"Aeris..."
Aries, the thought of the beautiful girl flooded Cloud's mind as he tried to sleep that night. He had been watching the celing for hours, trying to drift into sleep but all his tortured mind could think about was Aeris, how he wished he could see her again, hold her in his arms and tell her how he really felt about her. Cloud kept remembering the look of calm serenity on her angelic face even as Sephiroth's blade pierced her heart, her death paled body floating down into the water. Tears started to well up in his eyes, his cheeks already stained with them.
He turned in his bed, his eyes clenched tightly shut. Sobs racked his body as he finally sat up in his bed. Cloud coulden't sleep, and he knew it. Swinging his legs off the side of the bed, he ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair and stood. He stretched his back and tip-toed down the ladder, then silently out the door as to not alert any of the other's.
Outside he took a deep breath of the fresh air, this beautiful place undisturbed, like a palace long forgotten. His feet made small tacking sounds on the paved floor underneath him as he headed down the path to his left. Slowly he walked, not wanting to hurry, not wanting to return to his bed. The tears had stopped for now, and he prayed that they would not come again.
A loud crack brought him out of his mind, darting his eyes around to the source of the noise. The crack sounded again, this time from around the bend of the path. Sprinting off, his legs pumping as he tried to feed more speed into his sprint, he stumbled to a stop around the bend. Turning his head his eyes widened. There, knocked down by a beast was Aeris, her staff broken in half lying near her. He acted instantly and without thinking.
"Aeris!" He shouted as he drew his Buster Sword from it's sheath, lunging forward to the beast. It turned it's ugly head, it's face twisted and deformed. It's black leathery wings unfolded from it's midsection and it leaped into the air, taking flight.
"Oh no you don't you sonovabitch!"
Dropping his Buster Sword, Cloud called upon his Bolt Materia. Slowly sparks emenated from his palms, and he thrust his arms forward, a bolt of lightning seared through the clouds and struck the back of the best. It spasmed wildly in the air and dropped to the flour with a loud thump, dead.
The thing allready gone from his mind, Cloud skidded to his knees at Aeris's side.
"Aeris! Aeris are you OK?!" He grabbed her and held her in his arms, because she looked on the verge of collapse and unconsciousness.
Weakly, her mouth moved.
"Cl...Cloud." The corners of her lips picked up in a smile, as she threw her arms around him and hugged her.
"Cloud..I love you."
They were the words Cloud had wanted to hear since he had first seen her after plummeting from the Mako Reactor into the slums of Midgar. He drew his arms around her and put his forehead to her shoulder, softly whispering to her ear.
"Aeris, I love you too. I always have..."
"Cloud, I love you, that is why you must move on."
"Huh? Move on? Move on from what?"
Aeris voice came softer now, and she seemed to be fading from his arms. "From me, my love."
"From you? But..why your right here!"
Aeris drew her face from his chest, and smiled, running her hand down his cheek.
"Goodbye, my love."
With those words, Aeris faded from Cloud's arms into the night, leaving Cloud alone, but with the sense that he was not alone anymore. He stood from his kneeling position, and nodded.
"Goodbye Aeris, my love."
Aries, the thought of the beautiful girl flooded Cloud's mind as he tried to sleep that night. He had been watching the celing for hours, trying to drift into sleep but all his tortured mind could think about was Aeris, how he wished he could see her again, hold her in his arms and tell her how he really felt about her. Cloud kept remembering the look of calm serenity on her angelic face even as Sephiroth's blade pierced her heart, her death paled body floating down into the water. Tears started to well up in his eyes, his cheeks already stained with them.
He turned in his bed, his eyes clenched tightly shut. Sobs racked his body as he finally sat up in his bed. Cloud coulden't sleep, and he knew it. Swinging his legs off the side of the bed, he ran a hand through his spiky blonde hair and stood. He stretched his back and tip-toed down the ladder, then silently out the door as to not alert any of the other's.
Outside he took a deep breath of the fresh air, this beautiful place undisturbed, like a palace long forgotten. His feet made small tacking sounds on the paved floor underneath him as he headed down the path to his left. Slowly he walked, not wanting to hurry, not wanting to return to his bed. The tears had stopped for now, and he prayed that they would not come again.
A loud crack brought him out of his mind, darting his eyes around to the source of the noise. The crack sounded again, this time from around the bend of the path. Sprinting off, his legs pumping as he tried to feed more speed into his sprint, he stumbled to a stop around the bend. Turning his head his eyes widened. There, knocked down by a beast was Aeris, her staff broken in half lying near her. He acted instantly and without thinking.
"Aeris!" He shouted as he drew his Buster Sword from it's sheath, lunging forward to the beast. It turned it's ugly head, it's face twisted and deformed. It's black leathery wings unfolded from it's midsection and it leaped into the air, taking flight.
"Oh no you don't you sonovabitch!"
Dropping his Buster Sword, Cloud called upon his Bolt Materia. Slowly sparks emenated from his palms, and he thrust his arms forward, a bolt of lightning seared through the clouds and struck the back of the best. It spasmed wildly in the air and dropped to the flour with a loud thump, dead.
The thing allready gone from his mind, Cloud skidded to his knees at Aeris's side.
"Aeris! Aeris are you OK?!" He grabbed her and held her in his arms, because she looked on the verge of collapse and unconsciousness.
Weakly, her mouth moved.
"Cl...Cloud." The corners of her lips picked up in a smile, as she threw her arms around him and hugged her.
"Cloud..I love you."
They were the words Cloud had wanted to hear since he had first seen her after plummeting from the Mako Reactor into the slums of Midgar. He drew his arms around her and put his forehead to her shoulder, softly whispering to her ear.
"Aeris, I love you too. I always have..."
"Cloud, I love you, that is why you must move on."
"Huh? Move on? Move on from what?"
Aeris voice came softer now, and she seemed to be fading from his arms. "From me, my love."
"From you? But..why your right here!"
Aeris drew her face from his chest, and smiled, running her hand down his cheek.
"Goodbye, my love."
With those words, Aeris faded from Cloud's arms into the night, leaving Cloud alone, but with the sense that he was not alone anymore. He stood from his kneeling position, and nodded.
"Goodbye Aeris, my love."