It had been a few days since Meteor was destroyed

It had been a few days since Meteor was destroyed…Cloud Strife stood on the deck of the Highwind as his blond hair swayed in the wind…

It's over…

He looked to the horizon watching the stars emerge from the pink and green clouds….

"I'm sorry…I couldn't do more…"

Cloud Strife and his comrades had saved the Planet…saved everyone on the Planet…but..

…he couldn't save her…

He couldn't save Aeris…

He remembered that day in the Forgotten City…

She smiled at him…even when he tried to kill her…she smiled.

She trusted him to protect her…but he couldn't!

"Why did you trust me to protect you? Why did you leave me knowing that! WHY WERE YOU SO SELFISH! You just had to leave to save the Planet and leave me behind…"He wept.

He knew he was wrong…he was the one that was being selfish…He would give anything to be with her once more…to hear her comforting, soft voice…to stroke her soft hair…to look into the brilliant yet warm eyes, and to hear comforting voice once again….

Tears fell like waterfalls as he remembered the promises he made to her…

"Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"You'll always protect me…right?"

"Of course…"

"You promise?"

"I promise…"

He held a flower towards his chest and stared into the sunset…

"Hey Man…."

Cloud turned to see Barret.

"Hey…"

"It's finally over…we saved the Planet…what are you going to do now?" Barret asked.

Cloud shrugged…

'I don't know…" he replied.

Barret noticed the flower Cloud was holding in his hand…

"You still miss her don't you…?"Barret asked already knowing the answer…

"I love her…and I really do miss her…" Cloud said lowering his head.

"I know how you feel man….but you have to move on…you can't live in the past…she wouldn't want that…also there's a beautiful, young woman who loves you too…" said Barret pointing to Tifa on the other end of the deck…

'I know she loves me…but I don't know…"Cloud replied…

"You should man…you want to spend the rest of your life alone? Aeris is DEAD! You can't bring BACK THE DEAD! You can't fight FATE! Fate is forking Tifa at you with a silver platter and you don't want to take it? You're a stupid man STRIFE!" yelled Barret.

Cloud hung his head low…Tifa was his best friend…he knew that she would love him forever and do everything and anything for him…Aeris wasn't coming back

Never…coming …back…back to me…

Tears fell down his face…

He looked to Barret and then to Tifa…

Then Cloud spoke…

"Okay…"