CloudXAerith Fanfiction; By Ayanami Kaze (shuriken_ninja86)
Chapter 1/1
"I'll come back when it's all over, okay?" I saw her venture into the forest. Further and further away from me. I wanted to chase her. I wanted to run after her. But my legs refused to move and my mouth was sealed shut.
But it was a dream. No, a nightmare. It was...the last time I ever spoke to her.
Aerith Gainsborough. 22. Flower girl.
When she left, I was able to develop questions to ask her. Along with confessions to tell her. As I searched for the Lunar Harp in Bone Village, I gathered five of their best diggers to find them, I had felt guilty for making them work for such long hours. And find nothing. Each day I would hope I'd find the Lunar Harp within the chest that lay in front of my tent. Sometimes it was a weapon, sometimes it was an item, but usually it was nothing.
But one day, I opened the chest, for eight days straight, they had found nothing. Sighing, I opened the chest. No, it wasn't the Lunar Harp, but a ring. "What kind of ring is it?" Cid asked me. I picked up the ring and exmained it carefully, it wasn't anything you could equip, it was definetly meant for a girl's slender fingers. "It's a wedding ring." Vincent spoke up. Which was odd because he never talks. I stared at it, the ring itself was old, yet the jewel stayed gleaming and magnificent. "REALLY?! Lemme see that Cloud!" Cid immeadetly swiped it away from me, maybe he wanted to give it to Shera. But then again, how did Vincent know it was a wedding ring? I didn't bother ask, I thought it might have been involved with something about Lucrecia.
"Aww, this tiny thing would be worth ten gil or somethin'." Cid whined, examining the ring as well. "Does it really matter in the condition?" I asked, seeing how my observation was from a different point of view. "SIR!" I turned around, "We're ready for today's digging, sir!" I nodded, and directed them where to dig, set the bomb, and they began. Cid began to argue with me that day about the ring. Vincent returned to his usual silent self.
It was late, so we all fell asleep. Tired. Tired. And tired. We had been fighting monsters all day while waiting for the Lunar Harp to be found. Wherever Aerith was, I knew Sephiroth would be there, so I trained insanely hard, so I could protect her. I had agreed to be her bodyguard, after all. "Well I'll be darned. It's a ribbon." Cid picked up as we defeated ANOTHER chocobo (along with some other monsters). Why did we end up killing them?! Vincent just didn't understand! "You already have one Cid." Vincent announced. He got angry at us I guess since he was the only one without one. After all, we ended up wasting lots of Antidotes on him because he got poisioned many times. "I don't need more than one of them ribbons." Cid then flinged it at him. Vincent sighed, catching it. The ribbon was silk and pink, and I tied it to my left arm.
The next morning, I checked the chest again, I had higher hopes this time, and hoping helped. I should've listened to Aerith, "Never give up hope. Okay, Cloud?" her voice continously reminded of her funny little lectures. "It's the Lunar Harp!" Cid pointed out. "FINALLY! WE'VE BEEN HERE FOREVER!" he screamed for joy. "Then let's continue on." Vincent said as he was about to climb the ladder and walk into the Sleeping Forest.
We walked into the Sleeping Forest, a calming, peaceful feeling fell upon us. I used the Lunar Harp and we traveled deeper into the forest, we saw white stoned paths, and structures of very old yet beautiful buildings in the far distance.
The City of the Ancients. But they called themselves, "Cetra". Aerith was the last remaining Cetra. "Come on, Aerith's waiting for us." I urged them on and we continued walking. We were walking for what seemed like HOURS. We fought more and more monsters. Sighing every so often on the way, we used lots of items. We saw a shining lake, it was crystal clear, beautiful. I traveled into the building behind it, and saw stone platforms that looked like I had to jump across to get into the altar. There was someone there. Though they were either very short or kneeling down because I couldn't quite see their whole body.
I walked down the stairs and got a clearer view of Aerith. "She prayin' or somethin'?" Cid questioned. We were all going to go up to her, but I wanted to go up to her alone. I wanted to tell her something alone. Vincent and Cid understood and allowed me to progress on by myself. I thanked them and jumped across the stone platforms. What was she praying for...?
"Aerith..." I approached her, I clenched the ring from my fist, Cid gave it up because he refused to take the "rusted piece of junk". I stopped and stuffed it into my pocket, not now. Not yet.
I felt something go through me, this feeling that took over my system and my thoughts were no longer mine. I unsheathed my Buster Sword. Feeling my arms trying to struggle to stop, and my legs shakily walking closer and closer to Aerith. "What are you waiting for, puppet?" a voice whispered in my head. I realized what was going to happen.
I was going to kill her.
"No..." I clenched onto the grip of my sword, it was about to dive down on her head, "Cloud..." she whispered. The voice that paralyzed my body, called my name. I dropped the sword and she opened her eyes, raising her head to me. I looked at her, waiting for her to say something. Or was she waiting for me to say something?
She smiled, and I saw Sephiroth dive down and stabbed his long sword into her body. I stood there, clueless, helpless, I was stupid then. And I watched her frail body fall to the ground. What did I do? I cried. I screamed. I held her for what seemed like the shortest amount of time I could ever have. "What about US?! What are WE supposed to do?!" No response. "What about MY feelings? OUR feelings?!" My mouth was dry, my fingers were trembling, my eyes were burning. Hot tears rolled down my face as I listened to Sephiroth call me a puppet. Without feelings. And without a heart. Incapable of love. He left me with a parting gift, JenovaLIFE. "Stop pretending," he said to me as a farewell.
I fought it, but with difficulty. The one I was supposed to always protect was no longer with me. I felt the ribbon I wore get torn off from me, and I could only fight blindly. We defeated it, after Vincent and Cid had knocked some sense into me. So when the battle was over, they paid their respects to Aerith as I picked her body up and walked towards the lake in front of the building. Letting her go and watching her body sink into the bottom. "This is goodbye."
Five years passed. I wore the ring I was so reluctant to give her as a necklace. So I could pretend a little longer...I moved into her church, caring for her flowers, taking care of the children, continously pretending. I wore her ribbon around my left arm, still pretending...that she was still there. With me, all the time. I searched books and researched for hours, trying to find a way to resurrect her. "Stop pretending." I probably should. But it was difficult and it pained me every moment she was taken away from my thoughts. But to have her with me…it was my final fantasy.
End : Pretending
