Authors note: this is an AU story taking place in an entirely different world than FF7 or KH. I made this world up and own all the rights to The Kingdom of Hearts. You will see more of the world as the story continues… again this story is planned out far ahead so be patient. The world and plot will bloom like a flower. I want desperately to add more to this, but for now this is all I can give you.

I do not own the characters. I do not make money on this.

I am very inspired by music so for now on…

Song used for inspiration: Give Me Novacaine by Green Day.

…The seasons slowly changed and time passed in a blur of activity. Cloud moved into a beautiful home with Aeris. Their house had 2 bedrooms, but one was much smaller and kept empty. It had a yard filled with grass and trees. Aeris spent her time in the garden, reflecting, waiting for her womb to swell and push out her torso. Cloud continued to work for the ARMY …

…And after 6 monthes of marital bliss, Aeris gave birth to a beautiful child…

The only time Cloud ever heard his wife raise her voice was the same night his son was born. Aerith had tried very hard to be saintly and quiet. She had smiled at her husband like she normally did. The only testament to the pain was a grimace every once and while. Before the process could continue she was taken abruptly from his sight.

The healer had then vaguely introduced Cloud to a midwife that would stay with his wife. Her name was Lera. She bustled past without a word to Cloud or the healer. She only returned from the birth room to stick a sign on the door disallowing entry. Cloud resigned himself to be of no help and stared pointedly at the clock.

"Hey, Cloud." Zack shook him, "Cloud?"

Blinking cloud looked up at his friend, much younger than now. His face had lost all of the deep lines that had so recently etched themselves into the flesh. "Zack?" He asked, unbelieving.

"Hey!" Zack greeted and his boyish face glowed the way it always used to.

"What are you…What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting you up." Zack shook his head in beautiful annoyance, his hair moving around his face in an arch like a halo, "don't tell me you forgot? We have a mission today. You're the only one who is late. The sergeant thinks you ran off, wait till he hears his little Storm-Cloud just slept in!"

Suddenly felling a shoot of anger Cloud snapped, "Don't call me that!"

"I'll call you whatever I want to as long as I outrank you, Stormy."

Cloud grabbed his clothing, and threw it on haphazardly. He grumbled as he fixed his hair. Suddenly, Cloud stopped. He had caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He was 13. His cheeks still had their fullness that had melted with age. His eyes were bright and shining with the shock of his own age.

Zack came up from behind him and peered around his friend, "Hate to tell you this, but your hair always looks like that." He commented consolingly.

Cloud remembered today. He was on his way to his first mission, and his very first beating from the commander. This evening he would share his first kiss. He was free to do as he wanted and play. In a couple of years he would marry after proving himself an able solider in battle. Here, though, in this moment, he was carefree and so close to Zack he could touch his skin with his bare hands. Zack wouldn't freeze or move away.

"Cloud?" Zack asked tentatively.

Cloud's face hurt, so he reached up to touch it. His cheek muscles were pulling and straining. He looked up into the mirror.

His reflection smiled back.

A scream tore through the night like lightening, and Cloud fell out of his chair. His face was slammed into the hardwood floor, the last ghost of the smile evaporating. For a moment he felt displaced and he wondered silently where he was. Then another scream tore through the hall.

'Aerith' He ran towards the door he has watched his wife be carried through. Ignoring the sign, he attempted to rip the door from its hinges. "Aerith!" He called out banging on the door when it refused to budge. A horrendous death cry rang out. He broke the lock, and swung the door open. He rushed through the door's maw.

He had entered a bedroom with one large canopied bed in the middle. The thick green fabric held up by fat oak posts obscured his view of the bed. He glanced around for life and saw nothing, but bloody rags strewn across the floor. He could feel the nervous bile rise in his throat as he approached the bed-curtain. 'They've killed her.' He thought as his heart raced, 'I fell asleep and now she's dead. They killed her while I was right there.' He reached out and pulled back the cloth, closing his eyes and taking a breath unconsciously. He opened his eyes.

A/N: Cliffhanger! Lol I know…I shouldn't do that to you. I offer this as a peace offering, because I'm not really in a good mood and haven't been for awhile.

My other cat has now died from grief from his sister's death. I'm on prozac and hoping the pain will go away, but it feels like I'm all alone. I don't feel the panic attacks anymore, but you know I don't know if my emotions are real or not. Shhh, though I don't want to worry anyone.