It was 5 years after Sephiroth had been defeated, and 5 years since the death of my beloved. I had slipped into the background, and for a while I'd kept in contact with the others. Tifa continued to see me for two years after they had all gone their separate ways, and for a few months we had a sort of relationship. But that ended, Tifa was unhappy knowing she wasn't my true love as I was hers, we just couldn't make it work, so she left too. I was alone, and constantly depressed.
Day after day it was the same thing, I woke, I ate, I walked the town and wilderness around, before returning home, eating and sleeping again. It was a pitiful existence.
In my life I had made so many mistakes, but I couldn't pin point all of them. I just knew I was a failure. And this day made everything seem much more worse then it was before. The postman came, brandishing mail and advertising his own mood with a huge tooth-filled grin.
"Cloud Strife?" He asked, I was on the footpath, examining a map, and planning the days journey.
"Yes." I replied, formally.
"Letter." He said handing me the envelope, and then continuing on his way. I stepped out of the sun and into my apartment. Quickly into the study I went, taking the letter with me. I reached the desk and sat down swiftly. The ebony desk was covered in writings and journals and letters. It had no decoration at all, but it was still quite a beautiful desk. I leant back in the desk and pulled a small penknife out of the drawer. I inspected the letter. The writing was extremely ornate cursive and there was no return address. I flicked open the letter and emptied to contents onto the desk.
Cloud,
I know it's been too long to come and see you personally. The awkward silences and forced conversation would be too much for me to bear. So instead of bringing this to you personally, I decided to send this to you. Take care of yourself Cloud; I'm sorry I was too afraid to bring this to you personally.
Tifa
Lying on the desk, face down, I saw a photograph. Turning it over slowly, I realised it was of my precious Aeris and the tears began to flow. I lay curled in the chair all night just staring at her picture. My heart screamed in agony, why had I let her die?
When I rose from my chair it was raining outside, the soft pattering of raindrops on my bedroom window helped ease me into an uneasy sleep. Morning came too soon, and I was up at the crack of dawn.
Tormented by grief I took my trademark sword and myself to the top of the highest cliff. Morning had brought a grey sky, and cold winds. Costa Del Sol was no longer the happy place I thought it was. Cold grey skies threatened me and I bit my lip.
"You," I said to my sword, "Were the beginning of the problem. If I had just stayed in Nibelhiem from the start this never would have happened."
I wasn't just upset I was angry at the world. Aeris was so precious to me, so beautiful to the world, and now she was lost. I had failed and now there was only one thing left to do. Becoming one with the life stream was the only thing left to do. Throwing my sword and the picture of Aeris into the ocean below, I took my last look at the world.
The world had been good to me, but the end had come. Taking one final breath, and one final step, I left the world and entered the life stream, in one single step. It was over, and as I soared in the air for those final minutes, all the pain in my heart disappeared.