Alive in my Heart

It was your typical day in Costa Del Sol. The sun beating lightly on your face with a slight breeze ruffling through your hair made it great to be alive, except for one tormented soul.

A man sat on the edge of the shore unmoving even when the chilled water washed over his hands. His posture remained constant as if you could set a watch to it. Eyes filled with despair surveyed the surrounding ocean. This was nothing knew to the residents of Costa Del Sol. They started to refer to him as the living statue.

"Cloud you want to go get a bite to eat," a young woman in a pair of jeans and a white shirt asked while walking up to him. Her hair had the color of a dark chocholate while her eyes seemed a sympathetic wine color.

"No thank you."

The man didn't turn around nor did he seem to care that she was even there. The way he talked made it seem that his heart had shut down from the rest of his body. The living statue remained unchanged.

"Cloud you have to let go..."

"Good bye, Tifa," the man replied interupting her. He didn't want to be remebered that it had been almost 2 years since that fateful day.

"Fine, if you decide to come back to the living, you know where I'll be."

With her peace said, she walked away never looking back. She had tried to be there for him, but everytime she tried to talk with him, he shut her out. Now he shuts everyone out, including his own heart. She had almost given up on him, but then remembered how hard it was when she lost her father. He's been there through the good and the bad. She couldn't just leave her friend like that. Though he didn't make it any easier.

"One day," he muttered under his breath.

The day soon slid behind the horizon leaving only the night behind. The moon had started climbing the night sky. He laid on his back and gazed at the stars. The way they twinkled reminded him of eyes he used to know. His eyes had become heavy and soon he slowly drifted into a slumber.

"Cloud what are you doing?" an all to familiar voice came from nowhere.

The voice was followed by a lady wearing a long pink dress with a red jacket. Her long auburn hair was tied back in a pink ribbon with the white materia embedded in the center. The man's face lit up at the sight of the fallen angel.

"...Aeris.."

"Yes Cloud."

He ran toward her stopping a few inches in front of her. Something inside of him didn't want to take the chance that this was all a cruel joke. A moment passed of just staring, and he threw his arms around her, never wanting to let go.

"I thought you were lost forever, but you're really here."

"Cloud you have to..."

"Now I won't let go. I've heard everyone tell me that since you died."

"Listen, Cloud forgive yourself. It wasn't your fault, it wasn't Sephiroth's, it wasn't anyone's. My time had come and that was all there was to it."

"But if I had.."

"It wouldn't had made a difference. When your time is up, your time is up."

The man let it all sink in. He'd blamed himself the whole time and it ate him up everyday that he kept it inside. Talking with her seemed to actually take away the pain.

"Do you have to go?"

"Yes, I do, but not yet."

"I was devastated when you died. Please don't leave again."

She took a step back to look into his cerulean eyes where tears had begun to form. "Cloud as long as you keep me alive in here." She pointed to his heart. "I'll always be there with you no matter what."

He leaned his in towards her. The man couldn't get over how beautiful she was. They looked at each other and leaned in for a kiss. The two where in their own world. Then they broke apart from each other.

"I love you Aeris Gainsborough."

"I love you Cloud Strife."

The two gazed back into each other's eyes. Then her face seemed to sadden a little. She had to leave now, but they both knew that they would see each other again.

"Look to your heart and I'll always be there," she said with tears falling down her cheeks. She turned and walked away from the man and waved to him before she vanished.

Cloud woke up with the rays of light beating down on his face. He sat up and brushed the sand out of his hair. Cloud placed his palm over his heart, looked to the sky, and for the first time in ages smiled.

By: Jedeye13