'lo! I'm back! Woot! Hope you all enjoy this, I find it to be very sweet :o)
What is heaven without happiness? To answer that, you have
to look back on life itself, and think of the times you smiled. Ah, smiling.
Such a simple act conveys so much meaning. And I smiled--- truly smiled when I
met Cloud. Though I knew what I had to do, and that we could never be together,
I couldn't stop smiling--- and he smiled, too. Maybe not a big, toothy grin
that I would have loved to see, but he smiled with his eyes when he looked at
me, he smiled with his words when he talked to me. But Cloud hasn't smiled
since I died.
I watch over him now more than I used to. Before he had the gang with him, but
they went their seperate ways years ago. Cloud has lived alone in a darkness
that no one can penetrate except me. He doesn't want anyone else to see inside
his soul like I could, and I know that. It's very romantic, yet very sad. Yet
that is his choice, and all I can do is watch from a distance, and wait for
him. I'll never stop waiting. If only I could see him smile again...
He talks to me when he gets really lonely. At times, I think he's angry---
yelling at me for leaving him. But then I see his shoulders slump, and more
than one tear escape his eyes. Sometimes wounder if he knows--- if he'll ever
understand why I died, why it was my life that was chosen. I think I'll explain
it to him when we meet again. When we can have our forever.
"I'm right here, Cloud." I whisper. Doesn't he know that I've never
really left him? I often wonder what he'll do when he sees me again. My
favorite vision is that he'll grab me, and spin me around, and we both fall to
the gorund laughing. And we hold each other under the warm sun forever. He'd
tell me he loved me, and I'd tell him that I feel the same.
And now it's our time. After so long, we'll be together. His spirit has left
the Earth, and he's on his way to me...
I opened my eyes when a warm breeze tickled my face. There standing back to
back against me was Cloud. I'd know his body anywhere. We turned, and faced
each other, drinking the sight in. Then, he avoided my eyes. I stepped closer
to him, lifitng his chin. A few tears roll down his cheeks. Oh, sweet boy--- I
lowered my lips onto his. His mouth was as soft and gentle as I dreamed. When
we broke apart, he rested his forehead against mine.
"You're real," He whispers to me.
"As I'll ever be."
He looks different now--- like a giant weight has been lifted from his
shoulders. "I've waited for you to come back."
"Here I am."
"You never did."
"You came to me," I told him, tears trailing down my own face as
well.
"Aeris... don't leave, okay?" He says softly.
"Never again." I assure him, "Don't you know where you
are?"
He lifted his head, and turned, the rays of light cascading off of his golden
hair. His face looks puzzled for an instant, and he closes his eyes.
"You're in heaven," I said, "The Promised Land."
He nods, as if agreeing with himelf that he deserves this. But if he only knew
he deserved this and so much more.
"Cloud," I start, and then pause. Could I tell him? Could I
actually...
But then he turns my face toward his, and he smiles. He actually smiles! I
smile too.
"I never left you," I whisper.
"There were times I felt you." He said, "But not like
this."
I cup his face gently.
"There was so much I wanted to tell you, but you left so suddenly..."
"Tell me now," I said.
"I never wanted anyone else, Aeris. I've never..."
"What?"
"Why is this so difficult? I know the words I want to say..."
"Stop," I said, taking his hands. "Just let them come."
"I've never loved anyone... since you." He looks up at me shyly, as
if he said the wrong thing.
I threw my arms around his neck. "Oh Cloud," I whisper in his ear.
"It's always been you."
He yanked off his gloves, and cupped my face, his endless pools of blue staring
into my emerald green. Who know how long we stayed in that embrace? It doesn't
matter. What matters is that we're together now, and that makes me extremely
happy. So what is heaven without happiness? It is nothing, without love.
