A World Lost: Epilogue

"Hey there, fella… What's with the strange look? Ya feelin' okay?"

"Cid?"

"Yeah?"

"Cid… Highwind?"

"The one and only! Do I know you?"

Cloud couldn't believe his deep blue eyes as he stared in awe and surprise at the man standing before him. Though unusually hunched over and dressed in an entirely different attire, it was indeed the same Cid the Cloud knew, albeit the lack of cursing and smoking. However, it was not the appearance that troubled Cloud the most. What really bothered him was that Cid didn't recognize him at all. But, Cloud was sure that this was the same Cid that he knew. There couldn't be a way for him to forget him. Maybe what was affecting Cloud's memories was affecting Cid's as well.

I need to get to the bottom of this, he thought. This is enough. If I could just find—

"Hey, if you want to help out here, then follow me," Cid interrupts impatiently.

With a nod, Cloud follows behind his former friend. It had taken him some time to get to Hollow Bastion via Gummi ship. After his encounter with the strange boy with the big key, he managed to catch a ride with a passing traveler on a Gummi ship heading to a particular world. That was when he stepped into Traverse Town for the very first time. Aside from encountering more strange characters and becoming fascinated with the eternal night scene, Cloud was able to learn the identity of the strange boy he met back in Olympus Coliseum, who happened to be the chosen Keyblade master, Sora. His world was also destroyed by darkness, with his friends scattered to other unknown worlds. With renewed hope that his friends were all alive as well, Cloud eventually learned of the recently reclaimed Hollow Bastion where refugees from lost worlds were going to help. Cloud thought that if he could help restore the world of Hollow Bastion, maybe he could figure out how to restore his world as well.

Satisfied with his plan, Cloud hitches a ride with a refugee traveling to Hollow Bastion and ends up in a completely different world than what he had originally imagined. It was while wandering around the castle and staring out the windows towards the interesting Rising Falls that Cloud ends up running unintentionally into Cid.

As the two walked up a set of stairs, they began a sort of friendly conversation as if they were strangers all their lives.

"So, you're here to help rebuild this world, eh?" asks Cid.

"… Yeah," replies Cloud.

"That's great," responded the blonde-haired man. "We need all the help we can get."

A couple of kids, a boy and a girl, came dashing past the two causing Cid to flatten himself up against the wall. "Darn whipper-snappers!"

Smiling, Cloud began thinking of his carefree childhood days. "A lot of people from different worlds come here. Why?"

"For hope," answers Cid.

"Hope?" repeated Cloud.

"By coming here and helping to rebuild this world, refugees are able to gain a sense of hope that their worlds will be restored someday," explains Cid as he continues his way up the stairs towards the library. "For a lot of the people here, hope is all that's left of their world. It's the light in their darkness."

However, you're the reason your world was destroyed. It's all your fault.

Frowning, Cloud shakes Sephiroth's words from his head. If that kid Sora is tough enough to stand against the darkness, then I will, too!

Pushing a pair of doors open, Cid leads Cloud through a maze of a library. Books filled every inch of every shelf in the room, looking as if it held the knowledge of all worlds. Turning a corner, Cloud's eyes went wide at the group in front of him.

"I introduce to ya the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee," exclaims Cid in a half-hearted tone as he introduces Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith to the young man. He then turns to the others and introduces Cloud. "This guy here wants to help. Anything he can do around 'ere?"

Cloud was grateful to see Yuffie alive and well, even though she didn't recognize him either. But it was Aerith that caught his deep blue eyes the most. There she was, in the flesh and completely alive from head to toe. Cloud thought that maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, or perhaps Cerberus had stepped on him harder than he thought. As Aerith approaches him curiously, his mind gently eases in the fact that she was here and alive. However, she had no memory of him at all, which didn't shock or surprise Cloud at all for some strange odd reason.

Maybe, when people die and return to the Lifestream, they're given another life in an entirely different world, thought Cloud, recalling that when he fell into the Lifestream and remained there for a whole week, he had ended up in another, unfamiliar world where he saw someone who resembled Aerith. Could that be what happened to dead people like Aerith? If that's the case then maybe Zack might be around as well. And my parents, too!

"Are you all right?"

Cloud looks down to see Aerith look up at him with a concerned expression on her face. "I'm fine."

"I see," responded the brunette. "For a moment there, I thought you were about to cry."

"No, I'm fine, really," assures Cloud firmly.

"So, I'm thinking you can fight with that thing?" wonders Leon, indicating the sword in Cloud's hand.

"Yeah," answers the blonde-haired swordsman.

"Good," responds Leon. "You can help out by eliminating any Heartless you see around here."

"Don't worry about getting lost around here," exclaims Yuffie as she dashes up to Cloud. "I can help you out until you get used to the place."

"Thanks, Yuffie," replies Cloud. Suddenly, he falls to one knee and groans in pain.

"Are you all right?" exclaims Aerith.

"I… I'm fine," groaned Cloud. But the fact was he was far from being fine. Shortly after he had met Sora, Cloud wandered into Olympus Coliseum and encountered Sephiroth there. A fight ensued and Sephiroth disappeared soon after, leaving Cloud extremely weakened from using the powers of darkness to fight the one-winged angel, even with Vincent's powers helping to keep the darkness at bay.

"Let's take him to the chapel," suggested Aerith. "I can help him recover there."

"Good idea," agrees Cid. "I'll go look for Beast and ask him to help out."

The blonde-haired pilot turns to leave the library while Leon and Yuffie help Cloud into a chair for the time being. Afterwards, the two returned to looking for helpful books with Belle while Aerith sits with the weakened warrior. Feeling slightly embarrassed by his condition, Cloud stares blankly at the floor until Aerith interrupts his random concentration.

"You… were staring at me," she vociferates gently. "For a long time."

"I'm sorry," apologizes the young man. "You're not the one I was looking for."

"The one?" repeated Aerith curiously. "Are you… are you looking for your light?"

Cloud gives a silent nod in response, never taking his eyes off the floor. Suddenly, he feels a soft, warm hand on his clawed arm. Surprised by the act of kindness, he turns to look at Aerith, her hands still on his.

"You'll find your light," she assures him with a gentle smile.

Behind the red cloak, Cloud's eyes shine through with curiosity. "How can you be so sure?"

Aerith chuckles softly. "Because Sora found his light. If he could find his, you can find yours. It's not impossible."

Cloud could feel some weight lift from his shoulders as he heard her words. As he looks at the brunette, the young woman's image suddenly began to slowly change in front of his eyes. Where Aerith once was sat the same young woman he saw in his blurry memories. This time her face was bright and clear, smiling as if to assure him that everything was going to be all right.

My… light… It looks like…

The end… of THIS story