CHAPTER VIII
"Aeris!" Cloud called out, as he quickly ran after the frightened girl. The rain began to come down harder than seconds, as the roads filled with fog. The night air laid still, as his footsteps pounded harder with each breath.
"Aeris...," he murmured once again, only for something that had completely left his sight. Zack followed, as his blue mako eyes glowed translucently. Watching ever so closely to his friend. Cloud paused, as he watched the raindrops fall against the cement, its scent reaching his nostrils. What Zack had said, hadn't at all escaped his mind.
***
"She's not human," he uttered. Cloud paused, as he felt his voice getting caught up in his throat.
"..What?" he questioned, watching Zack's movements.
"What you see before you, is not human....she's dead," he replied, his eyes giving off a radiant glow, as the moonlight seemed to capture his movements. Cloud swallowed, as he contemplated and letting the words seep in.
"But I see her...and so does everyone else...," he whispered, his voice cold against the night air.
"Illusions, Cloud. Before Aeris died, she was injected with an experiment of Hojo. Which made her forget everything...what you see now, is only what you've made it seem to be. A spirit that needs to be freed. And that's why she came to you...that's why she met you. She owes you, Cloud," Zack stated, "She owed you her life...and the Planet took it, willingly. She died for her friends...for you..."
Cloud stood still, as he felt his legs begin to weaken. But held his balance, "Dead? That's impossible...and you..."
"I am no more than what you think I am...," he replied, "I came to guide you...that's all you need to know."
***
"what the hell am I suppose to do?" Cloud uttered, as he looked off helplessly, into the dark alleys, "If Aeris is dead...then why am I following her?" His blue eyes slowly fixated onto Zack, who still had that same emotionless expression upon his pale face. Cloud quickly turned away, breathing heavily, as the rain dripped down his face.
"What am I suppose to do....," he uttered. He slowly swung around, only to find no one standing behind him. All laid quiet, except for the pouring rain, and the brightness of the street lights.
Aeris kneeled down, as her eyes stayed shut. It had been left the same way, since the last time she remembered. The flower bed sat still in the middle of the broke down church. But seemed to grow over some years. She smiled, as a recurring thought entered her mind. Her hands clasped onto one another, as she slowly opened her emerald eyes.
"Aeris...," Cloud murmured, as he walked in, dripping wet from the pouring rain. His eyes fell upon her grace, as he remembered only the past. That's how she looked, before she died. He had walked in on her, while she kneeled down, helplessly. Waiting, waiting for an absolution that would never come. Waiting for death.
She slowly stood up, as she swung around. Her reddish brown hair swaying gently behind her, as her glowing emerald eyes met his very own.
"You came," Aeris uttered, with a pleasing smile. Cloud paused, as to how he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. "Maybe I shouldn't have came back...I've already caused so much."
Cloud laid quiet, as he looked down at the cracks on the old wooden floor board. His blue eyes soon adjusted onto the petite woman, "Don't say that. I wanted more than anything to see you again...and I don't regret any part of it."
She smiled, as she slowly walked over to him, "I don't want to...I don't want to say good-bye again. Sometimes, I wonder...why the future holds so much..."
"Because if there was no you..I wouldn't have given up along time ago," Cloud replied, his eyes turning away. She hesitated, as her hands slowly caressed his face. Coldness. All he felt was coldness, that seemed to strengthen with his every breath.
"I' ll always love you, remember that. I always did..and never shall there be a day, when I stop. Because to you...I owe so much...," with that she gently pulled away, but leaned back in slowly, as her lips met his in a shortness that he never wanted to end.
Aeris' eyes seemed to flicker slowly, as she opened them. He watched, as her body began to glow translucently. Tifa paused, and hesitated to make movement, as she watched from the entrance, as tears began to form in her eyes. She watched as Aeris' body seemed to vanish within seconds.
"Good-bye...," was her last words, as the church soon grew quiet. cloud watched, his heart beating with every second. His eyes grew tired, as the pain grew unbearable. Tifa slowly walked over towards the young man, his face put down, as his blue eyes laid shut.
She gently placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, as she looked up through the cracks in the ceiling. The rain had seemed to stop, and in place of it was the bright moonlight.
"Cloud...," Tifa whispered, as her eyes searched his. He stared up at her, without emotion. There was a sudden quietness that fell into place, when it was soon interrupted by soft crying in the background. Tifa slowly pulled away from Cloud, as she walked over towards the flower bed.
Her eyes studied, with concern and confusion, as she noticed a small baby, laying helplessly in the pile of pink flowers.
"Cloud...," Tifa uttered, as she signaled for him. He slowly crept up beside her, and watched the moving child. Her eyes glowed gently of a bright emerald color. The small child giggled softly, as she began to fidget with her reddish brown hair. Cloud hesitated for what seemed so long, when he finally picked up the baby into his arms.
"...Aeris..," he murmured, as Tifa came up beside him with a warm smile. He watched the baby's movements as he realized something. Aeris would have never gone away from him, she was always there. And he owed so much to her.
'A spirit that needs to be freed. And that's why she came to you...that's why she met you. She owes you...'
AND LIFE WAS EVERYTHING THEY OWE