Being the only one who had not seen Aeris, Red XIII was the sole person asking questions, seeing how she was, what she knew, and the sort. But not many questions. Now was not a time to dwell on such bad experiences. Untold time was spent by the Planet's heroes simply talking, being happy.
Soon, though, their energy was all returned to the Lifestream, everyone saying their final goodbyes. Slowly, everyone drifted away, to be reborn on the Planet. The last two smiled softly at one another, before kissing deeply as their souls were sent to be reincarnated. But death cannot keep star-crossed lovers apart. Even in other lifetimes, the souls of Cloud Strife and Aeris Gainsborough would be rejoined. But that's another story altogether.
Author's Notes: Whew! Man, that took longer than I thought. I know that some people were looking forward to an ending where Cloud and Aeris would be reunited in the living world, but I also know that some people felt that the dramatic impact of Aeris being dead is a large part of why Final Fantasy VII was such a good game. I personally am a fan of Cloud x Aeris over any other pairing, but I felt this was a somewhat fitting ending.
But to those looking for something else, let me just say that I am not done. To paraphrase Ritsuko Akagi, "This is the reality, but only one of many realities."
Confused yet? Stay tuned, kids.
Comments? Questions? Rants? Raves?
E-mail me at:
anime_enigma@tokyo.com
La Raison D'etre - The Reason For Existence
By Anime Enigma
Finé - Reunited
"I am prepared," said Cloud, standing tall and proud, ready to face his fate.
"Let us begin."
The Fates known as Urtht and Skuld stepped back while Verthandi spoke: "Cloud, I am going to explain to you the way that our. system works. Each of us has listened to you speak and asked questions regarding the period of time in your life that affects us. And because of that, we each have our own opinion as to whether or not you are worthy of the goal you seek. Since there are three of us, this will be a majority vote. At the same time, though, one of us can decide not to vote if we believe that either your evils have equaled your good, or, in Skuld's case, that it is impossible to tell whether your future will be bright or dark. In either case, we shall now proceed with our judgments."
It was the eldest Fate, Urtht, who spoke to Cloud first: "Cloud Strife, your past is a shady one, at best; filled with various sinister and serious events I'm sure neither my sisters nor you would like to be brought up again. It was you who assisted, albeit unknowingly, the evil of Sephiroth by allowing him to regain the Black Materia and call upon Meteor to strike the Planet. It was you who destroyed two Mako generators in Midgar, killing untold numbers of people. And it was you who almost murdered the woman you are now here to bring back, although it outside of your control.
"However, I believe that from the events that occurred surrounding the reappearance of Sephiroth have managed to change you into a much better individual. When once you were a heartless man, who cared only about how his next pay would come in, you have matured into a person who deeply cares about the people you come to meet and interact with; the situation with Aeris is but one extreme and sad example. On the whole, I believe that your past is one that has benefited you greatly and may possibly serve as an example to future generations of how a hero should act. I am proud to say that I believe your past to be an honorable one and therefore give permission for the resurrection of Aeris."
Cloud nodded thankfully to the eldest Fate, before turning his attention to the Fate of the Present. "Please, go ahead."
"Cloud, when the whole incident was over, you were heartbroken, emotionally crushed, to say the least. But yet you held on strong to the memory of Aeris, going on day after day doing what you believed to be the right thing, something that would have been what Aeris would have wished for: an end to evil in the world. And so you wandered the desert sands, fighting the endless creatures, slaying untold numbers of monsters as your way of atonement, but also to remember the one you loved.
"As I discussed with you earlier, you could have easily gone and talked to others to help you destroy the nests of these things, but instead you inflicted cruel punishment to creatures that had not yet done any evil. You tried to rationalize your actions by saying that it was for Aeris, but now you know that that cannot be true. You also tried to make yourself believe that those creatures would have done evil, therefore making your destruction of them prior to the fact a necessary evil. But, once again, you have learned that such an action was incorrect and immoral in itself. While your realization of this is the beginning of penitence, it cannot completely overshadow the maliciousness of your actions. For that reason, I do not find enough reason to allow you to bring Aeris back to life. Please, forgive me," she asked of the stunned man, as she buried her face in her hands, kneeling down to the floor.
He gave no answer to the crying woman, the one who had taken the form of his friend Tifa. 'I've made Tifa cry two times now,' he thought absently as he stared ahead to the youngest Fate, the one who would decide whether or not he could have his love back.
After composing herself, Verthandi stood up again and motioned to her younger sister to go ahead, with a slight smile of her lips. Skuld nodded slightly and turned to the waiting man. "Cloud Strife, being the Fate who watches over the future, I see many different things in store for you. But the future is not a set thing; it never has been and never will be. I see some futures where you return with Aeris and are heartbroken and despondent when either she or Tifa leave to lead their own lives; you then fall back into your black hole of despair, never to return to your normal self again. At the same time, though I see futures where you both return and live happy, fruitful lives, some together as lovers, some as friends, some as neither. There are, of course, other futures, but none of them have any relevance to the decision that is being placed in front of me. I am sad to say that the frequency of these two different types of futures is essentially equal.
"I believe that the Cloud Strife that stands in front of me is a good and noble man, one who has returned from the darkest recesses of man's anguish. However, as I have said, I have no solid evidence to prove that you shall not return to that darkness that resides within your soul. By the same token, though, there is no evidence that says you shall return to that inherent evil. Due to the nature of this situation, I find myself at a deadlock: there is no evidence to either bless or condemn you. For that reason, I will withhold my judgment of you," she finished, leaving a blank look on Cloud's face.
Timidly, he asked, "So, what happens now? The vote is equal, 1-1. I don't understand the meaning of this decision!"
Verthandi spoke up: "Since we have tied on the vote, it no longer rests in our hands. Fate, the kind that no hand, either god or mortal controls, shall take our stead. Fare well, Cloud Strife; I wish you the best. Perhaps one day we will meet again. But until then, good bye."
Cloud watched as the woman masquerading as Tifa vanished into nothingness then felt a pressure on his shoulder. Turning he found himself face to face with his mother. 'Urtht,' he reminded himself. 'She is Urtht, only pretending to be my mother.'
The woman in front of him sighed sadly. "I truly believe you worthy of being with your love, Cloud. But there is nothing more that either myself or any of my sisters can do. You shall be left in this room, and the sands of time shall make the final decision. Take care, and do not hesitate should the chance present itself. True love, like the kind between the two of you is rarer than you'd believe. Farewell." Then, she too, faded away.
He was left facing the youngest Fate, Skuld. "I'm sorry," she said. "I wish that I could have voted to have you and her be back together, but I didn't have enough solid indications to say that your future would be what you think it would be. I am truly sorry." As she stepped away, Cloud spoke.
"Wait, please. You told me if I asked again, you'd tell me who you are supposed to be. Will you tell me now?"
A look of anguish crossed her eyes as she contemplated her answer. "It is my belief that, depending on what your future holds, the knowledge could be extremely detrimental to your health. If you are allowed to bring her back, then I shall return and tell you. Otherwise. you're better off not knowing. I'm sorry."
With that, the final Fate disappeared into nothingness. Once again exhausted, Cloud returned to his chair and waited. For what he did not know, as he had no clear idea as to what was going to happen now that the "sands of time" were in charge of his future. He tried to figure out what the whole meaning of this was know, especially if the Three Fates could not interpret what he was worthy of happening to him. A number of scenarios went through his head as he tried to guess what might happen to him. Maybe he'd be allowed to be with Aeris for a short while before being plunged back to his body and being forced to watch her body disintegrate into nothingness. After all he'd been through, would it have a purpose afterwards, besides to remind him of his failure? Or perhaps he'd be sent on a long journey to prove his worth to the gods. But in the end he couldn't come up with a strong, logically based answer, so he gave up and began trying to decipher the mysteries of the enigmatic room he was in. Or in other words did absolutely nothing.
So he simply waited. An eternity passed, perhaps several, before a change occurred in the room. At first he thought that it was his mind playing tricks on him after such a long time, but soon the change became more prominent. A portal appeared in what could be considered the wall of the room and out stepped an angel. No, his angel. Her eyes still sparkled with the vibrant life he had known so well. Her skin carried the vitality he had been hoping to see so much again. Overcome by the emotions of it all he broke down, holding hard onto her slender, but strong frame. Soon her tears were mixed with his as they cried in each other's arms. After they finally tears finally ceased, Cloud lifted her head from his chest (when did she rest it there?) and gently gripped her chin, bringing her up for a kiss.
It was soft and tender, just as he had imagined it would be, in all those daydreams he had suffered through over the time following her death. He held her tighter, determined to not let go of her, not now, not ever. All he wanted was for this to go on into eternity.
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"Why?! Why won't you wake up?! Come home Cloud! Please! I love you, you know! I want to see you happy; even if you're with Aeris, I just want to see you smile one more time!" cried Tifa, shaking the body of Cloud oh so gently.
Barrett had one hand on her shoulder as she continued to cry into the shoulder of her dead childhood friend. "Come on Tifa; let it go. He's gone, but he's with Aeris now. Just like he wanted to be. Let's leave them in peace."
Slowly she stood up, steadying herself before walking out of the lab, her eyes cast to the ground. Vincent was busy trying to comfort Yuffie while the others were quietly lamenting the final passing of two of the group's bravest. But all of the quiet murmuring ceased as Tifa, the one who had now lost Cloud twice, walked out to the front. While they did not care for Cloud in the same way that Tifa did, his passing nonetheless devastated them. Now was a time for remembrance, a time for mourning.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
It was a week later before the funeral. Everyone was dressed in their best clothes, coming by the Forgotten Capital to pay their last respects to their fallen comrades. One by one they came up to the pool where now two rested, to pray, speak final words, or simply drop off gifts in their memory. Cait Sith promised everyone there that he would stay here until his body disintegrated into nothingness by the passage of time. Red XIII vowed to come by and check on the pool from time to time and make sure all was well. Satisfied by their oaths, the group that had once been AVALANCHE left the sacred pool, all except a lonely woman and a robot with a word to keep. The woman's silent tears were the last things to break the serene calmness of the pool's surface for hundreds of years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
Cloud and Aeris watched the funeral from the Lifestream, feeling horrible for the sadness that they were causing. But now that the decision had been made, nothing could be done to take it back. Although they could do nothing directly to help their former comrades, they were able to manipulate certain aspects of the surroundings, trying to give some sign to the others that everything was all right. Their efforts went unnoticed, except, perhaps, by the watchful eye of Red XIII. Where the destined couple had attempted to make some of the background move unnaturally, he had watched silently, not drawing anyone's attention to it. Perhaps a quiet funeral was best.
Cloud sighed quietly as everyone left the pool, putting one arm around Aeris' shoulder. "Well, we tried our best to comfort them, but maybe they'll be able to move on."
Aeris moved in closer to take better advantage of the arm Cloud had placed around her. "I feel sorry, but I think that this has made them stronger, as a family, of sorts. They'll survive, Cloud. Just like you did after I died."
"Yeah, I suppose."
Being heroes of the Planet definitely had some perks. Due to their role in the saving of the Planet from Sephiroth, they were allowed to retain their individuality even amongst the Lifestream for as long as they pleased. After they had fully comprehended the significance of the decision Time itself had made, they decided that they would wait together until everyone had come back to the Planet, just to say thank you to everyone individually. But today, something else was in store for them.
As the pair moved to see off their comrades, a rift appeared in the dimension, revealing the youthful Skuld in her true form, a young girl with long blonde hair wearing the robes of the Fates, a rather elaborate clothe for one as youthful looking as her. Aeris smiled at seeing her again. "Ah, Skuld! It's been a while. How have you been doing?"
Skuld smiled at them and replied, "Well, you know how it can be. Something's always going on. I barely managed to get some time away from my post to come and see you two."
"What can we do for you, Skuld? Is there something that you need us for?" asked Cloud.
At his questions, Skuld looked down at the ground at grimaced slightly. 'But I promised.' she thought to herself before re-establishing eye contact with Cloud. "Since you two are now together for as long as you please, I decided that I should come back and offer you that knowledge one more time. Last time we really were able to talk, during the judgment, you told me you wanted to know whom I was portraying. Do you still wish to learn that information?"
Cloud closed his eyes in thought. "I really don't know. Has Aeris ever seen you looking like that?"
Squeezing him tighter around his waist, Aeris asked, "What do you mean Cloud? Did she look different than now?"
It was Skuld who answered. "Yes, I did. I looked like this."
A bright light momentarily forced Cloud and Aeris to look away, but when they did Skuld had retaken the identity of the young girl in the dress similar to Aeris'. "Do you both really wish to know?"
Looking down to Aeris and seeing her nod, Cloud smiled slightly and answered, "Yes, we wish to know."
And so Skuld explained who she was supposed to be. Aeris' eyes slowly gained recognition before she turned to Cloud, holding him tight as she shed silent tears. For his part, Cloud simply closed his eyes and shook his head, trying his best to comfort his distraught soul mate.
Skuld bowed deeply, her own eyes brimming with tears, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you listen to that. I only made you hurt more."
Surprisingly, Aeris pulled away from Cloud's chest with a light smile on her visage. "It hurts, but I'm glad to know."
Cloud simply smiled to her before pulling Aeris back into his embrace. And with her job done, the Fate of the Future disappeared once again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
Eventually, as all good things do, their time together came to an end. But it was many hundreds of years later, after everyone, including Red XIII, had returned to the Lifestream. Reunited once again, the group that many years ago had been known as AVANLANCHE reminisced over the days of old, remembering the time they spent together. Being the only one who had not seen Aeris, Red XIII was the sole person asking questions, seeing how she was, what she knew, and the sort. But not many questions. Now was not a time to dwell on such bad experiences. Untold time was spent by the Planet's heroes simply talking, being happy.
Soon, though, their energy was all returned to the Lifestream, everyone saying their final goodbyes. Slowly, everyone drifted away, to be reborn on the Planet. The last two smiled softly at one another, before kissing deeply as their souls were sent to be reincarnated. But death cannot keep star-crossed lovers apart. Even in other lifetimes, the souls of Cloud Strife and Aeris Gainsborough would be rejoined. But that's another story altogether.
Author's Notes: Whew! Man, that took longer than I thought. I know that some people were looking forward to an ending where Cloud and Aeris would be reunited in the living world, but I also know that some people felt that the dramatic impact of Aeris being dead is a large part of why Final Fantasy VII was such a good game. I personally am a fan of Cloud x Aeris over any other pairing, but I felt this was a somewhat fitting ending.
But to those looking for something else, let me just say that I am not done. To paraphrase Ritsuko Akagi, "This is the reality, but only one of many realities."
Confused yet? Stay tuned, kids.
Comments? Questions? Rants? Raves?
E-mail me at:
anime_enigma@tokyo.com
