Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, they belong to Square Enix.

Kay chap two is finally up, sorry for the wait

Thanks for the reviews:

-AcerbusLuna, Leon and Cloud's Kitty, Tobi-Uchiha, and Meru Makai

And special thanks to AcerbusLuna for editing this chapter and helping me finish putting together the storyline

Enjoy!

What do you do when you've lost everything..?

Break Me From This Bond/Stay With Me

Chapter 2: When All Is Lost

A blanket of dark grey clouds covered every inch of the sky. Not even the sun shown through, not that Cloud had expected it to, especially with the light rain that was falling and had been for the past week. Cloud tried to remember the last time he had seen the actual clear blue sky…it was the last day he had seen his friend…alive…

Cloud closed his eyes tightly and lowered his face from the sky. He didn't care if the rain was too light to mask his tears. He could have cared less about those who heard his cries of pain as he sobbed.

He had just lost his best friend, the last person he trusted, the one person who could convince him, on some level, that his life still had worth, the only person who could get him to smile…to smile after he lost Zack. Yes, Zack was dead, gone forever…like his beautiful mother…and the father, he was too young to remember…

Now here he stood at yet another funeral. Aerith…she was gone…she wasn't coming back…

Never again would she show up to his place unannounced, smiling… Never again would she talk to him, console him.. Never again would she hold him from behind in love and comfort… Never again…would he be alright…

Cloud was pulled from his thoughts and tears when a hand touched his arm. He jumped slightly, surprised from the contact, and blinked away tears, that wouldn't stop coming, as he turned to his side to find Yuffie staring up at him. Her eyes were filled with worry and sorrow, they were also slightly red from tears of her own. After a moment of eye contact Yuffie turned her head toward the direction of the burial plot, signaling to Cloud it was his turn to place a rose onto the coffin.

Cloud followed her eyes and nodded slightly as he stepped forward. He stood there, with rose in hand, and eyes on the now closed casket… Memories of yesterday's wake rang loudly in his mind as images of the seeming peaceful-sleeping girl filled his mind… But she wasn't asleep, she wasn't even there! Just her shell…her lifeless, unmoving shell, and that was all. Cloud had felt so empty when he had realized this, as though he himself was an empty vessel. Trapped on this side, unable to crossover and be with the ones he loved…

Cloud placed the rose onto the casket with the others, solemnly. He hesitated after he pulled his hand away. There was something on the stem of his rose, something red…

Cloud turned his head slightly as he looked to examine his palm. Yep, it was his blood.

Thorns must have broken the skin… he thought without care. Cloud looked back to the casket…

You left me all alone, you know… Cloud thought, as tears welled in his eyes

I'm all alone now, I have nothing left! …nothing that matters…nothing worth living for…

He turned his face away and mumbled, "No worth in living…"

Cloud suddenly turned to face the coffin, eyes flaring

Why!? Why did you go?! Where did you go?! Why didn't you stay with me?! You know I hate being alone! I cant stand being alone… Why?!…Why didn't you take me with you…

Just then something broke in Cloud. What it was, he didn't know. He just went numb… pain and sorrow left him and resolve flooded through him.

He moved closer and touched the casket.

If I have nothing left, no hope, no happiness, none of you… If I hate being alone… Why should I stay here? …I wanna be with you guys…

a sad smile touched his lips

I want to see Zack again, and I want to see you…and my mother…maybe I'll even be able to meet my father…

Cloud shook his head a little, It's silly I know but…I can have hopes even in death, cant I?

Cloud straightened

See you soon, Aerith. Say 'hi' to the others for me, kay?

Then, when he moved to return to his seat, something in the distance caught his eye. Cloud turned and notice a stranger dressed in funeral attire, to the far right of the ceremony, he stood by the cars, shadowed out, under a tree.

Cloud stared at the man for a moment, trying to understand what he was doing here. He didn't appear to be here for the funeral or anyone else for that matter. Cloud couldn't understand why this man was just staring at the ceremony…No, Cloud could not see the man's eyes but he could feel them, he could feel them on him, and Cloud did not like that. Cloud did not like this man, not one bit, and he wanted him gone.

Cloud walked off in the direction of the stranger, in a determined stance.

Cloud did not want this man here. He did not want him near him.

Cloud couldn't explain it but he felt like this man was going to take something away from him, something he wanted, something he desired, and he would not let him take it from him, he wouldn't let him.

Within no time at all Cloud was in front of the unwelcome guest. Before he spoke, he took in the man's profile: He was his height, if not taller, tan skin, dark brown hair that just passed his shoulders, his cloths fit loosely --too loosely, as though he had borrowed cloths twice his size, and on his face there was a long scar that passed just between his cold grey-blue eyes that never left his.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want?" Cloud questioned the man, angrily.

The man maintained his cold-hard gaze and replied, "Cloud Strife…"

Cloud's eyes widened slightly, how did he know his name?

"I was sent here to return something to you."

Cloud raised an eyebrow as he cocked his head, "Return something?"

The man closed his eyes as he nodded in confirmation, and then reopened them to continue locking eyes.

"Well, what is it?" Cloud asked slightly irritated.

"Your will…"

Cloud looked at the man uneasily, "My will? My will for what?"

"Your will…to live…"

Well? You guys like?

Sorry it was cut kind of short, i cut it off there because the moods going to switch from angst to more angry and sarcastic, i thought it might kill the sorrow in this chap if i kept going soo...i stopped

Next Chapter: The strange brunet man revels his identity as Cloud still needs convincing...

xD sorry not much info there but i don wanna spoil anything and i really dont know what much else is going to happen yet. So take care all, see you next chapter!

And please review, I appreciate it