Unreachable
Unreachable 
Disclaimer: I don't own Cloud, Aeris, the other characters or FF7. I'm just
writing this for fun.

Notes: I don't know if I should classify this as a Cloud/Aeris fic. I guess
that I'm not really sure who should get Cloud. This is the second FF7 fanfic
I've written, so please bear with me. This fanfic is based on a crazy idea I
got while I was looking for Cloud/Aeris fanfics.

-Komillia komillia@hotmail.com-




	I'm getting married... it's hard to believe.
Aeris lowered her gaze, looking at the white silk dress she was wearing. A
wedding dress. It was the most beautiful dress she had ever wore, it was too
bad that she didn't felt as happy as she should have. She looked at herself
in the mirror. Her hair was nicely done and her makeup drew out the beautiful
color in her eyes. Tifa had volunteered to do her hair and makeup. It was her
duty as the bride's maid, she had said.
	She's been so nice to me, Aeris thought and turned away from
the mirror. I know she loves Cloud... Yet she always puts on a happy face
whenever Cloud and I are near. It must be so hard for her...
The door suddenly opened. Aeris turned around to see Yuffie rushing in, hands
full of different types of materia. She was dressed in a light blue dress
and with the flowers in her hair, she looked more graceful and adult than
she usually did. However, even with different clothes Yuffie would still be
Yuffie.
	"Quick!" Yuffie called and slammed the door after herself. "I took
Barret's and Cid's materia while they were busy with Cloud! Help me hide
them!"
Aeris giggled softly and watched while Yuffie stuffed the materia inside a
bag and then hid the bag under a couch. When it was done, she smiled happily
and proudly towards the bride.
	"There!" she exclaimed and laughed evilly. "They'll never notice
anything 'til I'm gone! Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!"
Then Yuffie rushed back towards the door. Before she left, she looked at
Aeris over her shoulder.
	"It's going to start soon," Yuffie reminded. "You better get come
now."
Aeris nodded, smiling vaguely towards Yuffie. "You go ahead," she told. "I'll
be down in a minute or two."
Yuffie smiled in return and then unexpectedly gave Aeris a hug. Aeris looked
surprised but didn't mind the sign of affection from the younger girl.
	"It's so nice to have you back," Yuffie said. "For a while... when
you were gone, things seemed to be going down all the time. And Cloud... he
was so depressed. Now that you're back, everyone's happy again."
Yuffie pulled away and then began to move towards the door. She opened it and
was about to leave. Aeris didn't know what to say at first, but she called
Yuffie's name.
	"Yuffie?"
	"Yeah?"
Aeris tried to keep the smile on her lips when she spoke. "Yuffie... Try to
find your real happiness. You shouldn't need materia to be happy with your
life."
Yuffie smiled again, then left and closed the door after herself. Aeris stood
alone in the room once again. She turned towards the window and looked
through it. The few guests that had been invited had already arrived.
Everyone was probably taking their seats or were waiting for the ceremony to
start.
	Why was she feeling so down? This was supposed to be the happiest
day of her life. She was united with her friends and family, she was about to
marry Cloud in a matter of minutes. Why was she getting the feeling that she
wasn't supposed to be there? Why did she feel like she wouldn't fit in with
the small crowd that was waiting for her?




Tifa sighed and looked at the clock for the tenth time. She found a chair
where she sat down to wait impatiently. She wasn't the only one who was
impatient. The guests in the chapel kept looking over their shoulders to see
if the bride was coming. Cloud, who stood at the end of the chapel, was
beginning to look worried. Tifa suddenly caught sight on Yuffie, who was
suspiciously sneaking around the coat room to see if someone had left any
materia. Tifa got up and walked over to Yuffie.
	"Where is she?" she demanded. "The ceremony should have started five
minutes ago!"
	"She's upstairs," Yuffie answered. "I'm not worried, she said that
she would be down soon."
	"You said that too ten minutes ago," Tifa told. She sighed again
in frustration. That Cloud and Aeris would married was bad enough... now this
happened. If Aeris wasn't Tifa's friend then she would have been overjoyed
that Aeris hadn't showed up yet. But no matter what Tifa felt for Cloud,
Aeris was her friend and she was Aeris' bridesmaid.
	"I'll go up and talk to her," Tifa decided. "You go and entertain
the guests while I'm gone."
Tifa left quickly before Yuffie could have the time to protest. Yuffie
watched Tifa leave in disbelief.
	"What? Me?"




Tifa knocked softly on the door. "Aeris? It's me, Tifa." She waited for an
answer but she was only met by silence. "Aeris? Are you there?"
Tifa carefully opened the door by herself and slowly entered the room. She
found Aeris standing by the window. Since Aeris stood facing the window, Tifa
couldn't see her face. But she could hear quiet sobs coming from Aeris.
	"Aeris?" Tifa said again with a worried look on her face. She closed
the door after herself and quickly grabbed a box with tissues on her way to
Aeris. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
She handed Aeris a tissue and waited for an answer. Aeris dried her tears
first and then answered Tifa's question.
	"I can't go through with this, Tifa..." she began, facing the floor
instead of her friend. "I can't..."
	"Why?" Tifa asked, shocked at what Aeris had just said. As much as it
pained her to say it, she had to. "You're getting married to Cloud, remember?
He loves you and you love him."
Aeris brought the tissue up to her face again. "That's not the problem," she
answered. "I love him more than anything... but I can't marry him... I can't
stay here."
Tifa didn't know what to say. Aeris loved Cloud. Cloud loved Aeris. Where was
the problem?! As far as Tifa knew, there were no difficulties between the
couple. What could cause Aeris to decide not to marry Cloud?
	"What happened?" Tifa asked. Aeris shook her head.
	"I can't tell..." she whispered. "I can't even explain it..."
Again, Tifa became speechless. How was she supposed to handle this situation?
It didn't seem like the normal kind of situation when the bride got cold
feet. But if Aeris wouldn't marry Cloud, then that would mean he would be
available again. If Aeris didn't want to tell what was wrong, then it would
be so easy for her to accept it and let Aeris just...
	Tifa forced the thought of her mind. No, not now. It wouldn't be fair
to Cloud if she didn't try to find what was wrong with Aeris. Even if it
meant sacrificing her own happiness.
	"Please... give this letter to Cloud."
Aeris suddenly reached out a piece of paper to Tifa, who stared at it with
a puzzled look. Tifa turned her gaze to Aeris, whos eyes were still full with
tears and sadness.
	"Just give it too him," Aeris said. "Tell him... that I will always
love him... and that I'm sorry."




When Tifa came walking down the aisle, many thought that it was the bride
who was finally coming. When they discovered that it was just the bridesmaid
they sighed and shifted uncomfortably at their seats. Tifa just smiled and
looked really apologetic. She finally made her way to the altar where Cloud
was standing. He looked more worried than anyone else and looked like he was
about to have a nervous breakdown if Aeris didn't come down soon.
	"Where is she?" Cloud demanded to know as soon as Tifa approached
him. "Is something wrong?"
Tifa didn't want to give him the letter. She knew what Aeris had written and
she knew that it was going to break Cloud's heart. But she had promised Aeris
to give it too him. Tifa swiftly put the letter in Cloud's sweaty palms.
	"She told me to give you this," she explained rather quickly. Not
that Cloud was listening. By the time Tifa had put the letter in his hands,
he could guess who it was from. Cloud quickly unfolded the letter and read
through it. He thought that he was imagining the words that were written on
the letter.

Dear Cloud
I'm sorry. I can't marry you. Please don't misunderstand, I love you more
than life itself.
I watched you after my death. I wanted to comfort you every time you suffered
but I couldn't. And now that I'm here... There is nothing else I would like
to do more than to be with you. But I can't. I can't explain why and I doubt
that there is a real explanation for this.
Please forgive me.
Aeris

	"Cloud?"
Cloud was still staring at the letter and didn't seem to react when Tifa
waved his hand in front of his face. He stared at it for a long time, not
wanting the words on the letter to be true. This couldn't be true. Aeris
wouldn't leave him. They had gone through so much together, done so many
things in order to be together. This wasn't true. She wouldn't leave him. She
couldn't.
	"No way..." he whispered softly, more to himself than to anyone else.
Tifa immediately regretted delivering the letter.
	"Cloud..." she began but before she could say anything else he was
already running out from the chapel. The guests turned around and watched
him leaving, wondering what was going on. As much as Tifa wanted to follow
him, she knew that he needed to face this on his own.
	Cloud ran up the stairs as fast as he could to reach the room where
Aeris was. He prayed that she was still there, that he could talk her out
of leaving him. He couldn't stand losing her again, not after everything that
had happened. Finally, he reached the room where she had been, only to find
the door half open.
	Cloud pushed the door open entirely and gazed through the room. The
window was open and a cold gust of wind blew through the room. Cloud entered
the room slowly, hoping to find Aeris somewhere. But she was gone. The
wedding dress hung over the back of a chair along with the veil. The room
seemed to be in perfect order, like Aeris hadn't been there at all. If it
wasn't for the shiny object lying on the table.
	With sad eyes Cloud made his way to the table and picked up the
object. It was the engagement ring he had given to her. It was pretty plain
with a rather small diamond. But Aeris had loved it when he had given it to
her.
	He remembered what she had said. She had promised to always wear it,
no matter what. But thinking about that memory only upset Cloud even more.
Why had Aeris disappeared while the ring was left here?
	Somehow, he knew about his friends gathering at the door even though
he didn't see them. Tifa, Cid, Barret, Vincent, Yuffie, Red XIII and Cait
Sith. They all stood there, worrying about him. Cloud turned to them, holding
the ring tightly in his hands.
	"I'll find her," he told them. "I'll find her, just like I have
before."
Yes, he would find her. Cloud knew that one day he would. And when he did
find her, he would put the ring back on her finger and never let her go
again.




Well, that was short... wasn't it?