(Preface) This is a fanfic I started many a year ago and have been toying with periodically over the years. I'll be honest in stating that it means much to me, and for those who read it, I would appreciate any and all feedback. The style of literature i used is a cross between written literature and screenwriting. I will switch intermittently between the two, but I feel I do justice to the reader so they can understand when I switch back and forth. The story is a concept disregarding AC and DC because I began writing it before either were out.
It is the beginning of an epic separated into many episodes. Here presented are the first three. The timeline presented is the first episode happening in "the present" while the remaining two happening directly after the end of FFVII.. The end of episode three is 2 episodes away from meeting up with the timeline of episode one, but I wanted to present this and see if there is anyone out there that will bite, or think its worthy of continuing. Again.. I would appreciate any and all feedback.. even a TLDR comment.
And the last thing I will say is that I took some liberties with the story. The main being that I make Vincent out to be an actual vampiric character. Again.. I began writing this before the compilation and thus, continued with my original concept.
Thankyou in advance.. and here it is.....
Episode 1: Despair
Death. Pain. Vengeance. This was all that was left of him now.
Flames consumed everything he had ever loved. His life, his childhood, his true self were being erased from existence as he watched from a distance with horror.
Zack raced out of the darkened mansion into the searing light. Fear and desperation continually festered inside his chest with every step he took towards such destruction. Once outside, the heat caused him to stop. His eyes took a few moments to adjust to the blinding light as he covered them with his left arm., but his eyes were not needed to know the truth.
Zack stoically peered into the flames engulfing his friend’s home; sword instinctively drawn. His silhouette -the only thing standing that wasn’t burning in the immediate view.
“How could he do this, how could he Betray us!”
No answers came.
Zack had been trained to be fearless and a pillar of confidence in the face of death, and so he retained a professional and defiant composure despite his feelings as he descended the stairs into the town.
Zack came upon a slaughtered man laying face up in the middle of town. A gaping slash nearly severed this young man’s body in two. Blood poured from his wounds as his innards seeped along the flow. As he knelt beside the man, Zack placed his hand upon the man’s forehead, and looked gently into those barely conscious and fearful eyes.
“You’re going home.” The only comforting words that seemed fitting.
A young soldier came blustering in from the entrance side of town. Zack faced down towards his comrade, rose up from the fallen man, and wiped the blood off from his glove. Zack was now in charge of this operation and needed to look as professional and cool as ever.
As he ran towards Zack, his hands trembled so violently that his rifle seemed to be vibrating. Yet, he was determined to be the best soldier he could, and kept his composure just like Zack would. Damn his emotions.
“Where’s Tifa,” the young soldier spurted out the moment he came upon Zack.
“I don’t know.” Zack turned his head from side to side, desperately yet calmly looking for what action to take next. -How can I beat Him- the thought overwhelmed most of his cognitive abilities and combat training instinct.
“First, we’ll need to check the res…”
A momentary shock rendered Zack motionless as he came once again to look upon the soldier’s face. The glare on the soldier’s eyepiece revealed the reflected town’s massacrer, standing not 30 feet behind Zack, standing out against the blaze. Zack’s eyes widened to the full pits of his skull.
Hesitation Moment over.
Sword drawn, Zack instinctively turned his body to face him, both hands tightly gripping his Buster Sword’s Hilt.
“Why did you kill all these people. ANSWER ME CLOUD!”
[Close up screen shot of Cloud’s head, his blue Mako eyes displaying all the hatred they can muster. A small smirk adorns his mouth. Camera fades to a full bodied Cloud, wearing Sephiroth’s black cloak. Masamune in hand. Without words, he turns into the flames, and walks thru them]
Cloud jolts up from bed. [A close up of Cloud’s right eye now becomes the only thing visible] Fear and desperation cloud everything.
[Screen cuts to black]
[Enter opening scene reference]
Episode 1: Despair.
Cloud arose from sleep in a cold sweat. He breathed so quickly and erratically like the fear in his dreams had transcended into the real world. Calming himself felt nothing short of a miracle.
The room smelled of a stagnant air. Nothing moved in this place. Picturesque embodied the monotony of his room. His cloak hung upon the back of an age old chair, draped over the seat and settling itself upon the ridges embedded into the floor. Several small swords held fast to a makeshift weapon hilt resting above the chair, stained with blood. A small window to the right held the only view to the mystical body of water that resides right outside the home. And in front of him, a full bodied splintered mirror leaned against the opposing wall of Cloud’s bed. A cold, broken monster peered into Cloud each waking morning.
He went to face it.
As he mindlessly strode out of bed, his foot treaded upon a puss oozing fleshy dark matter. A haphazard piling of wings lay compiled in a corner near the bed, encrusted with dried blood carcassed from their old master. One wing had toppled off the pile during the night and came to rest at the foot of his bed. It didn’t matter though, THAT one was no longer him, and he didn’t really care for its safety. He kept them only as a reminder to how many times he’s done this before.
Shirtless, Cloud went to stand parallel in front of the mirror. His un-waxed hair laid in individual strands, covering most of his face. From the front, his body had never been so toned. None of this, though, was through any fault of his own.
Cloud reached out and touched one of the crack lines in the mirror
[ Scene instantly cuts to a momentary memory of Cloud standing in front of the mirror with a large black wing sprouting from his back and a wrathful look on his face as he smashes the mirror with his hand]
[Scene returns to the present with a depressed look on Cloud’s face]
Brushing the hair away from his eyes, Cloud turned his back to the mirror and looked over his left shoulder. His back, no where near as healthy. A crevice appeared over his left shoulder-blade, and a perturbing black feather set began emerging from the opening, slowly but surely. Blood engorged veins spiderred all from his back towards the crevice, as if trying desperately to fight off a vile infection.
“Damn…” sighed Cloud.
A sound coming from outside instantly caught his attention. A small pebble rolling off a larger boulder broke the ambient silence in the air, and managed to disturbed the water, rippling its surface, and falling to a rest forever under its depths.
(Vibrating water, Vibrating hands.. hu,.. THE DREAM) The images of horror reentered into his head.
Cloud had no need to dwell upon his dream. It recurred every night. It’s meaning unquestionable. Soon, He feared he would turn into the thing he hated most, the creature that killed her.
no matter what, he could not let that happen.
Cloud fiddled with the hairwax container on the shelf next to the cracked mirror. He dipped his hand into the goo and for the next 20 minutes spent the time fixing his hair, like she remembered.
Wrestling carefully as to not mess it up, Cloud put on his SOLDIER shirt. He fastened his metallic, supportive glove over his left mangled hand, grabbed his red cloak, draped it around his neck, pulled out one of his worn, dull swords, and descended the stairs to the outside.
Cloud exited his home. Immediately he was at the lakeside of her watery grave.
[Camera shows the edge of the lake where the water meets the rock. Cloud’s foot steps into camera view. Camera switches to an undershot positioned as if the camera were located under the water, slowly zooming in onto Clouds face]
Aeris laid at the bottom of the lake, adorned with hundreds of red flowers. For some reason, this lake had magical sustaining powers. Anything entombed within its waters stayed that way forever, a still picture in a moment of time. Though she was murdered more than two years ago, her body was as intact, peaceful, and beautiful as the day she died.
Everyday Cloud went out into the world to find a flower for his flower girl. Everyday he would return home with one in hand
Sometimes he would walk for hours before he would find the perfect one for her.
Everyday, he would kneel by the lakeside, gently place the freshly cut red flower into the lake, and as it began to slowly descend to lie next to her, he managed to mutter
“I’m sorry…”
There he would sit in prayer and contemplation, considering and imagining the future memories they could have had together. He envisioned them; settling into a home on the outskirts of Costal Del Sol. There, Aeris and Cloud would set up a home just as they would want it. A training field set up in the backyard so that he could regularly improve himself. A large garden planted in the front that she could lovingly tend to. Their would be a wondrous living room where all their friends could come over, enjoy in small gatherings together, and see how happy Aeris and him would have been. He imagined what their children would have looked like: 1 boy and 2 girls. He even gave them names….
But eventually reality would set in with the setting sun dimming the light upon her lake. None of those dreams really mattered. They would never be. He was alone, and would always be.
If he couldn’t be with her, then he would just be content to be her guardian, now until the end.
Yet today, this monotonous routine was no longer enough. He had to end this.
A sudden surge of pain emanated from his left shoulder-blade. Cloud wincingly reached his right hand around to feel an all too easily remembered feeling. The wing had grown large enough and protruded far enough from his back that it tore through his several times patched shirt. With each fresh cutting, the wing grew back quicker and reached its full length faster. He had only cut the previous one off the night before.
With a sigh, Cloud lowered his hand to rest at his side, and slowly shook his head.
“I won’t become him,” Cloud softly but defiantly said as his peered over the lake. His eyes dropped down to look at Aeris lying peacefully at the bottom.
[Screen flashes to a picture of Cloud’s dream home with Aeris. There she stands in the doorway, holding one of the flowers he has picked for her. Her haired blowing gently in the wind]
[Scene returns to present Cloud]
“Aeris, I’m coming home….”
Cloud left the City of the Ancients on his typical journey to find a flower.
Outside, the wind blew fiercely to the east. It violently shook and swayed Cloud’s cloak, like a bath of blood spewing form his back every new instant. Each gust held hundreds of tiny daggers that cut into Cloud’s face, leaving their frost hilts behind on his cheeks. His cold metallic glove felt like a cage of ice, piercing needles into his already destroyed flesh. Yet the harshness of nature could not infiltrate his mind, it could not break his will. He trudged on thru the blizzard
And there, within Shiva's hatred, became known a rock awning, barely 2 feet high. Under it lie a blanket of white, undisturbed by the the relentless frost, free of zealous and tormentful wind, and beneath it, Cloud found a new bud perking out from the fresh fallen snow. He carefully plucked the red rose from its brush, stood up, gave one passing look to the south, and returned back to her grave.
Once next to the lake, Cloud got onto his knees, like so many times before. He unsheathed his small sword from the hilt on his belt, and looked calmly onto her. He fastened the flower to his shirt over his heart.
Some weight seemed to be pushing against Clouds chest, and for a moment it made him reconsider what he was about to do.
Yet, he was determined to kill himself. Cloud never really existed, and this shell would soon become the next great evil.
With one fell, precise swoop, Cloud sliced the new wing off from his back. The pain was so excruciating that it literally rendered Cloud motionless. His body fell limp and he rolled down into the lakebed. There, he came to a rest next to Aeris, his head fell to his side, eyes wide open, looking kindly onto her precious face.
“Soon….”
[Scene changes to the last time Cloud had been in Midgar]
Cloud walked along one of the street ways in the Sector 3 topside. Rain trenched the city-side as small rivulets formed on the edges of sidewalks and streets. Cloud dressed himself in a trench-coat, hood up, so that no rain would fall upon him nor would anyone recognize him. A blood stained pocket was the only other color to adorn the blackened slick fabric.
Lights combated with shadows over Cloud’s person as he walked down the street. Nothing seemed worthy of his attention. He was only passing through here till he could find a good reconstructive mechanic.
Nothing caught his attention, until all light seemed to fade from the street-side. Puzzled, Cloud looked up to see several bright lights valiantly shining at a large, luxurious billboard.
THE GREAT SOLDI ER - CLOUD STRIFE -THE HERO OF OUR WORLD
A large iconic picture of Cloud, holding his old Buster Sword, stood proudly in the night, overlooking Midgar.
Everything paled in brightness to this sign, as cloud stood, beneath it, in the shadows.
Rain rivuleted across his heaven stared face.
He was never that man. He was just a boy that got experimented on and fucked with. It wasn’t his persona; he never was a great solider. Hell, he couldn’t even make it into SOLDIER. He was just some lucky fucked up kid. He couldn’t live up to the hype people wanted him to be. That Cloud was never real. He lived in the shadow of his own self.
No more
[Scene returns to him lying at the bottom of the lake. A large but undetermined amount of time has passed]
The end was coming. Cloud began to feel outside of himself as small purple and black dots filled up his eyesight. He began drifting away. The final remnants of his sight fixated upon her smile.
…
Menacing teeth thrust themselves onto Clouds shirt, violently hauling him up out of the water.
[Episode 1 End]
[Scene cuts to clippings from the next episode, with Cloud sitting around, laughing with his friends and having one hell of a party after the end events of Final Fantasy VII. music begins playing. In Cloud’s voice, he narrates and says]
“Nothing feels as good as finding out that all of your Sacrifices meant something. To be with friends at the end of all things is the most important thing in life.”
____________________________________________
We Fuckin Did it!
[opening music, screen to instant black]
To the Settling of All Things.
[ Opening scene from inside the cockpit, all 8 of the members stand in profile, with there backs to the camera. The energy from the lifestream is slowly dissipating outside from the cockpit window view. Cid jumps slightly into the air with a raised fist, yelling obscenities of joy. Tifa and Cloud stand in the middle of the screen, close to each other.]
This was a dream, a dream she made real for him. Meteor, Sephiroth, even himself. All his enemies, his fears, his trials had been vanquished. Cloud stared stoically yet lively out the window at the released lifestream, the essence that was of him, of his friends, of those he had lost, and felt for the first time since he could remember…
Content.
As he closed his eyes, lowered his head, and a small smile adorned his lips, he felt the gentle touch of the girl he had had feelings for since he was little graze his left hand.
Blissfulness overwhelmed his head,… and his heart.
Cloud turned to face her. He stared lovingly into her big, luscious, round, beautiful brown eyes. Tears had swelled their outside rims, and she stared, head tilted slightly upwards towards his, gazing into his blue Mako filled own.
Softly,
Is this for real?... Cloud?
Wasting no words, Cloud put his right hand around Tifa to the small of her back, his left hand guided her chin to his, and while pulling her closely tight, kissed her.
Tifa, surprised yet overjoyed, lost herself in that embrace, and felt her body melt, feeling almost one with him.
“Hmrph” grunted Barret. “I knew those two sick love birds would finally get their shit together.”
“It’s love sick you inconsiderate prick!” scolded Yuffie, as she gave a condescending glace over to Barret’s position. “But I think its so cute!” as she returned to stare at Cloud and Tifa, hands clasped, left foot of the ground and tilted back.
“I said what I said,” replied Barret a little vexed but lightheartedly. “Hey cap’n, if this ain’t no time to celebrate, shit I don’t know what is, you got any beers lyin ‘round this flyin debacle?”
“#*@$% yeah I do!” toted Cid. “Who do you think I am? Some convoluted prissy teenager who fuckin doesn’t know her gin from her tonic?” (a smirking glance was made in the direction of Yuffie.) With a pat on Barret’s back, Cid led him back to the Captain’s private state room, as Yuffie stared in malcontent to the two older gentlemen. She raced to barrage the two for dismissingly her so easily.
With paws tipping softly towards Cloud and Tifa, Red XIII voiced,
“I’m glad this trial is finally past us. But, as fortunate or as unfortunate as you wish to see, we seemed to have lost one of our members.”
Red XIII tilted his head back towards the now motionless Caitsith, who sat lifeless against an opposing wall.
“Do you think Reeve has abandoned us Cloud?”
With a small, slight breathed laugh, Cloud responded, “No Red, I think he expects us to go meet him in person.” All the while Cloud still clung tightly around Tifa.
“Hmmm, I hope so… even if he was fake, it was still nice having another sentient non-human around.” Turning his head around to once again look into the eyes of Cloud, Red XIII responded, “Do you think that Cid may be willing to depart with some of his less than sober beverages? I am 46 you know.”
While closing her eyes and smiling brightly at him, Tifa said “I’m sure Cid wouldn’t mind, Red, even if you are only 15 to us.”
With a light consenting grunt and a shake of the head, Red XIII walked slowly to the back of the airship with the rest of his comrades.
Only Vincent, with crossed arms and a cold stare,… remained.
Cloud gazed onto his vampiric, stoic counterpart and wondered what this valiant yet tragic man would have to say in his words of wisdom.
“Well,” as Vincent replied with a lowered head and a closed set of eyes,” I’m at least 60,… I doubt they would refuse me.” And without even a glance in Cloud or Tifa’s direction, Vincent left the windowed viewed room.
Cloud gave a nod in Vincent’s general direction, while fully knowing that Vincent neither saw nor cared how Cloud acknowledged him.
Then, as if distinctive and pulled by a force outside of his own, Cloud once again looked upon her gentle face. He knew, from then on, that happiness was all that would remain in his life.
As the lifestream finally began to settle once again back into the Planet, Cloud in Tifa, hand in hand, approached the windows. They gazed out over the surrounding landscape, and saw the beauty of the lifestream restoring the surface of the planet as it was before Meteor had caused its calamity.
“Where to sir?” asked the pilot.
“Right outside of Midgar,” Cloud responded. “I have a feeling someone will be there waiting to meet us.”
As the airship began to rest towards its final descent of this trip, Cloud and Tifa, embraced in each others arms, looked upon the new world that they had helped to create.
…
When the airship had landed, all the remaining members gathered around, as Cid opened the hatch to the outside. With the feeling of relief, each member was glad to stand once again upon the ground (especially Yuffie.)
Cloud peered over the horizon, and gazed upon the city that both stood for one of the sole factors that transgressed the world while at the same time stood for his new home. While bittersweet memories clouded his head, he soon began to realize that the enemies of the past were gone, and Midgar, at least for the moment, stood as a place for the hope of the future.
As each of them stood, in profile, staring upon the monstrous city they each helped to save, a cloud of dust began rising from the distance, and with each instance, a caravan of vehicles began popping into the members’ view.
“Hrmph,’ sighed Cid. “Seems like they sent out the cavalry to take care of us #*@$%'ing rebels,” he sarcastically responded. “You think they’d treat us like heroes with a bit of respect. Maybe a parade, or even send a few pleasures of the flesh if you know what I mean.”
“Does every utterance out of your mouth have to be a joke, Cid.” Vincent’s glaring eyes bore into Cid’s own as viciousness lurked in waiting, behind his blood red pupils.
“Whatever, it’s not my fuckin’ problem you’re dead an’ can’t get it stiff.”
“And what would Shera have to say about your conduct this far?” lightheartedly questioned Tifa from behind him. “I bet she’d be awfully heartbroken if she could hear you right now.”
Stunned for one of the very few moments in his life, Cid had no quip response to say. After a brief pause, Cid raised his right hand to scratch the back of his head, and while turning around to face the group, he closed his eyes and smiled brightly.
Laughing, he said, “Heh, guess I do love the old broad.” And with a quick change in facial expression, Cid ornamented an inquisitive look, with eyes starring up. While caressing his chin, he thought aloud, “Guess it was a good thing I didn’t burn her up.”
A cheerful laughed rolled through each of the members, save for the vampire.
While the group’s simple antics and light conversation permeated the surrounding air, Cloud looked strait-forward onto the approaching caravan. By now he could easily identify a lead jeep heading towards them.
The vehicle came to a rolling stop once it had approached upon the left side of Cloud. With the opening of the back right side door, the embodiment of Caitsith’s soul- a man with a well-tailored suit, crisp haircut, and a smug smile on his face- began to approach Cloud.
*Smack*
With his human hand, Barret had violently struck Reeve across the face with such force that Reeve flew off his feet, knocking his head against the jeep door.
“Wipe that smile off your traitorous face,” -vexed and with no lightheartedness in any of his composure- responded Barret. His gun arm directly and unflinchingly pointing at Reeve.
The two guardsmen inside the vehicle, taken by surprise, scrambled to raise their rifles in reaction to Barret’s aggressive and unprovoked response.
With a wave to suggest inaction, the soiled suit, messy haired, and now smile-less Reeve picked himself off from the ground.
“I guess I deserved that,” Reeve retorted as his attention became focused on brushing off the residual dirt upon his coat breast pocket. “But like all of you, I contributed my worth to this cause,
wouldn’t you agree Cloud.”
With closed eyes and a lowered head, Cloud sarcastically responded, “I’m just upset Barret beat me to it.”
Soft laughs once again spread throughout the group (save for the vampire), while the remaining jeeps in the caravan finally arrived at their destination.
“These vehicle’s here are part of our welcoming committee. We’re here to escort you back into the city so as to avoid the mobs and to ge…”
“Wait just a damn minute,” blurted out Barret. “Just who da’ hell is this welcoming committee, cause I’ll be damned if I be riding into Midgar on Shinra’s back.”
“No,” responded Reeve,” once the attack from the Weapon hit the president’s office, the major stock holders pulled out of the company. They feared that with no direct CEO, and with a company that had been dwindling rapidly in the public’s eye, their investments were no longer deemed safe. With Shinra losing that influence, and with my help, the mayor was able to reestablish control over the city.
“Why didn’t you tell any of us this before, Reeve,” questioned Tifa.
With a smug shrug, Reeve coyly said, “Never seemed like the right time. Plus, if we failed, none of that would have mattered.
In any event, during the meantime, I gathered up ex-Shinra employees who were responsive to your guys’ cause, and founded Neo-Shinra. This, of course, has only happened over the few last days, and in spite of what remnants of Shinra may still exist.
The mayor, in this time of crisis and lack of resources, has asked Neo-Shinra to deal with you heroes of Avalanche. Taking care of their safety, holding press conferences, medal ceremonies, addressing their public image… just typical celebrity stuff.”
“Celebrity?!” Yuffie shouted with glee. “We’re gonna be celebrities?! This, this is awesome!” After jumping around for a few moments and acquiring numerous glares of astonishment towards her erratic behavior, Yuffie rushed up to Cloud’s side, and with a violent tug upon his wrist, commanded,” Come on Spikey, let’s go. The great Ninja Yuffie’s fans are in dire waiting.”
“Celebrities…” disheartenedly spoke Cloud. A feeling of worry erupted onto Cloud’s face; his eyebrows slightly down arched, his smile went numb, his eyes looked backward into his mind.
Cloud’s introverted state became interrupted as he looked down to see the eager young girl, dragging him towards the jeep.
“Something wrong, Cloud?” Questioned Reeve.
“No its just…
[screen flashes to a memory Cloud has when he learned he did not make it into SOLDIER. Another flash to Zack’s Death. Flash to Cloud picking up Zack’s Buster Sword]
…, its just, let’s take this one step at a time.”
“And I know what that first step is,” interjected Cid. “To get fuckin’ smashed.” And as Cid approached Cloud and put his hand around Cloud’s shoulders, Cid said, “ Come on Mr. Emo, there’s this bar I wanna take you to in sector 5 topside. The place is seedier than hell, but they got a great home-brewed bourbon that I’d trade my left nut for. It’s the best place for a couple of terrorists like us to hang out.”
“You are easily the vilest man I have ever met,” Tifa ghastly responded with slightly widened eyes of astonishment.
A deep, grunted laugh came bellowing out of the vile man’s mouth. “Come on you bunch of slack jawed hooligans. Last I checked, I was still the leader of this operation, and I’m orderin y’all to get in the jeeps and go.”
While letting go of Cloud, Cid approached the nearest jeep, went to the driver’s side door, and hijacked the vehicle.
“Let’s ride,” the last words anyone could hear from Cid’s mouth as he spun ties out in anticipation of his departure. A slightly ruffled and scared guard sat in the passenger seat.
Seeing Cloud’s general disinterest in her, Yuffie had let go of him, and went in search of the last male who hadn’t dismissed her yet this night.
During Cid’s antics, Vincent had crept away into one of the marginal jeeps. Looking rather disinterested in the surrounding matters, he sat in the back, his red cape engulfing most of the rear of the jeep.
Eerily sensing the approaching annoyance, Vincent lifted the fraction of his cape that laid to his right side, and threw it over his left shoulder, moments before Yuffie plopped herself down next to him.
“Vincent, isn’t this great! Not only are we gonna be heroes, but we’re gonna be celebrities.” She continued to blurt out, “Oh and not just celebrities, RICH celebrities. I’ll be able to buy all the material I want.
People will want to know all about me. I’ll probably have to write books, and maybe a instructional video on my fantastic ninjistu techniques. Oh, and there will totally be tons of parties, and they will probably want m…..”
Instantly, Vincent instinctively withdrew his gun from his hostler, and pointed it dead in between Yuffie’s eyes…”
“Shut up.”
Without waiting for response, Vincent jumped out of the jeep, and went to approach the farthest vehicle from her.
Astounded, Yuffie sat there for a moment dazed. Quickly, she shook this feeling off. She would not let all the men tonight treat her with such disrespect.
As she jumped out of the vehicle and running after him, she began yelling, “Hey.. HEY… don’t you run away from me.. HEY, VAMPIRE, look at me, young teenage virgin girl, ripe for the pickin.’ ”
Cloud looked onto the antics of all his friends. The last few days had been torn with such grief, pain, and despair. Now, everyone’s attitudes had transmigrated into the surreal, and happiness bounced from one soul to the next, infecting them with a sense of relief and comfort. A tear began forming on the inset of his left eye.
…It dropped when she touched him again.
“Come on Cloud, let’s go meet up with the rest of them,” as Tifa lovingly said, putting herself into Cloud’s view.
“Is... is that a real emotion I see on my Cloud’s face,” as she wiped away the one tear from his cheek.
“Tifa…”
“Yes,” she breathed softly, inching her face towards his own.
“I…
I….”
A honk came from an approaching vehicle, with Barret driving at the wheel, sitting in the jeep alone. His short but thrusting hand gestures were urging Cloud to quickly come over to him.
Lowering Tifa’s hand from his face, he left her side, and sternly walked over to Barret’s jeep.
Confused, she felt slightly abandoned, and a feeling of worry engulfed her chest.
…
“Hey,” Barret said as Cloud approached him, “I’m heading on over to Sector 6 slums…”
Pain became Cloud.
“… I just figured that I haven’t seen Marlene in awhile, and I figured I’d pick her up and take her with us tonigh…”
Sadness became Cloud.
“.. and I was just wondering,” Barret said as he began to stumble for words, looking desperately for something to attach his eyesight to. With a head lowered, Barret continued<’ wondering if you wanted me to invite Elmyra along.”
Regret became Cloud.
A single tear formed on the inside of Cloud’s right eye, and fell, amongst other similar tear markings into the dirt below.
[the two men, staring in opposite directions, spoke no words. Only the rumble of the engine could be heard breaking the silence.]
‘Yeah,” Cloud said softly, trying to hide his true state to Barret. Cloud placed his right hand on the driver’s door, stabling himself.
Slowly, Cloud said, “Yeah, I think she would want her there.”
“Right, …right...” Barret lightly tapped the steering wheel, relaxed his body, and slouched into the seat, eyes starring blankly out the windshield.
“well probably be there an hour or so after ya’ guys…” Barret told the windshield. His head slightly bobbled and shifted on his neck, trying to calculate the validity of response.
With a nose breathed nod, Cloud turned away from the vechile, and defiantly yet calmly strode back to Reeve’s jeep.
Barret, wasting no time, sped off to finally see his daughter once again.
…
Tifa, rushing to his side, was happy that he had not left her alone, that they could ride together into Midgar., and as she reached for his hand, the pain in her chest began to subside.
They never grasped.
Cloud simply strolled past Tifa, barely acknowledging her presence. Her hand left in waiting.
Once past, with a slight back tilt of his head, Cloud softly but sternly commanded,
“Come on,.. lets go.”
And walked onward to the vehicle.
“Back to cold so soon..” Tifa thought, as she sighed dejectively.
Like a scolded dog, head held low, she submissively followed her master, keeping distance between them.
…
No words permeated in the air as Reeve’s jeep plowed through the dirt ridden terrain on its way back to Midgar. An empty back seat held its no-mans-land between the two sick love birds. Happiness fleeted with each ounce of gas. Cloud, with his left hand holding fast to the outside of the jeep, stared northward. Opposite and distant, resting her chin upon her right hand, Tifa stared at nothing.
…
Hours later the jeep rolled up to in front of the Sector 5 topside bar. As Reeve stepped out of the passenger’s side door, one of the two uncomfortably seated guards shifted over to his vacant position. Slowly, both Cloud and Tifa exited the back, and stood in opposing positions.
As the vehicle drove off, Reeve, sensing the uneasiness in the air, managed the courage to report, “Ill just be inside if you need me.”
Neither one acknowledge him.
Clearing his throat, “Most likely most of them will be waiting inside for us…: and with no way to finish his though, Reeve simply left it at that, and strode inside the bar.”
“Look Tifa,” Cloud began as he turned to Face her. A ray of hope entered into her mind upon turning around to greet him.
“Tonight…. Let’s just make the most of what it is… and be happy.”
Uncharacteristic words, but a familiar sense of tone.
With eyes closed, a small smile, and a slight nod, Tifa responded,
“Okay.”
Upon walking around the jeep standing next to him, all ready to embrace the entry way, she was astounded to feel this time, his hand, reaching for hers.
Together, they embarked into Cid’s seedy hellhole.
…
“Heads up, shitbag!”
A glass, half full of bourbon, came whizzing at Cloud’s face.
Instinctively and letting go of Tifa’s hand, Cloud whirled out his Buster Sword, swept through the air with force and precision, and sliced the glass in two.
The two halves, still holding their respectively liquid, smashed against the door side wall.
“Hrmph,” grunted a slightly drunk Cid, cigarette in mouth, hovering around the bar top. “You’ve gone and fucked up my drink. I know you’ve got ‘cat like reflexes’ an’ all, but shit son, did ever your poisoned mind think about catchin’ shit before you break it?”
A roar of laughs embellished the air. Cloud could only smile. He could take this one quip from Cid… but only one.
Returning the sword to its back hilt and regaining his non-combative posture, Cloud sauntered into the bar, and sat down at the table with the rest of his friends.
“Round ‘o drinks on the cap’n, barkeep!” yellingly demanded Cid. And uproar of cheers followed.
Stumbling his way over to the sitting Cloud, and placing his hand upon Cloud’s back, Cid belched, “ And what will Emo be having.”
With a smirk on his face, and tilting up to look at Cid, Cloud said, “Something hard.”
Tifa blushed and smiled on the other side of the table.
Jovialness fluttered around the room as each of the members present shared pleasant stories from their adventure over the last strifeful months. Even Cloud, unlike himself, shared numerous stories about their plights. Only Vincent, empty handed, sat wordlessly at the end of the table.
“Hey guys,” Yuffie began, “ remember that time in Cosmo Canyon when Red was all like ‘ oh I hate my father, rwar rwar,’ and then later on was like, ‘ oh Daddy, I’m so sorry, whimper whimper.”
Red XIII, disdainfulness vibrantly showering his face, secretly began inching his flamed tipped tail under the table at Yuffie’s leg.
“Yeah,” said Cloud, “but I also remember the time when you were a total Bitch and secretly stole all our material.”
Another roar of laughter enveloped the room while Yuffie set pouting, arms crossed, secretly plotting her own revenge against Cloud.
And so the night tumbled forward, drink after drink, story after story, with little regard to time and events outside of this place.
Only when a tight grip around Cloud’s chest from small hands did the lightheartedness seem to settle down.
“Cloud!” the little girl barked as she pressed the side of her face against Cloud’s back.
Cloud, returning to the present, with all the memories this little girl brought with her, lightly said,
“Hi, Marlene.”
Cloud turned around and embraced the little girl with all the love someone like him, at the time, could show.
After hugging her so gently, Cloud peered up at the entranceway, and laid eyes upon his old large friend,… and then.. following an eyesight path downward… HER mother.
Setting Marlene aside, Cloud stood up from the table, and, with reservation, approached the older woman at the door.
Silence rushed in and stole the voices of every patron.
“Its nice to see you again, Mrs. Gainsborough,” Cloud said, with all the fake happiness he could muster.
“Oh Cloud,” she said caressing his arm, “ you can just call me Elmyra.” They embraced, as Cloud suffered his will to hold back his shaking body and bursting emotions. “Its good to see you again,.. and,” closing in upon his left ear, whisped “I know she’s proud of you.”
His will was no longer enough, but his composure held tight. Foreign tears ran down Elmyra’s cheek.
“Thankyou,” Cloud responded. He held Elmyra a little longer than a normal hug.
Sensing Cloud’s unwillingness for others to see him in his somber state, Tifa said, “Come on everyone, this is a party. Hey Barkeep, turn on some music.. I feel like dancing”
Tifa rushed over to drunk Cid’s side, and while pulling on his arm, drug him over to the dance floor.”
Cid, overjoyed at this developing proposition, more than willingly subjected to Tifa’s will. “Finally, some action!” he drunkenly spewed. “Aight Tits, let’s do this!”
*Smack*
Like a polaroid, a large, red handed print developed on the side of Cid’s face.
“Tifa,” Cid burped, “I mean Tifa.”
Following their initiative, several patrons followed in response. Even Yuffie propositioned Vincent. Vincent simply got up, and walked out the backdoor.
Once attention shifted away from them, Cloud let go of Elmyra, and eased in his position.
“I’m sorry to do this to you right now,” Elmyra apologetically said to Cloud, “but I don’t want to forget to do this.”
Gently placing into his hand, Elmyra gave a rolled up piece of parchment to Cloud.
“For later…,” she softly spoke.
With a simple nod of the head, Cloud smiled, and returned back to his seat.
…
A few hours later, and more drinks than he was willing to admit, Cloud had had enough of this scene, and went in search of his friend Vincent.
In a well conducted matter, Cloud approached the backdoor, strode outside, and was a little surprised to find both Vincent and Cid, seemingly talking outside.
With and outstretched hand and a three-fourths empty pack, Cid was propositioning Vincent a smoke.
“I never touch the stuff,” Vincent said coldly.
“What,” Cid retorted, “Its not like they’ll fuckin’ kill you.”
Vincent continued to stare with a stern cold face.
“#*@$%,’ Cid responded with an over-exasperated sigh, “why do I even bother!... Hey Cloud, maybe you can spruce up some life into him. I’m tired of trying to play ‘happy train’ for this bloodsucker.”
And with the last of his remarks, Cid waddled, back inside, pulling the door open much more than needed to be.
“Just for curiosity’s sake,” Cloud wondered aloud,” why ARE you so cold with everyone.”
“Because I can’t get close to anyone,” bitterly remarked Vincent.
Then, as if floating, Vincent came up next to Cloud, standing face to face, and held a presence that would of terrified anyone save Cloud.
“You know what I am, and what I’ve don..
“That doesn’t matter now, you helped sav…”
“It does matter, and it always will.”
A moment of silence and stern looks combated between the two men.
“I’ve killed people Cloud, … I’ve fed on human flesh, and I enjoy it. The only reason I don’t kill the eight of you is because of some humanity still residing in my soul.”
Tilting his head in shame away from Cloud, sighing dejectively, and closing his eyes, Vincent responded, “I can not be around anyone. Those people inside,… their, …. Their veins call to me.”
“Here…” Vincent said, as he held out his hand holding a letter. “You’ll have more use of this than I.
I won’t see you again.”
With his final depressing yet stern words, Vincent swiftly turned from Cloud’s side, and walked off into the night.
[Cloud was left, holding the paper in his hand, watching for the last time his friend leave his side.]
[Cloud narrating: “That was the last time the eight of us were together. The next day, Neo-Shinra held a press conference for the rest of us. It was a ceremony” [ scene cuts to the seven ( with Caitsith in line) on a platform in the downtown part of the city ] “where they each gave us medals. Reeve wanted to keep us separate from the rest of the group, which I guess was a bit valiant of him to not directly associate us with the new company. The mayor gave a slightly scripted but heartfelt speech, and the crowd, through their up- roaring cries, gave us all thanks.
After that day, we each began to settle into our new lives.
Reeve went on to fulfill his role as president of Neo-Shinra. He spends most of his time trying to convince the world that the new company is Planet friendly, and has implemented several programs target at helping the environment.
Cid took up the job as the CEO of Space Exploration in Neo-Shinra at Reeve’s suggestion. He married his devoted love, Shera, and became the embodiment of the man trying to live in the new peaceful times. He still smokes cigarettes.
Yuffie really took into the celebrity life.. She became the height of pop culture. To feed off her fame, she released a Ninja workout video, and continues to attend famous peoples balls and functions, Through he help of the media, she became known as the “sweetheart” of all men in the world
Red XII returned home to Cosmo Canyon. He took up his grandfather’s research. He now teaches classes there about astronomy and history. Currently, he prefers to be called Nanaki, in hopes of slightly distancing himself form the public eye.
Barret opened a weapon shop in Costal Del Sol. There he keeps the legendary weapons we all used to defeat Sephiroth, as well as sells arms to defeat monsters that still exist in the world. He also has a simple application in which people can sign up for Avalanche, and keeps a website about all the things still wrong with the world. He uses the store’s money as a means to help support Marlene and all those left unfortunate from the tragedy that happened in Midgar.
Vincent faded out of existence. Only through vague reports have we heard that he spends his time as an unknown mercenary, a continual vigil to his past Sins.
Tifa resided to re-open her bar. She calls it Seventh Heaven. It is in Costal Del Sol, next to Barret’s shop.. The walls are adorned with our personal stories and journal reflections of our life over our journey. Naturally, The most stories are done by Yuffie, containing her embellished importance in the group, I have only a few, and Vincent has one, the letter he gave me, an apology to Lucrecia.
For me, well, I simply spend my time helping Tifa out in her bar. For now, I’m content where I am.
[End of Episode 2]
[Scene cuts to clippings of the next episode , with the eight members standing around Aeris’ grave. In Cloud’s voice, he narrates and says]
“We will never forget you… you are always with us… especially me...
_______________________________________________
Anger. Hate. Destruction. This was all that he was now.
-stop-
-I can’t…. this was it-
Cloud reached out his hand to once again embrace his beloved.
-Sqqqqttch-
A spatter of innocent blood colored Cloud’s essence. Rose red life splashed itself onto his garments, onto his face, into his porous skin, …
…into him.
An ungodly long shear blade had penetrated Aeris through her back. The blade so preciously edged, the only blood it released from her body was that now covering Cloud.
Terror, hopelessness, unbelief—All three etched themselves into the unyielding stone of his visage.
His hand was left wanting…
[Cloud is kneeling in front of the skewered Aeris. Sephiroth is standing behind her, smiling. Cloud is petrified in disbelief. His body is unable to move.]
-Go to her Dammit! This is the last moment you’ll have with her. THIS WAS YOUR LAST MOMMENT. GO TO HER SHE’S DYING…. SHE NEEDS YOU. SAVE HER-
[ Narrator … the mind does not always give what the dreamer wants...]
In the silence, the only breath was a whisper from a falling angel….
“Cloud…….
…. help….”
No help came….. and The Angel fell…
[Screen to Black. ]
[Cloud awakens in his comfortable bed at his home in Costal Del Sol. His eyes open and stare at the ceiling]
Swiftly, Cloud violently throws the covers off of him. [The Camera switches to slow-mo, and at the same time (and in the same screen shot) that Cloud threw the covers, he spins to his left, reaches under the bed, and pulls out his Buster Sword.]
[Back to real time, Screen cuts to items and pictures sitting upon a dresser. Instantly they are sliced and thrown around the room by his sword.]
[Screen cuts to another similar shot of different items. Again the Buster sword slices threw them, scattering their remains.]
[Screen cuts 5 more times showing the same type of action, slicing his mirror, his bed, nearly all of his belongings in immediate reach]
[Finally, Screen cuts to a camera shot from the viewing distance of a little child, standing in Cloud’s room’s doorway, looking in onto this mess. A heavily breathing, wrathful looking Cloud stands alone in the tattered room, Buster Sword held in his right hand, lowered to his side. The bed sheet final falls and hits the ground.]
Cloud lowered his head and closed his eyes. Sighing, and then returning to calm breathing, he once again actualized his stoic state. He regained his posture.
Cloud slowly breathed in one long drawn out breath. Raising his head and tilting it as far back as it could go, he released that breath into the air above him. As he returned his head to the appropriate level, he began to open his eyes and look upon the destruction he brought.
Surprised, and yet not, only one item, one single picture remained standing on his desk. It was a picture of them, on their date at the Golden Saucer. The two captured in their moment of happiness. Her angelic face lay unscathed by the destructive whirling Buster Sword. However, the Sword had greatly damaged the picture. It had precisely cut through the frame, the glass, and paper to slice off the top right corner of the picture, the part of the picture Cloud was in, thus removing most of his head. All that remained was one of his rare smiles. His photo right arm wrapped around her back, with him standing slightly behind her, holding the front of her stomach.
The real Cloud came up and stood face to face with the picture. He gazed into the immaculate picture of his flower girl. Aeris’s stoic, unflinching green eyes stared right back at him.
Lost enveloped Cloud
[Screen cuts to a scene where only Cloud’s mouth can be seen]
“Why are you haunting me.”
[Screen to Black. ]
[ The Title comes onto the screen in white lettering]
Episode 3: Return Home
[For a half a second, the screen shows keys lying on the ground. A hand picks them up, and the keys’ jingling sound is heard]
[Scene cuts to another half a second, with a door being slammed shut]
[Scene Cuts to another half second, close up of a door knob, a hand putting a key inside the keyhole, and forcibly locking it.]
“Hhuh… Cloud… is that you…. Its 5:30 in the morning… what’s all that ruckus? What are you doing ?”
A sleepy-eyed, half dressed Tifa emerged from her room, a room slightly down the corridor from Cloud’s. Her right hand rubbing her right eye socket, her left arm slightly hugging a stuffed moogle. Her oversized shirt barely doubling for a skirt.
“Nothing. …Bad dream.” Cloud un-emphatically responded over his shoulder walking away from her. “Go back to Sleep.”
“I don’t remember giving you permission to order me around Strife,” replied a seemingly vexed Tifa, hands crossing over her chest, and a dangling moogle being held by his squished little arm inside her left palm. She always would refer to him by his last name whenever she was pissed at him or wanted to be playful. He found it hard to tell the difference sometimes.
“I’m sorry…” sighed Cloud. “Just, don’t, …just please don’t worry bout it,” he said as he stopped and half turned his body to look at her.
“Anything I can do to help?”
For a moment, Cloud pondered her question. –Could she help?- he wondered. – No, no she can’t. Might be selfish, but.. I don’t want to share my last memory with her to anyone. I don’t want anyone to dilute it, or rationalize it away. I killed her. I let her die. I don’t want to forget that.-
“No….,” Cloud meekly responded as he shook and lowered his head, trying to hide the overwhelming look of regret that began blossoming on his face. – There’s no one who can help.-
Coldly and quickly turning his body face forward again, he began descending the stairs to the tavern below. ‘I’ll be outside training. … Just let me be.”
Without another remark, Cloud descended the stairs, outside of Tifa’s view.
“Why are you always so goddamn cold,” Tifa sighed under her breath. Turning and reentering her room, she slammed the door shut.
…
“.. and here we are with Ms. Princess, Ms. Sweetheart, Ms. The-cutest-love-in-your-life Yuffie Kisaragi. Ms. Kisaragi, thanks for taking the time to be here with us tonight.”
“Oh you know, John, its no biggie. I’ll do anything I can for one of my greatest fans. Say… do you have a copy of My Ninja Workout video yet?”
“Oh of Course Ms. Kisaragi, I actually have two. One for home and, of course, one for the studio here.”
“That’s great John, and just to let you know, I made a deal with the studio execs a few minutes ago, and they were ‘inspired’ to buy a copy of my video for all of your audience members.”
Lots cheers could be heard emanating from the screen
“Yes, er, well, thank you Ms. Kisaragi for your lovely proposition. But, if I may, could I ask you questions about you and your groups Journey to save the Planet? There’s just some things were dying to hear,.. and, and to know, that you haven’t or haven’t been able to cover in your book, ‘ A Ninja’s Memoirs.’ ”
“Oh well.. of course I’d love to answer some of your questions. Why else would I be here today”
A few mild-manner laughs could be heard under Yuffie’s exuberant and loud laughing. It was so loud her laugh came through partially as static.
“But of course, I can’t reveal everything, ‘ Smirked the pixilated Yuffie. “Some things I need to keep secret for my new book, ‘A Ninja’s Reprise.’ ”
“Well great then. Isn’t that great Audience?”
Another round of applause and cheers could be heard coming through the speakers.
“ Well.. the first question we all want to know is? What’s our Hero-of-the world, the great Cloud Strife been up to? He hasn’t been in the spotlight for many months now. I even heard that people rarely get to see him at Tifa Lockheart’s bar, ‘Seventh Heaven’ in Costal del Sol anymore..”
“Oh come on,” irritatedly responded Yuffie. “Look, if Spikey doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, then tough luck for him. Many of you might not know this, but Cloud is a social introvert. He’s inept at being sociable. He’s an idiot when it comes to him dealing with people on a personal level..”
“Ha ha haaaa…” Bellowed a large gruffly man sitting in front of the TV. Slapping his left hand across his knee, he said, “Damn she done hit it right on the spot.” He took another large swig from the slightly now warm bottle of wine.
“Personally, John, I’m offended that you don’t want to talk about me.”
“Oh well.. Miss Kisaragi, I don’t want to spoil anything you might be keeping for your second book.”
“Its ok. I’ll let you know if you cross any line or things that I can’t exactly speak about.”
“Yes, yes, of course, Miss Kisaragi. I do no want to endure your wrath.”
Once again, laughter seeped out from the invisible audience.
But… there is one other and very prevalent question I’d like to get to…”
…
Cloud descended down into the musky smelling bar. The tavern was a small yet well decorated place. A few empty and used glasses lay sprawled out over the bar top, and a slight stench of day old opened alcohol permeated the stagnant air.
The walls were adorned with letters and pictures from their travels to save the planet. People who they had met along the way, people who had influenced their journey, ahd also sent in letters to be hung up on the wall. When the bar first opened, many people came flocking from all over the world just to come sit and read the stories on the wall. People would make reservations weeks in advance just to make sure that they got to sit at “The Kalm Story” table, or the “Northern Crater Story” table, or even the most infamous table, the “Don Corneo Story” table. People would get a huge kick out of how differently Cloud retold the story compared to both Aeris and Tifa. Yet, one story, one true story was never displayed on the wall. It was simply left out…
The early morning sun began peaking its red rays through the pale glass windows of Seventh Heaven and falling open the story-filled wall. The red was blending, overlapping, and disappearing within the electronic flicking blue light that sporadically flashed upon the wall, emanating from the only still on TV on the opposing side of the Bar. A rather large man sat drunk and laughing in the easy chair in front of the screen, and a hearty laugh chuckled out of his throat.
“Barret?” Out loud pondered Cloud. “What are you doing here?”
A loud slammed door sound suddenly echoed through the downstairs tavern.
-I’ll make it up to her later- Cloud thought. He didn’t want to be bothered by the tension that was rising between the two lately.
“Hhuh,” grunted Barret, “ What the hell was that… Oh!.. Cloud,” Barret jovially responded as his eyes caught sight of his friend as he began to look around and investigate that damnably awful loud sound. “What’s up Spikey. You want a drink. I got just the shit you gotta try.” Barret began stumbling his way over to the bar top.
“It’s 5 in the morning, Barret.”
“It may be 5 in the morning to you, Spikey, but its 5 in the morning, at night, for me. Ha ha haaaaaa.” Another large swig ran its was down Barret’s neck. “See, last night, er, well, earlier tonight or whatever, um.. yeah, so .. last night I got this call from some Neo-Avalanchers ya hear. And well, see, they were in town. They just, like, saved some dolphins or some shit, and they were coming here to tell me, yes me, they’re hero that. And I was like ‘SHIT YEAH GUYS, Lets go drink to celebrate. I know just where. And then well.. you know.. we, well, we came here.” *burp*
Cloud just stared at his slightly swaying friend. – hmmpfh… well.. least he’s having a good time.
“Where are they now?” asked Cloud.
“Oh, you know..” muttered Barret, “Damn kids had to leave and all.. And just when I was starting to have a good time. Well.. you know.. I was about to pack the place up and all, and like,.. the TV was on. And they were running one of the specials, *burb* you know, about us and shit and all. And they said that at the end of the special they were going to top it off with a new Yuffie interview, and I was like, ‘Yeah, gotta support the little snot” and all…and so.. well.. here I am. It’s still on… wanna watch?”
Cloud peeked around his slightly stumbling friend to see on the television “John Gorshwind’s Late Night with the Stars” program. He was in the middle of questioning Yuffie.
“Hey,” interjected Barret, “You seem like you’re going somewhere. But, You don’t have your hair all pony-ed up.”
“ I don’t gel my hair up anymore,” Cloud said as wondered a little closer to the television, starring into the majestic screen. Flickering silver blue adorned and monochromed Cloud.
“Hehe.. Looks like some poor hair gel factory is going out of business.”
“Shh..” quickly breathed Cloud. “I wanna hear part of this.”
“Yes John, go ahead, what’s your question.”
“Well, It’s the question that’s on everyone’s mind. Where’s Aeris. Is she alive, is she dead? Is she in hiding? Nothing has been said about here whereabouts. She just simply stops showing up halfway through your guys’ journey. Please, could you shed some light onto the situation?”
A picture of Aeris, taken form the archives of old Shinra, flashed upon the screen. The audience became deadly silent. Cloud’s entire body became ill with intense worry and anxiety on what words Yuffie was going to say next.
“Aeris is very dear to us John. We don’t talk about her, well.. because.. there’s nothing to say. She wants to be simply left alone in the dark?”
“So the rumors about her being dead are not true?”
“ She just wants to be left alone, John. And, I think that’s how you, how the public, how we should leave it.”
“So, she wants to be left alone, just like Cloud.”
A few moments passed before Yuffie spoke any words. The deafening silence ran hand in hand with anticipation.
“She is like… they are just like each other,” Yuffie apologetically spoke as she looked into the camera.”
“I’m going out training,” Cloud coldly responded as he hastily turned away from the TV and headed towards the backdoor.
“But.. “ Barret began as he pointed at the television, “ what about the rest of her interview.
Another slammed door was the only response Barret got.
“I… I gotta go John. I’m done with this interview” Yuffie walked quickly and quietly off the television set. John and the Audience were stunned.
“Well.. there you have it folks. An apparent answer to the whereabouts of Aeris Gainsborough. But is it really? Again, the viewing audience is met with hesitation and hazy answers whenever Ms. Gainsborough is brought up. And, if you remember, Yuffie did not contradict the rumor that Aeris may be dead. Many questions still ne.”
“Stupid Fucking television,” Barret burped as he kicked the TV off. “Gotta find some way to put annoying news reporters on Avalanche’s “Save the World” campaign.” And with the last swig of his bottled wine, Barret stumbled his way out the front door.
…
A low, milky dense fog rolled in from the costal ocean waters and settled upon the town. The fog clouded the direct visible sight of everything. Even the light of sun became shrouded in the cloudy mist. Signs became skewed; building’s clear cut edges faded into the gray; passing people ghosted and shadowed.
Here, in this place, Cloud felt home. In this place, he felt like he could hide. In this place, all that was left was him, and his memories.
“Why..” he spoke to the grey. “Why do you keep entering into my thoughts? Waking, sleeping, it doesn’t matter. You’re always there.”
Cloud unsheathed the buster sword from the hilt on his back. He swung it violently and precisely through the air. He kept the blade so sharp that it cut tears into the fog so that, for a brief moment, light could enter the void space. He swung so quickly, his sword seemed to emanate flashes of light with each swing. And with each flash of light, a different memory of her surfaced into his conscious mind.
“Falling thru the Church” Flash
“The Ancients’ temple” Flash
“Our date” Flash
“Being captured by the Turks” Flash
“Watching her parent in the video” Flash
“Buying a flower, seeing her for the first time” Flash
“ watching her die in my arms” Flash.
“HrrraaaaaAAA!” yelled Cloud as he cruelly swung his blade through the air, losing his grip, and slicing halfway through the bar’s outside wall.
Looking once again upon the sword’s apparent destruction, distraught bled into his mind.
Raising his left hand up to his lowered head, he messaged his eye sockets, in hopes of keeping them from any developments of saltwater.
“Why…. Why must I always end my thoughts about you upon your death.”
No answers came.
“You’re everywhere. Every thing I see, everything I feel,… Somehow… you’re always there.
Yet… I want you to be there. I want you to be in my thoughts… I just.. Its just… I’m sorry…
I regret never saying this to you. I.. I don’t even know if it was right to say it then. Knowing me then, I don’t know even if I could.. but…
I love you Aeris….”
-Psssh- His mind battled with his heart. - You say you love a dead girl. You say you love a girl you killed. You hypocrite. Your words are hollow. You don’t deserve her-
“Shut up”
-Shut up. Shut up? You’re pathetic. You killed the woman you say you loved. She can’t, she will never forgive you for that-
“No.. she forgives me”
-laughable to say the least. You say you love her, yet you have never even been back to see her. You’re weak. You’re a child. You’re nothing.-
“What the hell do you know… We’re the same”
-I wish I wasn’t you-
Cloud continued to torment himself. He loved Aeris. He knew that. But, how could he even claim the right to love a woman he let die. He felt he had no right.
Aeris was someone who deserved more than his pitiful love.
And as the fog began to lift, Cloud stared to the north, wondering about his fallen Angel.
“Mr. Cwoud?” A young girl beseeched the air.
AS if waking out of a subliminal daze, Cloud shook his head, and looked upon the small girl standing near his feet.
“You are Cwoud wight?”
A small nod came from the much taller Ex-Soldier
“Good,” said the smiling and closed eyed little girl. “It was hard to tell becwause your hair is down? Why is your hair down?”
“It’s just early is all,” commented Cloud, a little pondered by the presence of such a young person.
“Oh I’m so so terribly sorry my daughter bothered you Mr. Strife,” A young mother came rushing in apologetically saying.
“No no.. its ok. If she can identify me without my hair up, well.. she deserves my attention,” Cloud lightly remarked while winking at the little girl. The little girl only happily and widely responded with a smile.
“Can you sign my picture Mr. Cwoud?” I’ve got almost aww your autogwaths.”
“Sure,” Cloud said as he knelt beside the little girl. “Who should I make it out to?”
“Sawa.”
“Sarah it is.”
Cloud happily signed Little Sarah’s picture. Normally, he shrouded away from autographs and celebrity spotlight. Yet, this little girl felt like a good descent distraction.
“Thankwou,” responded the little girl. “I very much apppwieciate it.”
“No problem.”
“Gweat. Now… I just need 2 more. He Mr. Cwoud, can you tell me where Aweis is?”
-Even a distraction isn’t enough-
“I can’t seem to find her. Is she weawwy dead?”
“Sarah!,” her mother scoldly responded. “It’s not nice to ask Mr. Strife such questions.”
With an outstretched arm, Cloud placed his right arm upon the little girl’s left shoulder.
“She’s fine. Aeris is fine. She’s just shy.”
“Ohh.. okay. Can you take this picture of her to her so she can sign it for me?”
“Sure.” Softly, Cloud removed the picture of Aeris from little Sarah’s hand.
“Gweat! I wive at 743 West Michigan, top sector 5, Midgar. Pwease send it to me when you get her autogwaph,” the little girl kindly responded.
With a slight nod of the head and a fake smile, Cloud rose and stood in front of the little girl, and said, “When I get it I’ll send it to you.”
“Thankwou so vewy much Mr. Cwoud! See you later!”
The little girl skipped away from his side, extremely happy with the prize that she just received.
-Hmprh….- thought Cloud. -Youthful optimism.-
And as he watched the young girl hug her mom and the two walk off into the distance, a moment of clarity embarked into his thoughts.
…
[ a leg kicking against a dust ridden bike. Scene cut]
[a close up of a set of rattling keys entering into the ignition and starting the bike. Scene cut]
[a leg kicking in the bike’s kickstand. A sound of the engine starting]
“Where are you going now,” responded a perplexed Tifa.
Standing outside the Seventh Heaven bar’s front, Tifa gazed onto the now bike-mounted Cloud. Her hands fixated about her waist, waiting for an answer.
“Ive gotten a report about some monster sightings to the west. It’s a mercenary job. I’m going to check it out.”
Lying came so easy to him. He pulsated his eyes, looking back and forth between his fists on the handlebars, trying to look innocent.
“Well,.. where at ?”
“Just to the west.. it’s nothing of concern.” Cloud tapped his knuckle against the odometer, keeping an aura of disinterest in the surrounding scene.
“I’ll be back in a few days.”
With a small smirk and an upward diagonal transition of the eyes, Tifa realized there was no reasoning or truth begetting with him. With a wave of the hand and the turning of her body, she spoke, “Fine.. whatever… see you when you get back.”
“Tifa,…” Cloud began.
His visage motioned itself towards her direction. One leg rested upon the ground.
Turning around to once again face him, hands still placed upon the waist.. vexingly waiting for his pathetic answer.
“I love you Tifa…”
Tears cracked her stoic stare, shook her foundation.
And with no final words, Cloud revved his motorcycle, and sped off into the distance.
With a sigh a relief, Tifa thought – I know you do.. just wish you’d show it sometime.-
With bar towel in hand, she threw it over her left shoulder and reentered the bar.. getting ready for the day’s patrons.
…
Cloud sped along the dirt-trodden roads leading out of Coastal del Sol. Despite the world’s insurgence of technology, road construction had been limited to any city-structure within the immediate connection towards Midgar. The rest of the world, economically feasible or not, had been left to its own devices.
It didn’t really matter though, Cloud thought. Most of the rest of the world was just as it was regardless of Shinra’s, Sephiroth’s, or Avalanche’s influence. The world was a big place, and despite Midgar’s advancements, it was illogical to thing Midgar’s technology could spread so quickly. Not like therr was any sharing of technology between Midgar and its opposing world power, Wutai. Only six years had passed between two major world crises. People didn’t get along before Sephiroth, and people still don’t want to. For a world so diverse in culture and spiritual beliefs, Cloud doubted whether the people of this planet would ever come under one régime,.. whatever that régime would be.
-No- he thought. –The world needs to hold separate beliefs. The Cetra’s, Shinra’s, Wutai’s, no belief needs to be certain.
Cloud sped along the dirt ridden road across the continent.
…
Reaching upon the town’s outskirts, Cloud settled upon a recently formed graveyard. It wasn’t massive to say the least, but it was relatively new, tragic, and sizeable for the town that sadly held its ownership. Many people Cloud once knew rested here beneath the land’s depths. It was a graveyard constructed a little over five years ago. It was Neiblelhiem’s.
The land begged for Cloud’s answer. It transfused into him. Cloud became a memory of what once was.
[ A small valley overstretched Cloud’s eyesight. Hundreds of graves filled Cloud’s vision as he looks upon the sunken valley’s view.]
The town re-imagined itself within his head, and without his consent. Not like his lifestream occurrence, but much more real than a memory, and daunting. His mind forced him to watch: slideshows of images of friends, town, family. An instant shot of the store clerk, a memory of Cloud’s when he was little, helping him pick out some fruit to carry home; a memory quickly replaced by the horrific image of a corpse, sliced into three parts, spread violently across a burning grocery store. Blood on stained windows, gelatinizing from the heat.
Many more such moments occurred.
Like hearing to sight, the spectrum of emotions coalesced with the images, all tip-toeing in the back of his mind, spiking and prodding their feelings into the memory’s appropriate address.
Yet two emotions, melded into a mixture of one, flooded the ether of his mind. Its reach covered every memory, found its way into the cracks of any thought left unscathed by feeling, and nearly overwhelmed the presence of any other emotion: Guilt, and Anger.
This was the storm raging in his mind as he descended into the graveyard.
The bike’s growl quieted to silence.
…
[Camera lays on the ground. Half the screen is taken up by a gravestone, with no etched markings adorning it save for an indiscriminate name. A lump of crabgrass rests upon its edge, growing steadily upon the stone, being held up by it. Wind casually blowing the blades around. On the other half of the screen, several headstones can be seen in the distance, with focus loosing precision the father away. After a few seconds off still peace, Cloud enters into view in the distance.]
The weather reported that it would be rainy in Neibelheim today. So, with a long tan colored, loosely fitting trench coat and muffled hair, Cloud was completely unrecognizable from his famous image. He was just a man, a tiresome man, walking between the dead.
-Somewhere it’s here- the thought gently passed into his mind. His piercing mako filled eyes checked each etched corpse’s name upon the tombstone. Each name gathered haunting memories from his unconsciousness. Memories that had only begun to surface since he had found himself. Memories of His destruction.
Cloud shrugged off the violent disturbing thoughts. He shed no pain for the dead. He knew he should have been one of them.
This platonic service of checking graves went unrelentless and unmoving, till her grave, till her name, saved him from the rhythmic trance.
Standing toe-to-toe with the tombstone, Cloud’s gaze slowly descended from the etched marble to the newly formed earthen grass below. The wind breezed up, spattering strands of his hair across his eyesight, blowing his earthen trench coat in pursuit.
The name brought forth an immaculate amount of memories. It combated every thought, and overwhelmed every fiber of his being. For a moment, it even pushed Aeris’s death thought away.
[ Engraving: Terra Strife]
“Hello mother.”
…
Cloud sat down upon the soft earthen grass, his back leaning against the side of his mother’s headstone. His arms rested crossed across his elevated knees. Somehow, even though it was stone, it felt comforting. He felt embraced and warm here. He felt like he was fourteen again, and in his mother’s presence.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been back sooner,” Cloud muttered into the listening breeze.
“With the journey I was on, and its aftermath,… I never found the time. Maybe… maybe I never found the need. I’m sorry for that.
I just… well…” finding it strange to say such words, “I need your help.”
Several silent moments followed. Cloud stared into nothingness. Still captivated by the movie of memories. Wondering if he had the right to ask her for this.
“I know it’s selfish of me… I know. It’s just… I’m not sure who to turn to for these answers…”
A sigh escaped from his lips, his lowered head and closed eyes opened the hatch for his mind to be able to truly speak his thoughts.
“I’m in love with a girl I can never be with. I’m in love with a girl I let die…” A moment passed,” And I care for a girl whose in love with me,… a girl whom I used to love when I was young, a girl that i know i can love.
“I know I can have a future with Tifa,… but I can’t escape my sin with Aeris. I can’t escape her memory.” One arm unfolded itself, its fingers began messaging the small bump between his eye sockets and nose.
“I’m expected to be some hero, mom. And yet…. I don’t feel anywhere like that type of person. I’m just… I’m just some kid. I’m missing five years of my life…. I never got to grow up.”
A hiccupped sniffle perturbed his composure.
“Damn it… why can’t I let this go.”
No answers came.
“I know that I should let her go… but my memory won’t let her pass.
…
Is it love that won’t let her memory go… or is it guilt…”
An hour passed. He sat silent. Sleep began encroaching upon the outer reaches of his vision.
His nodding head weighed heavy. The single, unrelentless trip from Costal Del Sol to Neibelheim began taking its toll. The wind brought warm delight to his huddled temperate mass… his mind tired of his movie. The calmness and comfortness of his mother’s grave blanketed him from the surroundings. Sleep crept along the outer reaches of his skin.
“hmrph…” a grunting thought emerged quietly from his lips. “Fine….”
Perching his head back against the marble stone, Cloud rested and relaxed his body. Sleep devoured him.
There Cloud slept… amongst the dead.
…
-Visit her…-
“Mmm….” A stirred voice chord awoke
-Visit her…-
Impulses jumpstarted the nerves. Reflexes thrice splintered into the eyes, the chest, the hand. Simultaneously: a small quick in breath; eyelids shotgunned opened; a right hand reached to the back of the neck for a ghost hilt.
The body calmed as Cloud caught up and took control. -Voices again.-
-Visit her…-
Cloud bouldered himself. He sat unmoving, unthinking, blending in with the tombstones surrounding him.
-Visit her… like you visited me.- This strange thought infiltrated his mind.
“Visit her..” Cloud stared back into the depth-ness of his soul. “What good will that do. I’m the living testament to her death.”
The same intruding thought persisted in his mind.
“If I visited her..” Cloud’s eyes searched for an answer outside of his being… “If I visit her… then.. then.. I’ll have to admit that I let her die.”
-Visit her-
Cloud dwelled in silence upon this one recurring thought. Several minutes passed without motion. The voice had left him.
-Maybe… - he thought, -Maybe….-
With uncertain conviction, Cloud reached into his left trench coat’s pocket, and emerged with his PHS.
…
“Son of a bitch.. it’s in the middle of the fucking night!” grunted a groggy smoker… “Yeah, yeah.. I know I said, ‘call me whenever’… but I didn’t mean when my ass was sleeping. Normal sane people have to work in the morning.”
Cid’s profane antics always brought a smile to Cloud, though he never would show it in person.
“I need you to power up the airship, Cid,” responded a calm Cloud. “And gather up the group that’s living on the eastern continent..”
“This better be worth the paycheck I’m loosing in time loss Blondie.. your shit antics ain’t worth cash you know.”
“We’re heading to the City of the Ancient in two days. I want you to have everything ready on the eastern front.”
With as solemn of an atmosphere Cid could muster, he responded moments later, “ Right, friend… I’ll do what’s needed over here.” A moment passed,… “You want me to pick up the dog on my way over.”
“Yeah… that’s a good idea… I’ll see you in two days on the outskirts of Costal del Sol.”
“Right..” an inhale of smoke could be head emanating from the phone’s speaker.. “I’ll make sure Mr. Money gets his presidential ass.. er.. behind in gear… see ya in two days.”
Without a goodbye, Cloud folded up his PHS, and stood up from his mother’s grave.
…
On the way back to his motorcycle, Cloud noticed a final eulogy being given on a newly fresh dug grave. He passed on the outskirts of the small ensemble surrounding the gravesite. Darken clouds began moving in over the horizon. The light began dwindling.
“Though in recent years,” the priest vocalized, “our brother Luis had resorted to a life of misdeeds, he still holds a cherished memory within our hearts... Let the peace he could not find in life present itself in the lifestream. May the spirits of the planet allow him to find his way in the afterlife, and let the deranged beast who sucked out of the life from him meet his fitting end.”
An open casket held the stillness of a void corpse, an unfortunate being who laid colorless and peaceful within the box’s depths. Cloud only caught a small glimpse of the lifeless man, before his casket was close shut for eternity.
Straying his eyes away from death, Cloud relentlessly looked uninvolved in his surroundings, and continued past the grieving.
[Camera cuts to in front of the grieving crowd, all with their backs facing Cloud. He walks on by them. The camera sidesteps to a heavily covered man, standing near the casket. He is almost completely covered in a brown cloak. Only visible are his devilish red eyes, staring slightly skewed from the front, starring back at Cloud’s passing. The man begins to tread off in the distance away from Cloud.]
Mounting his darkly metallic bike, Cloud sped off into the distance towards Costal del Sol. It began to rain.
…
“Serenity…” Cloud began.
“I want to give this gift to you all. I want to put your mind’s at ease… about The Planet, about Sephiroth,.. about me. I’m going to save The Planet. And put your faith in me. I can do this.”
Cloud read slowly from the neatly folded letter. Elymra had been so careful with her daughter’s letter, she considered it precious. Cloud was not far from her feelings, but undetermanint whether he considered it more or less. He detached himself from his feelings as much as he could at the moment. Aeris’ eulogy needed a proper reading.
Dusk began settling in on the eastern wall of the cave entrance to the watery grave. The deep yellowish light bounced off small imperfections and reflectous crystals embedded into the rock and petrified ashen trees. The light scattered into an infinite amount of directions inside the hollowed area. It bathed the inside walls, the house, the surface of the lake, and the greavers. Reflected, yet surprising warm and welcoming in the cold north. The light emberred and glowed. To the unknowledged eye, the cave was immersed in hundreds of small adoring candles. Even the light seemed to show its respect for her.
“Its my job as the Last of the Ancients. I know how to make everything right. But.. I don’t know if I’ll be coming back. I know our habits or writing down our happenings on this journey So.. in case this is my last, I just wanted to say a few little things to each of you.
The eight of them stood near the entrance to the cavern. Cloud has his back to the lakebed, and he was professing Aeris’ final letter to the gathered. The eight of them, dressed in their finest attire: The four men dressed in solemn black coats and ties, each dressed similarly. The two women dressed in solemn short tailed dresses. Tifa’s was short sleeved and proper. Yuffie’s, unfortunately, was a little bit scantily for this particular situation. Nanaki had even gotten his coat brushed and shined. And, for this moment’s reprise, Cloud wore his old hairstyle again.
“To Barret,”
The larger man shifted and straitened his position. His arms folded behind his back, his head slightly tiled upwards. He blinked quickly and erratically.
“You are a good and wonderful man. None of us would be on this Journey today if it wasn’t for you. You have lead Avalanche to righteous cause. You are helping to save the planet. I know my ancestors would have been proud of you, just like I am. From the little I’ve seen, you have done wonders raising Marlene. You are a good father, and I’m proud to call you my friend.”
Barret closed his eyes, his eyelids desperately tried doubling for dams.. but they broke.
“To Tifa,”
Tifa’s walled eyes had been cracked since the moment she set forth inside this place. Hearing Aeris’ words through Cloud’s mouth only further brought to mind of the love triangle between the three. At that moment, she felt guilty for loving Cloud, for wanting him by her side.
“You are a passionate and strong woman. Your convictions to join Avalanche and save the planet just for the good of the planet is the most noble and courageous thing I have ever heard. You would have been a great Cetra. You give me confidence that someone like me can do the same. You are my idol of courage in this task I have before me. Thankyou.”
“To the man controlling Caitsith”
Reeve felt a little betrayed the she didn’t know or remember his name. But what really could he expect.
“I hope someone has properly berated you in person for spying on us.”
Small glances traded view between Reeve and Barret.
“But regardless of your transgressions, you have been a valuable member of our team. Umm.. I guess I’ll never forget your selfless “Selfless” sacrifice at the Temple of the Ancients. But.. truly I’ll never forget the fortune you gave me there. It brought a lot of warmth to my heart.”
“To Vincent.. Mmm.” Cloud had become so entranced with the reading of the letter, he began to read the part he meant to leave out. As he looked up from the pages to stare at his comrades, all their faces had attuned themselves to his words, and were desperately waiting to hear what the flower girl had to say about the devil.
Sighing inside his mind, Cloud continued on.
“To Vincent… I know you struggle deeply inside with your own inner demons whether you want to admit it or not. You think you are an evil man.. a man who must continually pay and repent for some past sin. Please.. hear me. You are not an evil demon… the struggle that you continue everyday is what makes you human. Everyone of us struggle with our own personal, inside evil, yet you do it much greater than the rest of us. Truly, you know what it means to be more human than any of us. Because you’ve vowed to make up for your past, because you help us on our journey, because you struggle, that is what makes you a good man..”
Still red eyes stared vacantly across the upstairs of the vacant dormitory. The back of their cranium leaning against the windowed wall that faced the lakeside. Their body kept inside the increasingly shadowed darkness. The mind moved, but the body did not.
“To Yuffie,”
The young girl began snuffling several passages earlier…
“You are wise beyond your years, and let no one tell you differently. To go in and search the world for a way to help your home village is a very honorable task. Though you may not have always gone about doing so in completely honest ways, your heart was in the right place. You are youth that I admire. Though you are growing into a young woman, don’t ever forget that you are the youthful great spirit that ties all our bonds together.”
“To Cid, I only got to spend a very short amount of time with you, but, for how much.. and how colorfully you talked, I felt like we were old friends.”
A nod, a wink, and a smirk came from the roughly thirty year old’s visage. With raised eyebrows, he glanced over the rest of the group. When meeting his eyes with Barret, Cid pointed to his chest with his thumb, and mouthed airlessly, “That’s me”
“When I first met you, you seemed like the roughest and gruffest man I had ever seen. But, the more I got to know you, the more time I spent with you, I realized you were far from the sort. Out of everyone I know here, now, in the group, you are truly the kindest, most heartfelt one of us all. I know that you would drop anything at a hat, even your dreams, to simply help one of us out. Your are truly the embodiment of friendship, and I know I could trust you with my life.”
His smirk dumbed down and grew into a smile, his nod into a bowed head, his wink into closed eyes.
“To Red XIII,”
His tail began wagging, even though he consciously tried not to.
“Thank you for saving me inside the experimental room inside Shinra’s headquarters. I’m so terribly sorry that I mistook you for a beast. You are a gentle, compassionate soul, and truly, the smartest sentient being I know. Please continue your studies with your grandfather, I can tell you have the gift to hear the voice of the Planet. Truly, you are as close another Ancient that I know. And, if things come to worse, I look forward to hearing your voice thru The Planet. Oh, and by the way.. I’ve always liked your true name.. Nanaki. I know I’ve mentioned this to you before, and I think you should use it.”
With those final words, Nanaki lowered himself off of all fours, and laid with his belly on the ground, with his chin resting just a little forward form that. His eyes continued to stare back up at Cloud.
“And to Cloud…” He hesitated for a moment.. “well.. to my Bodyguard… I guess your service is up now.. either way.. I won’t be needing a bodyguard anymore, though I still owe you your mercenary payment. Well, I guess its somewhat even, we did go on that date. And you did ruin those poor people’s play. But, I’ll never be able to pay you back in full all that I truly owe you. Though, I know you like to seem cold… you hold all the same emotions as the rest of us. Yet, despite your self inflicted handicap, you are strong, courageous, friendly, helpful, kind, and above all else, compassionate. You are the heart of our team, you are our leader, our confidant, our friend. And, if this doesn’t work out right, you are the only other person I trust in this world that can complete my mission. You must be my second, and follow in my footsteps.. and I trust that you will. I got to know you, and I have faith in you.
“I love you… all.”
A few moments of solemn adoration passed.
“Well.. I guess this is a goodbye letter… so
GOODBYE
Love, your friend, Aeris.”
Cloud began to fold the letter back up into its proper creases. The rest of the gang, save for the hidden one, moved forward, and from the pockets in their clothing, each emerged with a small petal filled flower for their flower girl.
Cloud stood by the lakeside, and watched each of them gently place their flower onto the surface of the water. Tifa went last.
“You comin,” a swollen eyed Tifa said as she caressed Cloud’s arm right after she placed her flower.
“Yeah… I’ll be there in a minute. I’d like.. just a few moments of alone time. My way of final respects you know.”
“Of course..” Tifa slowly responded. With the final clicking sound of her heals, all noise vanished from the cavern as the rest of the group left outside.
Cloud was left with his breathing, and about ready to break state.
[Aeris’ theme starts playing]
“I didn’t read the rest of you letter aloud… you know.. the part you wrote specifically for me.
“I coul.. hrmph..
umm.. well…
it… it meant a lot to me. I had always wondered why you ran off without me. I had always.. hmrph.. I had always wondered how you felt.
“You should have waited for me… We should have gone together…””
Tears began forming on the innard sockets of his eyes.
I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.. but.. I’m I’m ..” A sigh escaped from his lungs. Cloud looked up and around the cavern indiscriminately. His eyes surrounded rashed with swelling blood. A small glint of desperation and relief poured out. “I’m glad you don’t blame me.”
A sniffle soon followed
A grunt for controlled composure
His eyes wondered for the first time today to look upon her laying at the bottom of the lake. He waded slightly in to the waters, standing waist deep… rippling the surface.
“Since you’ve died, I’ve been able to recover my emotional side.. hmm.. it had truly been awhile since I had really felt anything.
“But.. with you.. always whenever you were around.. I felt something. Joy, elation, something.. but I felt it…. You made me happy.
“Love…” a sigh, “ I didn’t know for sure. I had always wondered if it was. I thought I was incapable of feeling that. I thought,… maybe, it was just my mind playing tricks on me once again. Screwing me.
The rippling water had yet to settle.. it still lay disturbed, shaking.
“But your letter… we never.. truly got to say this.. but… the letter did. It said you loved me.”
Cloud’s left hand raised to harshly remove any water from his face.
“So now I know.. now.. I know.. it really was love between us. You’re not haunting me.. your memories aren’t disturbing me.. It’s love remembering you. …
[Aeris’ theme fades out.. silence is replaced.]
A long moment passed. The water stands still.
“I’ll cherish them.”
“Cloud,” a soft voice spoke.
[Camera is placed from the cave entrance looking in. One can see the house, and a half emerged Cloud in the water.]
[Camera switches to a 180 degree cut. Red XIII stands waiting for Cloud’s response.]
“You comin.. Cid’s got the ship all powered up.”
“Yeah Red.. coming right now”
[Screen cuts to Cloud’s waist level inside the lake.. only visible is his right side torso. As he begins to move, the water starts rippling again, slowly but picks up momentum. The chiming bell toll heard inside The Shinra Mansion begins playing]
[Screen cuts to Cloud moving out of the water. The camera is in front of Cloud, looking into the cavern. It is watching Cloud emerge... the water is continuing to ripple violently, but silently.. it’s completely distorting Cloud’s reflection in the water. After the image has completely distorted.. the water begins settling.]
[Screen Cuts to behind Cloud.. as if it were placed in the middle of the lake.. looking out the cave entrance. Light is emitting from the entrance. The angle allows for both Cloud to be seen.. and his reflection in the water moving out of the cave. It’s a mirrored reflection.
The water settles. The ripples stop. Instead of Cloud’s reflection moving out of the cave, It’s Sephiroth. The music picks up with the sound heard while Neibelheim is burning. They walk out.. mirrored, in unison.]
[Screen Cuts to black]
[End episode 3]
It is the beginning of an epic separated into many episodes. Here presented are the first three. The timeline presented is the first episode happening in "the present" while the remaining two happening directly after the end of FFVII.. The end of episode three is 2 episodes away from meeting up with the timeline of episode one, but I wanted to present this and see if there is anyone out there that will bite, or think its worthy of continuing. Again.. I would appreciate any and all feedback.. even a TLDR comment.
And the last thing I will say is that I took some liberties with the story. The main being that I make Vincent out to be an actual vampiric character. Again.. I began writing this before the compilation and thus, continued with my original concept.
Thankyou in advance.. and here it is.....
Episode 1: Despair
Death. Pain. Vengeance. This was all that was left of him now.
Flames consumed everything he had ever loved. His life, his childhood, his true self were being erased from existence as he watched from a distance with horror.
Zack raced out of the darkened mansion into the searing light. Fear and desperation continually festered inside his chest with every step he took towards such destruction. Once outside, the heat caused him to stop. His eyes took a few moments to adjust to the blinding light as he covered them with his left arm., but his eyes were not needed to know the truth.
Zack stoically peered into the flames engulfing his friend’s home; sword instinctively drawn. His silhouette -the only thing standing that wasn’t burning in the immediate view.
“How could he do this, how could he Betray us!”
No answers came.
Zack had been trained to be fearless and a pillar of confidence in the face of death, and so he retained a professional and defiant composure despite his feelings as he descended the stairs into the town.
Zack came upon a slaughtered man laying face up in the middle of town. A gaping slash nearly severed this young man’s body in two. Blood poured from his wounds as his innards seeped along the flow. As he knelt beside the man, Zack placed his hand upon the man’s forehead, and looked gently into those barely conscious and fearful eyes.
“You’re going home.” The only comforting words that seemed fitting.
A young soldier came blustering in from the entrance side of town. Zack faced down towards his comrade, rose up from the fallen man, and wiped the blood off from his glove. Zack was now in charge of this operation and needed to look as professional and cool as ever.
As he ran towards Zack, his hands trembled so violently that his rifle seemed to be vibrating. Yet, he was determined to be the best soldier he could, and kept his composure just like Zack would. Damn his emotions.
“Where’s Tifa,” the young soldier spurted out the moment he came upon Zack.
“I don’t know.” Zack turned his head from side to side, desperately yet calmly looking for what action to take next. -How can I beat Him- the thought overwhelmed most of his cognitive abilities and combat training instinct.
“First, we’ll need to check the res…”
A momentary shock rendered Zack motionless as he came once again to look upon the soldier’s face. The glare on the soldier’s eyepiece revealed the reflected town’s massacrer, standing not 30 feet behind Zack, standing out against the blaze. Zack’s eyes widened to the full pits of his skull.
Hesitation Moment over.
Sword drawn, Zack instinctively turned his body to face him, both hands tightly gripping his Buster Sword’s Hilt.
“Why did you kill all these people. ANSWER ME CLOUD!”
[Close up screen shot of Cloud’s head, his blue Mako eyes displaying all the hatred they can muster. A small smirk adorns his mouth. Camera fades to a full bodied Cloud, wearing Sephiroth’s black cloak. Masamune in hand. Without words, he turns into the flames, and walks thru them]
Cloud jolts up from bed. [A close up of Cloud’s right eye now becomes the only thing visible] Fear and desperation cloud everything.
[Screen cuts to black]
[Enter opening scene reference]
Episode 1: Despair.
Cloud arose from sleep in a cold sweat. He breathed so quickly and erratically like the fear in his dreams had transcended into the real world. Calming himself felt nothing short of a miracle.
The room smelled of a stagnant air. Nothing moved in this place. Picturesque embodied the monotony of his room. His cloak hung upon the back of an age old chair, draped over the seat and settling itself upon the ridges embedded into the floor. Several small swords held fast to a makeshift weapon hilt resting above the chair, stained with blood. A small window to the right held the only view to the mystical body of water that resides right outside the home. And in front of him, a full bodied splintered mirror leaned against the opposing wall of Cloud’s bed. A cold, broken monster peered into Cloud each waking morning.
He went to face it.
As he mindlessly strode out of bed, his foot treaded upon a puss oozing fleshy dark matter. A haphazard piling of wings lay compiled in a corner near the bed, encrusted with dried blood carcassed from their old master. One wing had toppled off the pile during the night and came to rest at the foot of his bed. It didn’t matter though, THAT one was no longer him, and he didn’t really care for its safety. He kept them only as a reminder to how many times he’s done this before.
Shirtless, Cloud went to stand parallel in front of the mirror. His un-waxed hair laid in individual strands, covering most of his face. From the front, his body had never been so toned. None of this, though, was through any fault of his own.
Cloud reached out and touched one of the crack lines in the mirror
[ Scene instantly cuts to a momentary memory of Cloud standing in front of the mirror with a large black wing sprouting from his back and a wrathful look on his face as he smashes the mirror with his hand]
[Scene returns to the present with a depressed look on Cloud’s face]
Brushing the hair away from his eyes, Cloud turned his back to the mirror and looked over his left shoulder. His back, no where near as healthy. A crevice appeared over his left shoulder-blade, and a perturbing black feather set began emerging from the opening, slowly but surely. Blood engorged veins spiderred all from his back towards the crevice, as if trying desperately to fight off a vile infection.
“Damn…” sighed Cloud.
A sound coming from outside instantly caught his attention. A small pebble rolling off a larger boulder broke the ambient silence in the air, and managed to disturbed the water, rippling its surface, and falling to a rest forever under its depths.
(Vibrating water, Vibrating hands.. hu,.. THE DREAM) The images of horror reentered into his head.
Cloud had no need to dwell upon his dream. It recurred every night. It’s meaning unquestionable. Soon, He feared he would turn into the thing he hated most, the creature that killed her.
no matter what, he could not let that happen.
Cloud fiddled with the hairwax container on the shelf next to the cracked mirror. He dipped his hand into the goo and for the next 20 minutes spent the time fixing his hair, like she remembered.
Wrestling carefully as to not mess it up, Cloud put on his SOLDIER shirt. He fastened his metallic, supportive glove over his left mangled hand, grabbed his red cloak, draped it around his neck, pulled out one of his worn, dull swords, and descended the stairs to the outside.
Cloud exited his home. Immediately he was at the lakeside of her watery grave.
[Camera shows the edge of the lake where the water meets the rock. Cloud’s foot steps into camera view. Camera switches to an undershot positioned as if the camera were located under the water, slowly zooming in onto Clouds face]
Aeris laid at the bottom of the lake, adorned with hundreds of red flowers. For some reason, this lake had magical sustaining powers. Anything entombed within its waters stayed that way forever, a still picture in a moment of time. Though she was murdered more than two years ago, her body was as intact, peaceful, and beautiful as the day she died.
Everyday Cloud went out into the world to find a flower for his flower girl. Everyday he would return home with one in hand
Sometimes he would walk for hours before he would find the perfect one for her.
Everyday, he would kneel by the lakeside, gently place the freshly cut red flower into the lake, and as it began to slowly descend to lie next to her, he managed to mutter
“I’m sorry…”
There he would sit in prayer and contemplation, considering and imagining the future memories they could have had together. He envisioned them; settling into a home on the outskirts of Costal Del Sol. There, Aeris and Cloud would set up a home just as they would want it. A training field set up in the backyard so that he could regularly improve himself. A large garden planted in the front that she could lovingly tend to. Their would be a wondrous living room where all their friends could come over, enjoy in small gatherings together, and see how happy Aeris and him would have been. He imagined what their children would have looked like: 1 boy and 2 girls. He even gave them names….
But eventually reality would set in with the setting sun dimming the light upon her lake. None of those dreams really mattered. They would never be. He was alone, and would always be.
If he couldn’t be with her, then he would just be content to be her guardian, now until the end.
Yet today, this monotonous routine was no longer enough. He had to end this.
A sudden surge of pain emanated from his left shoulder-blade. Cloud wincingly reached his right hand around to feel an all too easily remembered feeling. The wing had grown large enough and protruded far enough from his back that it tore through his several times patched shirt. With each fresh cutting, the wing grew back quicker and reached its full length faster. He had only cut the previous one off the night before.
With a sigh, Cloud lowered his hand to rest at his side, and slowly shook his head.
“I won’t become him,” Cloud softly but defiantly said as his peered over the lake. His eyes dropped down to look at Aeris lying peacefully at the bottom.
[Screen flashes to a picture of Cloud’s dream home with Aeris. There she stands in the doorway, holding one of the flowers he has picked for her. Her haired blowing gently in the wind]
[Scene returns to present Cloud]
“Aeris, I’m coming home….”
Cloud left the City of the Ancients on his typical journey to find a flower.
Outside, the wind blew fiercely to the east. It violently shook and swayed Cloud’s cloak, like a bath of blood spewing form his back every new instant. Each gust held hundreds of tiny daggers that cut into Cloud’s face, leaving their frost hilts behind on his cheeks. His cold metallic glove felt like a cage of ice, piercing needles into his already destroyed flesh. Yet the harshness of nature could not infiltrate his mind, it could not break his will. He trudged on thru the blizzard
And there, within Shiva's hatred, became known a rock awning, barely 2 feet high. Under it lie a blanket of white, undisturbed by the the relentless frost, free of zealous and tormentful wind, and beneath it, Cloud found a new bud perking out from the fresh fallen snow. He carefully plucked the red rose from its brush, stood up, gave one passing look to the south, and returned back to her grave.
Once next to the lake, Cloud got onto his knees, like so many times before. He unsheathed his small sword from the hilt on his belt, and looked calmly onto her. He fastened the flower to his shirt over his heart.
Some weight seemed to be pushing against Clouds chest, and for a moment it made him reconsider what he was about to do.
Yet, he was determined to kill himself. Cloud never really existed, and this shell would soon become the next great evil.
With one fell, precise swoop, Cloud sliced the new wing off from his back. The pain was so excruciating that it literally rendered Cloud motionless. His body fell limp and he rolled down into the lakebed. There, he came to a rest next to Aeris, his head fell to his side, eyes wide open, looking kindly onto her precious face.
“Soon….”
[Scene changes to the last time Cloud had been in Midgar]
Cloud walked along one of the street ways in the Sector 3 topside. Rain trenched the city-side as small rivulets formed on the edges of sidewalks and streets. Cloud dressed himself in a trench-coat, hood up, so that no rain would fall upon him nor would anyone recognize him. A blood stained pocket was the only other color to adorn the blackened slick fabric.
Lights combated with shadows over Cloud’s person as he walked down the street. Nothing seemed worthy of his attention. He was only passing through here till he could find a good reconstructive mechanic.
Nothing caught his attention, until all light seemed to fade from the street-side. Puzzled, Cloud looked up to see several bright lights valiantly shining at a large, luxurious billboard.
THE GREAT SOLDI ER - CLOUD STRIFE -THE HERO OF OUR WORLD
A large iconic picture of Cloud, holding his old Buster Sword, stood proudly in the night, overlooking Midgar.
Everything paled in brightness to this sign, as cloud stood, beneath it, in the shadows.
Rain rivuleted across his heaven stared face.
He was never that man. He was just a boy that got experimented on and fucked with. It wasn’t his persona; he never was a great solider. Hell, he couldn’t even make it into SOLDIER. He was just some lucky fucked up kid. He couldn’t live up to the hype people wanted him to be. That Cloud was never real. He lived in the shadow of his own self.
No more
[Scene returns to him lying at the bottom of the lake. A large but undetermined amount of time has passed]
The end was coming. Cloud began to feel outside of himself as small purple and black dots filled up his eyesight. He began drifting away. The final remnants of his sight fixated upon her smile.
…
Menacing teeth thrust themselves onto Clouds shirt, violently hauling him up out of the water.
[Episode 1 End]
[Scene cuts to clippings from the next episode, with Cloud sitting around, laughing with his friends and having one hell of a party after the end events of Final Fantasy VII. music begins playing. In Cloud’s voice, he narrates and says]
“Nothing feels as good as finding out that all of your Sacrifices meant something. To be with friends at the end of all things is the most important thing in life.”
____________________________________________
We Fuckin Did it!
[opening music, screen to instant black]
To the Settling of All Things.
[ Opening scene from inside the cockpit, all 8 of the members stand in profile, with there backs to the camera. The energy from the lifestream is slowly dissipating outside from the cockpit window view. Cid jumps slightly into the air with a raised fist, yelling obscenities of joy. Tifa and Cloud stand in the middle of the screen, close to each other.]
This was a dream, a dream she made real for him. Meteor, Sephiroth, even himself. All his enemies, his fears, his trials had been vanquished. Cloud stared stoically yet lively out the window at the released lifestream, the essence that was of him, of his friends, of those he had lost, and felt for the first time since he could remember…
Content.
As he closed his eyes, lowered his head, and a small smile adorned his lips, he felt the gentle touch of the girl he had had feelings for since he was little graze his left hand.
Blissfulness overwhelmed his head,… and his heart.
Cloud turned to face her. He stared lovingly into her big, luscious, round, beautiful brown eyes. Tears had swelled their outside rims, and she stared, head tilted slightly upwards towards his, gazing into his blue Mako filled own.
Softly,
Is this for real?... Cloud?
Wasting no words, Cloud put his right hand around Tifa to the small of her back, his left hand guided her chin to his, and while pulling her closely tight, kissed her.
Tifa, surprised yet overjoyed, lost herself in that embrace, and felt her body melt, feeling almost one with him.
“Hmrph” grunted Barret. “I knew those two sick love birds would finally get their shit together.”
“It’s love sick you inconsiderate prick!” scolded Yuffie, as she gave a condescending glace over to Barret’s position. “But I think its so cute!” as she returned to stare at Cloud and Tifa, hands clasped, left foot of the ground and tilted back.
“I said what I said,” replied Barret a little vexed but lightheartedly. “Hey cap’n, if this ain’t no time to celebrate, shit I don’t know what is, you got any beers lyin ‘round this flyin debacle?”
“#*@$% yeah I do!” toted Cid. “Who do you think I am? Some convoluted prissy teenager who fuckin doesn’t know her gin from her tonic?” (a smirking glance was made in the direction of Yuffie.) With a pat on Barret’s back, Cid led him back to the Captain’s private state room, as Yuffie stared in malcontent to the two older gentlemen. She raced to barrage the two for dismissingly her so easily.
With paws tipping softly towards Cloud and Tifa, Red XIII voiced,
“I’m glad this trial is finally past us. But, as fortunate or as unfortunate as you wish to see, we seemed to have lost one of our members.”
Red XIII tilted his head back towards the now motionless Caitsith, who sat lifeless against an opposing wall.
“Do you think Reeve has abandoned us Cloud?”
With a small, slight breathed laugh, Cloud responded, “No Red, I think he expects us to go meet him in person.” All the while Cloud still clung tightly around Tifa.
“Hmmm, I hope so… even if he was fake, it was still nice having another sentient non-human around.” Turning his head around to once again look into the eyes of Cloud, Red XIII responded, “Do you think that Cid may be willing to depart with some of his less than sober beverages? I am 46 you know.”
While closing her eyes and smiling brightly at him, Tifa said “I’m sure Cid wouldn’t mind, Red, even if you are only 15 to us.”
With a light consenting grunt and a shake of the head, Red XIII walked slowly to the back of the airship with the rest of his comrades.
Only Vincent, with crossed arms and a cold stare,… remained.
Cloud gazed onto his vampiric, stoic counterpart and wondered what this valiant yet tragic man would have to say in his words of wisdom.
“Well,” as Vincent replied with a lowered head and a closed set of eyes,” I’m at least 60,… I doubt they would refuse me.” And without even a glance in Cloud or Tifa’s direction, Vincent left the windowed viewed room.
Cloud gave a nod in Vincent’s general direction, while fully knowing that Vincent neither saw nor cared how Cloud acknowledged him.
Then, as if distinctive and pulled by a force outside of his own, Cloud once again looked upon her gentle face. He knew, from then on, that happiness was all that would remain in his life.
As the lifestream finally began to settle once again back into the Planet, Cloud in Tifa, hand in hand, approached the windows. They gazed out over the surrounding landscape, and saw the beauty of the lifestream restoring the surface of the planet as it was before Meteor had caused its calamity.
“Where to sir?” asked the pilot.
“Right outside of Midgar,” Cloud responded. “I have a feeling someone will be there waiting to meet us.”
As the airship began to rest towards its final descent of this trip, Cloud and Tifa, embraced in each others arms, looked upon the new world that they had helped to create.
…
When the airship had landed, all the remaining members gathered around, as Cid opened the hatch to the outside. With the feeling of relief, each member was glad to stand once again upon the ground (especially Yuffie.)
Cloud peered over the horizon, and gazed upon the city that both stood for one of the sole factors that transgressed the world while at the same time stood for his new home. While bittersweet memories clouded his head, he soon began to realize that the enemies of the past were gone, and Midgar, at least for the moment, stood as a place for the hope of the future.
As each of them stood, in profile, staring upon the monstrous city they each helped to save, a cloud of dust began rising from the distance, and with each instance, a caravan of vehicles began popping into the members’ view.
“Hrmph,’ sighed Cid. “Seems like they sent out the cavalry to take care of us #*@$%'ing rebels,” he sarcastically responded. “You think they’d treat us like heroes with a bit of respect. Maybe a parade, or even send a few pleasures of the flesh if you know what I mean.”
“Does every utterance out of your mouth have to be a joke, Cid.” Vincent’s glaring eyes bore into Cid’s own as viciousness lurked in waiting, behind his blood red pupils.
“Whatever, it’s not my fuckin’ problem you’re dead an’ can’t get it stiff.”
“And what would Shera have to say about your conduct this far?” lightheartedly questioned Tifa from behind him. “I bet she’d be awfully heartbroken if she could hear you right now.”
Stunned for one of the very few moments in his life, Cid had no quip response to say. After a brief pause, Cid raised his right hand to scratch the back of his head, and while turning around to face the group, he closed his eyes and smiled brightly.
Laughing, he said, “Heh, guess I do love the old broad.” And with a quick change in facial expression, Cid ornamented an inquisitive look, with eyes starring up. While caressing his chin, he thought aloud, “Guess it was a good thing I didn’t burn her up.”
A cheerful laughed rolled through each of the members, save for the vampire.
While the group’s simple antics and light conversation permeated the surrounding air, Cloud looked strait-forward onto the approaching caravan. By now he could easily identify a lead jeep heading towards them.
The vehicle came to a rolling stop once it had approached upon the left side of Cloud. With the opening of the back right side door, the embodiment of Caitsith’s soul- a man with a well-tailored suit, crisp haircut, and a smug smile on his face- began to approach Cloud.
*Smack*
With his human hand, Barret had violently struck Reeve across the face with such force that Reeve flew off his feet, knocking his head against the jeep door.
“Wipe that smile off your traitorous face,” -vexed and with no lightheartedness in any of his composure- responded Barret. His gun arm directly and unflinchingly pointing at Reeve.
The two guardsmen inside the vehicle, taken by surprise, scrambled to raise their rifles in reaction to Barret’s aggressive and unprovoked response.
With a wave to suggest inaction, the soiled suit, messy haired, and now smile-less Reeve picked himself off from the ground.
“I guess I deserved that,” Reeve retorted as his attention became focused on brushing off the residual dirt upon his coat breast pocket. “But like all of you, I contributed my worth to this cause,
wouldn’t you agree Cloud.”
With closed eyes and a lowered head, Cloud sarcastically responded, “I’m just upset Barret beat me to it.”
Soft laughs once again spread throughout the group (save for the vampire), while the remaining jeeps in the caravan finally arrived at their destination.
“These vehicle’s here are part of our welcoming committee. We’re here to escort you back into the city so as to avoid the mobs and to ge…”
“Wait just a damn minute,” blurted out Barret. “Just who da’ hell is this welcoming committee, cause I’ll be damned if I be riding into Midgar on Shinra’s back.”
“No,” responded Reeve,” once the attack from the Weapon hit the president’s office, the major stock holders pulled out of the company. They feared that with no direct CEO, and with a company that had been dwindling rapidly in the public’s eye, their investments were no longer deemed safe. With Shinra losing that influence, and with my help, the mayor was able to reestablish control over the city.
“Why didn’t you tell any of us this before, Reeve,” questioned Tifa.
With a smug shrug, Reeve coyly said, “Never seemed like the right time. Plus, if we failed, none of that would have mattered.
In any event, during the meantime, I gathered up ex-Shinra employees who were responsive to your guys’ cause, and founded Neo-Shinra. This, of course, has only happened over the few last days, and in spite of what remnants of Shinra may still exist.
The mayor, in this time of crisis and lack of resources, has asked Neo-Shinra to deal with you heroes of Avalanche. Taking care of their safety, holding press conferences, medal ceremonies, addressing their public image… just typical celebrity stuff.”
“Celebrity?!” Yuffie shouted with glee. “We’re gonna be celebrities?! This, this is awesome!” After jumping around for a few moments and acquiring numerous glares of astonishment towards her erratic behavior, Yuffie rushed up to Cloud’s side, and with a violent tug upon his wrist, commanded,” Come on Spikey, let’s go. The great Ninja Yuffie’s fans are in dire waiting.”
“Celebrities…” disheartenedly spoke Cloud. A feeling of worry erupted onto Cloud’s face; his eyebrows slightly down arched, his smile went numb, his eyes looked backward into his mind.
Cloud’s introverted state became interrupted as he looked down to see the eager young girl, dragging him towards the jeep.
“Something wrong, Cloud?” Questioned Reeve.
“No its just…
[screen flashes to a memory Cloud has when he learned he did not make it into SOLDIER. Another flash to Zack’s Death. Flash to Cloud picking up Zack’s Buster Sword]
…, its just, let’s take this one step at a time.”
“And I know what that first step is,” interjected Cid. “To get fuckin’ smashed.” And as Cid approached Cloud and put his hand around Cloud’s shoulders, Cid said, “ Come on Mr. Emo, there’s this bar I wanna take you to in sector 5 topside. The place is seedier than hell, but they got a great home-brewed bourbon that I’d trade my left nut for. It’s the best place for a couple of terrorists like us to hang out.”
“You are easily the vilest man I have ever met,” Tifa ghastly responded with slightly widened eyes of astonishment.
A deep, grunted laugh came bellowing out of the vile man’s mouth. “Come on you bunch of slack jawed hooligans. Last I checked, I was still the leader of this operation, and I’m orderin y’all to get in the jeeps and go.”
While letting go of Cloud, Cid approached the nearest jeep, went to the driver’s side door, and hijacked the vehicle.
“Let’s ride,” the last words anyone could hear from Cid’s mouth as he spun ties out in anticipation of his departure. A slightly ruffled and scared guard sat in the passenger seat.
Seeing Cloud’s general disinterest in her, Yuffie had let go of him, and went in search of the last male who hadn’t dismissed her yet this night.
During Cid’s antics, Vincent had crept away into one of the marginal jeeps. Looking rather disinterested in the surrounding matters, he sat in the back, his red cape engulfing most of the rear of the jeep.
Eerily sensing the approaching annoyance, Vincent lifted the fraction of his cape that laid to his right side, and threw it over his left shoulder, moments before Yuffie plopped herself down next to him.
“Vincent, isn’t this great! Not only are we gonna be heroes, but we’re gonna be celebrities.” She continued to blurt out, “Oh and not just celebrities, RICH celebrities. I’ll be able to buy all the material I want.
People will want to know all about me. I’ll probably have to write books, and maybe a instructional video on my fantastic ninjistu techniques. Oh, and there will totally be tons of parties, and they will probably want m…..”
Instantly, Vincent instinctively withdrew his gun from his hostler, and pointed it dead in between Yuffie’s eyes…”
“Shut up.”
Without waiting for response, Vincent jumped out of the jeep, and went to approach the farthest vehicle from her.
Astounded, Yuffie sat there for a moment dazed. Quickly, she shook this feeling off. She would not let all the men tonight treat her with such disrespect.
As she jumped out of the vehicle and running after him, she began yelling, “Hey.. HEY… don’t you run away from me.. HEY, VAMPIRE, look at me, young teenage virgin girl, ripe for the pickin.’ ”
Cloud looked onto the antics of all his friends. The last few days had been torn with such grief, pain, and despair. Now, everyone’s attitudes had transmigrated into the surreal, and happiness bounced from one soul to the next, infecting them with a sense of relief and comfort. A tear began forming on the inset of his left eye.
…It dropped when she touched him again.
“Come on Cloud, let’s go meet up with the rest of them,” as Tifa lovingly said, putting herself into Cloud’s view.
“Is... is that a real emotion I see on my Cloud’s face,” as she wiped away the one tear from his cheek.
“Tifa…”
“Yes,” she breathed softly, inching her face towards his own.
“I…
I….”
A honk came from an approaching vehicle, with Barret driving at the wheel, sitting in the jeep alone. His short but thrusting hand gestures were urging Cloud to quickly come over to him.
Lowering Tifa’s hand from his face, he left her side, and sternly walked over to Barret’s jeep.
Confused, she felt slightly abandoned, and a feeling of worry engulfed her chest.
…
“Hey,” Barret said as Cloud approached him, “I’m heading on over to Sector 6 slums…”
Pain became Cloud.
“… I just figured that I haven’t seen Marlene in awhile, and I figured I’d pick her up and take her with us tonigh…”
Sadness became Cloud.
“.. and I was just wondering,” Barret said as he began to stumble for words, looking desperately for something to attach his eyesight to. With a head lowered, Barret continued<’ wondering if you wanted me to invite Elmyra along.”
Regret became Cloud.
A single tear formed on the inside of Cloud’s right eye, and fell, amongst other similar tear markings into the dirt below.
[the two men, staring in opposite directions, spoke no words. Only the rumble of the engine could be heard breaking the silence.]
‘Yeah,” Cloud said softly, trying to hide his true state to Barret. Cloud placed his right hand on the driver’s door, stabling himself.
Slowly, Cloud said, “Yeah, I think she would want her there.”
“Right, …right...” Barret lightly tapped the steering wheel, relaxed his body, and slouched into the seat, eyes starring blankly out the windshield.
“well probably be there an hour or so after ya’ guys…” Barret told the windshield. His head slightly bobbled and shifted on his neck, trying to calculate the validity of response.
With a nose breathed nod, Cloud turned away from the vechile, and defiantly yet calmly strode back to Reeve’s jeep.
Barret, wasting no time, sped off to finally see his daughter once again.
…
Tifa, rushing to his side, was happy that he had not left her alone, that they could ride together into Midgar., and as she reached for his hand, the pain in her chest began to subside.
They never grasped.
Cloud simply strolled past Tifa, barely acknowledging her presence. Her hand left in waiting.
Once past, with a slight back tilt of his head, Cloud softly but sternly commanded,
“Come on,.. lets go.”
And walked onward to the vehicle.
“Back to cold so soon..” Tifa thought, as she sighed dejectively.
Like a scolded dog, head held low, she submissively followed her master, keeping distance between them.
…
No words permeated in the air as Reeve’s jeep plowed through the dirt ridden terrain on its way back to Midgar. An empty back seat held its no-mans-land between the two sick love birds. Happiness fleeted with each ounce of gas. Cloud, with his left hand holding fast to the outside of the jeep, stared northward. Opposite and distant, resting her chin upon her right hand, Tifa stared at nothing.
…
Hours later the jeep rolled up to in front of the Sector 5 topside bar. As Reeve stepped out of the passenger’s side door, one of the two uncomfortably seated guards shifted over to his vacant position. Slowly, both Cloud and Tifa exited the back, and stood in opposing positions.
As the vehicle drove off, Reeve, sensing the uneasiness in the air, managed the courage to report, “Ill just be inside if you need me.”
Neither one acknowledge him.
Clearing his throat, “Most likely most of them will be waiting inside for us…: and with no way to finish his though, Reeve simply left it at that, and strode inside the bar.”
“Look Tifa,” Cloud began as he turned to Face her. A ray of hope entered into her mind upon turning around to greet him.
“Tonight…. Let’s just make the most of what it is… and be happy.”
Uncharacteristic words, but a familiar sense of tone.
With eyes closed, a small smile, and a slight nod, Tifa responded,
“Okay.”
Upon walking around the jeep standing next to him, all ready to embrace the entry way, she was astounded to feel this time, his hand, reaching for hers.
Together, they embarked into Cid’s seedy hellhole.
…
“Heads up, shitbag!”
A glass, half full of bourbon, came whizzing at Cloud’s face.
Instinctively and letting go of Tifa’s hand, Cloud whirled out his Buster Sword, swept through the air with force and precision, and sliced the glass in two.
The two halves, still holding their respectively liquid, smashed against the door side wall.
“Hrmph,” grunted a slightly drunk Cid, cigarette in mouth, hovering around the bar top. “You’ve gone and fucked up my drink. I know you’ve got ‘cat like reflexes’ an’ all, but shit son, did ever your poisoned mind think about catchin’ shit before you break it?”
A roar of laughs embellished the air. Cloud could only smile. He could take this one quip from Cid… but only one.
Returning the sword to its back hilt and regaining his non-combative posture, Cloud sauntered into the bar, and sat down at the table with the rest of his friends.
“Round ‘o drinks on the cap’n, barkeep!” yellingly demanded Cid. And uproar of cheers followed.
Stumbling his way over to the sitting Cloud, and placing his hand upon Cloud’s back, Cid belched, “ And what will Emo be having.”
With a smirk on his face, and tilting up to look at Cid, Cloud said, “Something hard.”
Tifa blushed and smiled on the other side of the table.
Jovialness fluttered around the room as each of the members present shared pleasant stories from their adventure over the last strifeful months. Even Cloud, unlike himself, shared numerous stories about their plights. Only Vincent, empty handed, sat wordlessly at the end of the table.
“Hey guys,” Yuffie began, “ remember that time in Cosmo Canyon when Red was all like ‘ oh I hate my father, rwar rwar,’ and then later on was like, ‘ oh Daddy, I’m so sorry, whimper whimper.”
Red XIII, disdainfulness vibrantly showering his face, secretly began inching his flamed tipped tail under the table at Yuffie’s leg.
“Yeah,” said Cloud, “but I also remember the time when you were a total Bitch and secretly stole all our material.”
Another roar of laughter enveloped the room while Yuffie set pouting, arms crossed, secretly plotting her own revenge against Cloud.
And so the night tumbled forward, drink after drink, story after story, with little regard to time and events outside of this place.
Only when a tight grip around Cloud’s chest from small hands did the lightheartedness seem to settle down.
“Cloud!” the little girl barked as she pressed the side of her face against Cloud’s back.
Cloud, returning to the present, with all the memories this little girl brought with her, lightly said,
“Hi, Marlene.”
Cloud turned around and embraced the little girl with all the love someone like him, at the time, could show.
After hugging her so gently, Cloud peered up at the entranceway, and laid eyes upon his old large friend,… and then.. following an eyesight path downward… HER mother.
Setting Marlene aside, Cloud stood up from the table, and, with reservation, approached the older woman at the door.
Silence rushed in and stole the voices of every patron.
“Its nice to see you again, Mrs. Gainsborough,” Cloud said, with all the fake happiness he could muster.
“Oh Cloud,” she said caressing his arm, “ you can just call me Elmyra.” They embraced, as Cloud suffered his will to hold back his shaking body and bursting emotions. “Its good to see you again,.. and,” closing in upon his left ear, whisped “I know she’s proud of you.”
His will was no longer enough, but his composure held tight. Foreign tears ran down Elmyra’s cheek.
“Thankyou,” Cloud responded. He held Elmyra a little longer than a normal hug.
Sensing Cloud’s unwillingness for others to see him in his somber state, Tifa said, “Come on everyone, this is a party. Hey Barkeep, turn on some music.. I feel like dancing”
Tifa rushed over to drunk Cid’s side, and while pulling on his arm, drug him over to the dance floor.”
Cid, overjoyed at this developing proposition, more than willingly subjected to Tifa’s will. “Finally, some action!” he drunkenly spewed. “Aight Tits, let’s do this!”
*Smack*
Like a polaroid, a large, red handed print developed on the side of Cid’s face.
“Tifa,” Cid burped, “I mean Tifa.”
Following their initiative, several patrons followed in response. Even Yuffie propositioned Vincent. Vincent simply got up, and walked out the backdoor.
Once attention shifted away from them, Cloud let go of Elmyra, and eased in his position.
“I’m sorry to do this to you right now,” Elmyra apologetically said to Cloud, “but I don’t want to forget to do this.”
Gently placing into his hand, Elmyra gave a rolled up piece of parchment to Cloud.
“For later…,” she softly spoke.
With a simple nod of the head, Cloud smiled, and returned back to his seat.
…
A few hours later, and more drinks than he was willing to admit, Cloud had had enough of this scene, and went in search of his friend Vincent.
In a well conducted matter, Cloud approached the backdoor, strode outside, and was a little surprised to find both Vincent and Cid, seemingly talking outside.
With and outstretched hand and a three-fourths empty pack, Cid was propositioning Vincent a smoke.
“I never touch the stuff,” Vincent said coldly.
“What,” Cid retorted, “Its not like they’ll fuckin’ kill you.”
Vincent continued to stare with a stern cold face.
“#*@$%,’ Cid responded with an over-exasperated sigh, “why do I even bother!... Hey Cloud, maybe you can spruce up some life into him. I’m tired of trying to play ‘happy train’ for this bloodsucker.”
And with the last of his remarks, Cid waddled, back inside, pulling the door open much more than needed to be.
“Just for curiosity’s sake,” Cloud wondered aloud,” why ARE you so cold with everyone.”
“Because I can’t get close to anyone,” bitterly remarked Vincent.
Then, as if floating, Vincent came up next to Cloud, standing face to face, and held a presence that would of terrified anyone save Cloud.
“You know what I am, and what I’ve don..
“That doesn’t matter now, you helped sav…”
“It does matter, and it always will.”
A moment of silence and stern looks combated between the two men.
“I’ve killed people Cloud, … I’ve fed on human flesh, and I enjoy it. The only reason I don’t kill the eight of you is because of some humanity still residing in my soul.”
Tilting his head in shame away from Cloud, sighing dejectively, and closing his eyes, Vincent responded, “I can not be around anyone. Those people inside,… their, …. Their veins call to me.”
“Here…” Vincent said, as he held out his hand holding a letter. “You’ll have more use of this than I.
I won’t see you again.”
With his final depressing yet stern words, Vincent swiftly turned from Cloud’s side, and walked off into the night.
[Cloud was left, holding the paper in his hand, watching for the last time his friend leave his side.]
[Cloud narrating: “That was the last time the eight of us were together. The next day, Neo-Shinra held a press conference for the rest of us. It was a ceremony” [ scene cuts to the seven ( with Caitsith in line) on a platform in the downtown part of the city ] “where they each gave us medals. Reeve wanted to keep us separate from the rest of the group, which I guess was a bit valiant of him to not directly associate us with the new company. The mayor gave a slightly scripted but heartfelt speech, and the crowd, through their up- roaring cries, gave us all thanks.
After that day, we each began to settle into our new lives.
Reeve went on to fulfill his role as president of Neo-Shinra. He spends most of his time trying to convince the world that the new company is Planet friendly, and has implemented several programs target at helping the environment.
Cid took up the job as the CEO of Space Exploration in Neo-Shinra at Reeve’s suggestion. He married his devoted love, Shera, and became the embodiment of the man trying to live in the new peaceful times. He still smokes cigarettes.
Yuffie really took into the celebrity life.. She became the height of pop culture. To feed off her fame, she released a Ninja workout video, and continues to attend famous peoples balls and functions, Through he help of the media, she became known as the “sweetheart” of all men in the world
Red XII returned home to Cosmo Canyon. He took up his grandfather’s research. He now teaches classes there about astronomy and history. Currently, he prefers to be called Nanaki, in hopes of slightly distancing himself form the public eye.
Barret opened a weapon shop in Costal Del Sol. There he keeps the legendary weapons we all used to defeat Sephiroth, as well as sells arms to defeat monsters that still exist in the world. He also has a simple application in which people can sign up for Avalanche, and keeps a website about all the things still wrong with the world. He uses the store’s money as a means to help support Marlene and all those left unfortunate from the tragedy that happened in Midgar.
Vincent faded out of existence. Only through vague reports have we heard that he spends his time as an unknown mercenary, a continual vigil to his past Sins.
Tifa resided to re-open her bar. She calls it Seventh Heaven. It is in Costal Del Sol, next to Barret’s shop.. The walls are adorned with our personal stories and journal reflections of our life over our journey. Naturally, The most stories are done by Yuffie, containing her embellished importance in the group, I have only a few, and Vincent has one, the letter he gave me, an apology to Lucrecia.
For me, well, I simply spend my time helping Tifa out in her bar. For now, I’m content where I am.
[End of Episode 2]
[Scene cuts to clippings of the next episode , with the eight members standing around Aeris’ grave. In Cloud’s voice, he narrates and says]
“We will never forget you… you are always with us… especially me...
_______________________________________________
Anger. Hate. Destruction. This was all that he was now.
-stop-
-I can’t…. this was it-
Cloud reached out his hand to once again embrace his beloved.
-Sqqqqttch-
A spatter of innocent blood colored Cloud’s essence. Rose red life splashed itself onto his garments, onto his face, into his porous skin, …
…into him.
An ungodly long shear blade had penetrated Aeris through her back. The blade so preciously edged, the only blood it released from her body was that now covering Cloud.
Terror, hopelessness, unbelief—All three etched themselves into the unyielding stone of his visage.
His hand was left wanting…
[Cloud is kneeling in front of the skewered Aeris. Sephiroth is standing behind her, smiling. Cloud is petrified in disbelief. His body is unable to move.]
-Go to her Dammit! This is the last moment you’ll have with her. THIS WAS YOUR LAST MOMMENT. GO TO HER SHE’S DYING…. SHE NEEDS YOU. SAVE HER-
[ Narrator … the mind does not always give what the dreamer wants...]
In the silence, the only breath was a whisper from a falling angel….
“Cloud…….
…. help….”
No help came….. and The Angel fell…
[Screen to Black. ]
[Cloud awakens in his comfortable bed at his home in Costal Del Sol. His eyes open and stare at the ceiling]
Swiftly, Cloud violently throws the covers off of him. [The Camera switches to slow-mo, and at the same time (and in the same screen shot) that Cloud threw the covers, he spins to his left, reaches under the bed, and pulls out his Buster Sword.]
[Back to real time, Screen cuts to items and pictures sitting upon a dresser. Instantly they are sliced and thrown around the room by his sword.]
[Screen cuts to another similar shot of different items. Again the Buster sword slices threw them, scattering their remains.]
[Screen cuts 5 more times showing the same type of action, slicing his mirror, his bed, nearly all of his belongings in immediate reach]
[Finally, Screen cuts to a camera shot from the viewing distance of a little child, standing in Cloud’s room’s doorway, looking in onto this mess. A heavily breathing, wrathful looking Cloud stands alone in the tattered room, Buster Sword held in his right hand, lowered to his side. The bed sheet final falls and hits the ground.]
Cloud lowered his head and closed his eyes. Sighing, and then returning to calm breathing, he once again actualized his stoic state. He regained his posture.
Cloud slowly breathed in one long drawn out breath. Raising his head and tilting it as far back as it could go, he released that breath into the air above him. As he returned his head to the appropriate level, he began to open his eyes and look upon the destruction he brought.
Surprised, and yet not, only one item, one single picture remained standing on his desk. It was a picture of them, on their date at the Golden Saucer. The two captured in their moment of happiness. Her angelic face lay unscathed by the destructive whirling Buster Sword. However, the Sword had greatly damaged the picture. It had precisely cut through the frame, the glass, and paper to slice off the top right corner of the picture, the part of the picture Cloud was in, thus removing most of his head. All that remained was one of his rare smiles. His photo right arm wrapped around her back, with him standing slightly behind her, holding the front of her stomach.
The real Cloud came up and stood face to face with the picture. He gazed into the immaculate picture of his flower girl. Aeris’s stoic, unflinching green eyes stared right back at him.
Lost enveloped Cloud
[Screen cuts to a scene where only Cloud’s mouth can be seen]
“Why are you haunting me.”
[Screen to Black. ]
[ The Title comes onto the screen in white lettering]
Episode 3: Return Home
[For a half a second, the screen shows keys lying on the ground. A hand picks them up, and the keys’ jingling sound is heard]
[Scene cuts to another half a second, with a door being slammed shut]
[Scene Cuts to another half second, close up of a door knob, a hand putting a key inside the keyhole, and forcibly locking it.]
“Hhuh… Cloud… is that you…. Its 5:30 in the morning… what’s all that ruckus? What are you doing ?”
A sleepy-eyed, half dressed Tifa emerged from her room, a room slightly down the corridor from Cloud’s. Her right hand rubbing her right eye socket, her left arm slightly hugging a stuffed moogle. Her oversized shirt barely doubling for a skirt.
“Nothing. …Bad dream.” Cloud un-emphatically responded over his shoulder walking away from her. “Go back to Sleep.”
“I don’t remember giving you permission to order me around Strife,” replied a seemingly vexed Tifa, hands crossing over her chest, and a dangling moogle being held by his squished little arm inside her left palm. She always would refer to him by his last name whenever she was pissed at him or wanted to be playful. He found it hard to tell the difference sometimes.
“I’m sorry…” sighed Cloud. “Just, don’t, …just please don’t worry bout it,” he said as he stopped and half turned his body to look at her.
“Anything I can do to help?”
For a moment, Cloud pondered her question. –Could she help?- he wondered. – No, no she can’t. Might be selfish, but.. I don’t want to share my last memory with her to anyone. I don’t want anyone to dilute it, or rationalize it away. I killed her. I let her die. I don’t want to forget that.-
“No….,” Cloud meekly responded as he shook and lowered his head, trying to hide the overwhelming look of regret that began blossoming on his face. – There’s no one who can help.-
Coldly and quickly turning his body face forward again, he began descending the stairs to the tavern below. ‘I’ll be outside training. … Just let me be.”
Without another remark, Cloud descended the stairs, outside of Tifa’s view.
“Why are you always so goddamn cold,” Tifa sighed under her breath. Turning and reentering her room, she slammed the door shut.
…
“.. and here we are with Ms. Princess, Ms. Sweetheart, Ms. The-cutest-love-in-your-life Yuffie Kisaragi. Ms. Kisaragi, thanks for taking the time to be here with us tonight.”
“Oh you know, John, its no biggie. I’ll do anything I can for one of my greatest fans. Say… do you have a copy of My Ninja Workout video yet?”
“Oh of Course Ms. Kisaragi, I actually have two. One for home and, of course, one for the studio here.”
“That’s great John, and just to let you know, I made a deal with the studio execs a few minutes ago, and they were ‘inspired’ to buy a copy of my video for all of your audience members.”
Lots cheers could be heard emanating from the screen
“Yes, er, well, thank you Ms. Kisaragi for your lovely proposition. But, if I may, could I ask you questions about you and your groups Journey to save the Planet? There’s just some things were dying to hear,.. and, and to know, that you haven’t or haven’t been able to cover in your book, ‘ A Ninja’s Memoirs.’ ”
“Oh well.. of course I’d love to answer some of your questions. Why else would I be here today”
A few mild-manner laughs could be heard under Yuffie’s exuberant and loud laughing. It was so loud her laugh came through partially as static.
“But of course, I can’t reveal everything, ‘ Smirked the pixilated Yuffie. “Some things I need to keep secret for my new book, ‘A Ninja’s Reprise.’ ”
“Well great then. Isn’t that great Audience?”
Another round of applause and cheers could be heard coming through the speakers.
“ Well.. the first question we all want to know is? What’s our Hero-of-the world, the great Cloud Strife been up to? He hasn’t been in the spotlight for many months now. I even heard that people rarely get to see him at Tifa Lockheart’s bar, ‘Seventh Heaven’ in Costal del Sol anymore..”
“Oh come on,” irritatedly responded Yuffie. “Look, if Spikey doesn’t want to be in the spotlight, then tough luck for him. Many of you might not know this, but Cloud is a social introvert. He’s inept at being sociable. He’s an idiot when it comes to him dealing with people on a personal level..”
“Ha ha haaaa…” Bellowed a large gruffly man sitting in front of the TV. Slapping his left hand across his knee, he said, “Damn she done hit it right on the spot.” He took another large swig from the slightly now warm bottle of wine.
“Personally, John, I’m offended that you don’t want to talk about me.”
“Oh well.. Miss Kisaragi, I don’t want to spoil anything you might be keeping for your second book.”
“Its ok. I’ll let you know if you cross any line or things that I can’t exactly speak about.”
“Yes, yes, of course, Miss Kisaragi. I do no want to endure your wrath.”
Once again, laughter seeped out from the invisible audience.
But… there is one other and very prevalent question I’d like to get to…”
…
Cloud descended down into the musky smelling bar. The tavern was a small yet well decorated place. A few empty and used glasses lay sprawled out over the bar top, and a slight stench of day old opened alcohol permeated the stagnant air.
The walls were adorned with letters and pictures from their travels to save the planet. People who they had met along the way, people who had influenced their journey, ahd also sent in letters to be hung up on the wall. When the bar first opened, many people came flocking from all over the world just to come sit and read the stories on the wall. People would make reservations weeks in advance just to make sure that they got to sit at “The Kalm Story” table, or the “Northern Crater Story” table, or even the most infamous table, the “Don Corneo Story” table. People would get a huge kick out of how differently Cloud retold the story compared to both Aeris and Tifa. Yet, one story, one true story was never displayed on the wall. It was simply left out…
The early morning sun began peaking its red rays through the pale glass windows of Seventh Heaven and falling open the story-filled wall. The red was blending, overlapping, and disappearing within the electronic flicking blue light that sporadically flashed upon the wall, emanating from the only still on TV on the opposing side of the Bar. A rather large man sat drunk and laughing in the easy chair in front of the screen, and a hearty laugh chuckled out of his throat.
“Barret?” Out loud pondered Cloud. “What are you doing here?”
A loud slammed door sound suddenly echoed through the downstairs tavern.
-I’ll make it up to her later- Cloud thought. He didn’t want to be bothered by the tension that was rising between the two lately.
“Hhuh,” grunted Barret, “ What the hell was that… Oh!.. Cloud,” Barret jovially responded as his eyes caught sight of his friend as he began to look around and investigate that damnably awful loud sound. “What’s up Spikey. You want a drink. I got just the shit you gotta try.” Barret began stumbling his way over to the bar top.
“It’s 5 in the morning, Barret.”
“It may be 5 in the morning to you, Spikey, but its 5 in the morning, at night, for me. Ha ha haaaaaa.” Another large swig ran its was down Barret’s neck. “See, last night, er, well, earlier tonight or whatever, um.. yeah, so .. last night I got this call from some Neo-Avalanchers ya hear. And well, see, they were in town. They just, like, saved some dolphins or some shit, and they were coming here to tell me, yes me, they’re hero that. And I was like ‘SHIT YEAH GUYS, Lets go drink to celebrate. I know just where. And then well.. you know.. we, well, we came here.” *burp*
Cloud just stared at his slightly swaying friend. – hmmpfh… well.. least he’s having a good time.
“Where are they now?” asked Cloud.
“Oh, you know..” muttered Barret, “Damn kids had to leave and all.. And just when I was starting to have a good time. Well.. you know.. I was about to pack the place up and all, and like,.. the TV was on. And they were running one of the specials, *burb* you know, about us and shit and all. And they said that at the end of the special they were going to top it off with a new Yuffie interview, and I was like, ‘Yeah, gotta support the little snot” and all…and so.. well.. here I am. It’s still on… wanna watch?”
Cloud peeked around his slightly stumbling friend to see on the television “John Gorshwind’s Late Night with the Stars” program. He was in the middle of questioning Yuffie.
“Hey,” interjected Barret, “You seem like you’re going somewhere. But, You don’t have your hair all pony-ed up.”
“ I don’t gel my hair up anymore,” Cloud said as wondered a little closer to the television, starring into the majestic screen. Flickering silver blue adorned and monochromed Cloud.
“Hehe.. Looks like some poor hair gel factory is going out of business.”
“Shh..” quickly breathed Cloud. “I wanna hear part of this.”
“Yes John, go ahead, what’s your question.”
“Well, It’s the question that’s on everyone’s mind. Where’s Aeris. Is she alive, is she dead? Is she in hiding? Nothing has been said about here whereabouts. She just simply stops showing up halfway through your guys’ journey. Please, could you shed some light onto the situation?”
A picture of Aeris, taken form the archives of old Shinra, flashed upon the screen. The audience became deadly silent. Cloud’s entire body became ill with intense worry and anxiety on what words Yuffie was going to say next.
“Aeris is very dear to us John. We don’t talk about her, well.. because.. there’s nothing to say. She wants to be simply left alone in the dark?”
“So the rumors about her being dead are not true?”
“ She just wants to be left alone, John. And, I think that’s how you, how the public, how we should leave it.”
“So, she wants to be left alone, just like Cloud.”
A few moments passed before Yuffie spoke any words. The deafening silence ran hand in hand with anticipation.
“She is like… they are just like each other,” Yuffie apologetically spoke as she looked into the camera.”
“I’m going out training,” Cloud coldly responded as he hastily turned away from the TV and headed towards the backdoor.
“But.. “ Barret began as he pointed at the television, “ what about the rest of her interview.
Another slammed door was the only response Barret got.
“I… I gotta go John. I’m done with this interview” Yuffie walked quickly and quietly off the television set. John and the Audience were stunned.
“Well.. there you have it folks. An apparent answer to the whereabouts of Aeris Gainsborough. But is it really? Again, the viewing audience is met with hesitation and hazy answers whenever Ms. Gainsborough is brought up. And, if you remember, Yuffie did not contradict the rumor that Aeris may be dead. Many questions still ne.”
“Stupid Fucking television,” Barret burped as he kicked the TV off. “Gotta find some way to put annoying news reporters on Avalanche’s “Save the World” campaign.” And with the last swig of his bottled wine, Barret stumbled his way out the front door.
…
A low, milky dense fog rolled in from the costal ocean waters and settled upon the town. The fog clouded the direct visible sight of everything. Even the light of sun became shrouded in the cloudy mist. Signs became skewed; building’s clear cut edges faded into the gray; passing people ghosted and shadowed.
Here, in this place, Cloud felt home. In this place, he felt like he could hide. In this place, all that was left was him, and his memories.
“Why..” he spoke to the grey. “Why do you keep entering into my thoughts? Waking, sleeping, it doesn’t matter. You’re always there.”
Cloud unsheathed the buster sword from the hilt on his back. He swung it violently and precisely through the air. He kept the blade so sharp that it cut tears into the fog so that, for a brief moment, light could enter the void space. He swung so quickly, his sword seemed to emanate flashes of light with each swing. And with each flash of light, a different memory of her surfaced into his conscious mind.
“Falling thru the Church” Flash
“The Ancients’ temple” Flash
“Our date” Flash
“Being captured by the Turks” Flash
“Watching her parent in the video” Flash
“Buying a flower, seeing her for the first time” Flash
“ watching her die in my arms” Flash.
“HrrraaaaaAAA!” yelled Cloud as he cruelly swung his blade through the air, losing his grip, and slicing halfway through the bar’s outside wall.
Looking once again upon the sword’s apparent destruction, distraught bled into his mind.
Raising his left hand up to his lowered head, he messaged his eye sockets, in hopes of keeping them from any developments of saltwater.
“Why…. Why must I always end my thoughts about you upon your death.”
No answers came.
“You’re everywhere. Every thing I see, everything I feel,… Somehow… you’re always there.
Yet… I want you to be there. I want you to be in my thoughts… I just.. Its just… I’m sorry…
I regret never saying this to you. I.. I don’t even know if it was right to say it then. Knowing me then, I don’t know even if I could.. but…
I love you Aeris….”
-Psssh- His mind battled with his heart. - You say you love a dead girl. You say you love a girl you killed. You hypocrite. Your words are hollow. You don’t deserve her-
“Shut up”
-Shut up. Shut up? You’re pathetic. You killed the woman you say you loved. She can’t, she will never forgive you for that-
“No.. she forgives me”
-laughable to say the least. You say you love her, yet you have never even been back to see her. You’re weak. You’re a child. You’re nothing.-
“What the hell do you know… We’re the same”
-I wish I wasn’t you-
Cloud continued to torment himself. He loved Aeris. He knew that. But, how could he even claim the right to love a woman he let die. He felt he had no right.
Aeris was someone who deserved more than his pitiful love.
And as the fog began to lift, Cloud stared to the north, wondering about his fallen Angel.
“Mr. Cwoud?” A young girl beseeched the air.
AS if waking out of a subliminal daze, Cloud shook his head, and looked upon the small girl standing near his feet.
“You are Cwoud wight?”
A small nod came from the much taller Ex-Soldier
“Good,” said the smiling and closed eyed little girl. “It was hard to tell becwause your hair is down? Why is your hair down?”
“It’s just early is all,” commented Cloud, a little pondered by the presence of such a young person.
“Oh I’m so so terribly sorry my daughter bothered you Mr. Strife,” A young mother came rushing in apologetically saying.
“No no.. its ok. If she can identify me without my hair up, well.. she deserves my attention,” Cloud lightly remarked while winking at the little girl. The little girl only happily and widely responded with a smile.
“Can you sign my picture Mr. Cwoud?” I’ve got almost aww your autogwaths.”
“Sure,” Cloud said as he knelt beside the little girl. “Who should I make it out to?”
“Sawa.”
“Sarah it is.”
Cloud happily signed Little Sarah’s picture. Normally, he shrouded away from autographs and celebrity spotlight. Yet, this little girl felt like a good descent distraction.
“Thankwou,” responded the little girl. “I very much apppwieciate it.”
“No problem.”
“Gweat. Now… I just need 2 more. He Mr. Cwoud, can you tell me where Aweis is?”
-Even a distraction isn’t enough-
“I can’t seem to find her. Is she weawwy dead?”
“Sarah!,” her mother scoldly responded. “It’s not nice to ask Mr. Strife such questions.”
With an outstretched arm, Cloud placed his right arm upon the little girl’s left shoulder.
“She’s fine. Aeris is fine. She’s just shy.”
“Ohh.. okay. Can you take this picture of her to her so she can sign it for me?”
“Sure.” Softly, Cloud removed the picture of Aeris from little Sarah’s hand.
“Gweat! I wive at 743 West Michigan, top sector 5, Midgar. Pwease send it to me when you get her autogwaph,” the little girl kindly responded.
With a slight nod of the head and a fake smile, Cloud rose and stood in front of the little girl, and said, “When I get it I’ll send it to you.”
“Thankwou so vewy much Mr. Cwoud! See you later!”
The little girl skipped away from his side, extremely happy with the prize that she just received.
-Hmprh….- thought Cloud. -Youthful optimism.-
And as he watched the young girl hug her mom and the two walk off into the distance, a moment of clarity embarked into his thoughts.
…
[ a leg kicking against a dust ridden bike. Scene cut]
[a close up of a set of rattling keys entering into the ignition and starting the bike. Scene cut]
[a leg kicking in the bike’s kickstand. A sound of the engine starting]
“Where are you going now,” responded a perplexed Tifa.
Standing outside the Seventh Heaven bar’s front, Tifa gazed onto the now bike-mounted Cloud. Her hands fixated about her waist, waiting for an answer.
“Ive gotten a report about some monster sightings to the west. It’s a mercenary job. I’m going to check it out.”
Lying came so easy to him. He pulsated his eyes, looking back and forth between his fists on the handlebars, trying to look innocent.
“Well,.. where at ?”
“Just to the west.. it’s nothing of concern.” Cloud tapped his knuckle against the odometer, keeping an aura of disinterest in the surrounding scene.
“I’ll be back in a few days.”
With a small smirk and an upward diagonal transition of the eyes, Tifa realized there was no reasoning or truth begetting with him. With a wave of the hand and the turning of her body, she spoke, “Fine.. whatever… see you when you get back.”
“Tifa,…” Cloud began.
His visage motioned itself towards her direction. One leg rested upon the ground.
Turning around to once again face him, hands still placed upon the waist.. vexingly waiting for his pathetic answer.
“I love you Tifa…”
Tears cracked her stoic stare, shook her foundation.
And with no final words, Cloud revved his motorcycle, and sped off into the distance.
With a sigh a relief, Tifa thought – I know you do.. just wish you’d show it sometime.-
With bar towel in hand, she threw it over her left shoulder and reentered the bar.. getting ready for the day’s patrons.
…
Cloud sped along the dirt-trodden roads leading out of Coastal del Sol. Despite the world’s insurgence of technology, road construction had been limited to any city-structure within the immediate connection towards Midgar. The rest of the world, economically feasible or not, had been left to its own devices.
It didn’t really matter though, Cloud thought. Most of the rest of the world was just as it was regardless of Shinra’s, Sephiroth’s, or Avalanche’s influence. The world was a big place, and despite Midgar’s advancements, it was illogical to thing Midgar’s technology could spread so quickly. Not like therr was any sharing of technology between Midgar and its opposing world power, Wutai. Only six years had passed between two major world crises. People didn’t get along before Sephiroth, and people still don’t want to. For a world so diverse in culture and spiritual beliefs, Cloud doubted whether the people of this planet would ever come under one régime,.. whatever that régime would be.
-No- he thought. –The world needs to hold separate beliefs. The Cetra’s, Shinra’s, Wutai’s, no belief needs to be certain.
Cloud sped along the dirt ridden road across the continent.
…
Reaching upon the town’s outskirts, Cloud settled upon a recently formed graveyard. It wasn’t massive to say the least, but it was relatively new, tragic, and sizeable for the town that sadly held its ownership. Many people Cloud once knew rested here beneath the land’s depths. It was a graveyard constructed a little over five years ago. It was Neiblelhiem’s.
The land begged for Cloud’s answer. It transfused into him. Cloud became a memory of what once was.
[ A small valley overstretched Cloud’s eyesight. Hundreds of graves filled Cloud’s vision as he looks upon the sunken valley’s view.]
The town re-imagined itself within his head, and without his consent. Not like his lifestream occurrence, but much more real than a memory, and daunting. His mind forced him to watch: slideshows of images of friends, town, family. An instant shot of the store clerk, a memory of Cloud’s when he was little, helping him pick out some fruit to carry home; a memory quickly replaced by the horrific image of a corpse, sliced into three parts, spread violently across a burning grocery store. Blood on stained windows, gelatinizing from the heat.
Many more such moments occurred.
Like hearing to sight, the spectrum of emotions coalesced with the images, all tip-toeing in the back of his mind, spiking and prodding their feelings into the memory’s appropriate address.
Yet two emotions, melded into a mixture of one, flooded the ether of his mind. Its reach covered every memory, found its way into the cracks of any thought left unscathed by feeling, and nearly overwhelmed the presence of any other emotion: Guilt, and Anger.
This was the storm raging in his mind as he descended into the graveyard.
The bike’s growl quieted to silence.
…
[Camera lays on the ground. Half the screen is taken up by a gravestone, with no etched markings adorning it save for an indiscriminate name. A lump of crabgrass rests upon its edge, growing steadily upon the stone, being held up by it. Wind casually blowing the blades around. On the other half of the screen, several headstones can be seen in the distance, with focus loosing precision the father away. After a few seconds off still peace, Cloud enters into view in the distance.]
The weather reported that it would be rainy in Neibelheim today. So, with a long tan colored, loosely fitting trench coat and muffled hair, Cloud was completely unrecognizable from his famous image. He was just a man, a tiresome man, walking between the dead.
-Somewhere it’s here- the thought gently passed into his mind. His piercing mako filled eyes checked each etched corpse’s name upon the tombstone. Each name gathered haunting memories from his unconsciousness. Memories that had only begun to surface since he had found himself. Memories of His destruction.
Cloud shrugged off the violent disturbing thoughts. He shed no pain for the dead. He knew he should have been one of them.
This platonic service of checking graves went unrelentless and unmoving, till her grave, till her name, saved him from the rhythmic trance.
Standing toe-to-toe with the tombstone, Cloud’s gaze slowly descended from the etched marble to the newly formed earthen grass below. The wind breezed up, spattering strands of his hair across his eyesight, blowing his earthen trench coat in pursuit.
The name brought forth an immaculate amount of memories. It combated every thought, and overwhelmed every fiber of his being. For a moment, it even pushed Aeris’s death thought away.
[ Engraving: Terra Strife]
“Hello mother.”
…
Cloud sat down upon the soft earthen grass, his back leaning against the side of his mother’s headstone. His arms rested crossed across his elevated knees. Somehow, even though it was stone, it felt comforting. He felt embraced and warm here. He felt like he was fourteen again, and in his mother’s presence.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been back sooner,” Cloud muttered into the listening breeze.
“With the journey I was on, and its aftermath,… I never found the time. Maybe… maybe I never found the need. I’m sorry for that.
I just… well…” finding it strange to say such words, “I need your help.”
Several silent moments followed. Cloud stared into nothingness. Still captivated by the movie of memories. Wondering if he had the right to ask her for this.
“I know it’s selfish of me… I know. It’s just… I’m not sure who to turn to for these answers…”
A sigh escaped from his lips, his lowered head and closed eyes opened the hatch for his mind to be able to truly speak his thoughts.
“I’m in love with a girl I can never be with. I’m in love with a girl I let die…” A moment passed,” And I care for a girl whose in love with me,… a girl whom I used to love when I was young, a girl that i know i can love.
“I know I can have a future with Tifa,… but I can’t escape my sin with Aeris. I can’t escape her memory.” One arm unfolded itself, its fingers began messaging the small bump between his eye sockets and nose.
“I’m expected to be some hero, mom. And yet…. I don’t feel anywhere like that type of person. I’m just… I’m just some kid. I’m missing five years of my life…. I never got to grow up.”
A hiccupped sniffle perturbed his composure.
“Damn it… why can’t I let this go.”
No answers came.
“I know that I should let her go… but my memory won’t let her pass.
…
Is it love that won’t let her memory go… or is it guilt…”
An hour passed. He sat silent. Sleep began encroaching upon the outer reaches of his vision.
His nodding head weighed heavy. The single, unrelentless trip from Costal Del Sol to Neibelheim began taking its toll. The wind brought warm delight to his huddled temperate mass… his mind tired of his movie. The calmness and comfortness of his mother’s grave blanketed him from the surroundings. Sleep crept along the outer reaches of his skin.
“hmrph…” a grunting thought emerged quietly from his lips. “Fine….”
Perching his head back against the marble stone, Cloud rested and relaxed his body. Sleep devoured him.
There Cloud slept… amongst the dead.
…
-Visit her…-
“Mmm….” A stirred voice chord awoke
-Visit her…-
Impulses jumpstarted the nerves. Reflexes thrice splintered into the eyes, the chest, the hand. Simultaneously: a small quick in breath; eyelids shotgunned opened; a right hand reached to the back of the neck for a ghost hilt.
The body calmed as Cloud caught up and took control. -Voices again.-
-Visit her…-
Cloud bouldered himself. He sat unmoving, unthinking, blending in with the tombstones surrounding him.
-Visit her… like you visited me.- This strange thought infiltrated his mind.
“Visit her..” Cloud stared back into the depth-ness of his soul. “What good will that do. I’m the living testament to her death.”
The same intruding thought persisted in his mind.
“If I visited her..” Cloud’s eyes searched for an answer outside of his being… “If I visit her… then.. then.. I’ll have to admit that I let her die.”
-Visit her-
Cloud dwelled in silence upon this one recurring thought. Several minutes passed without motion. The voice had left him.
-Maybe… - he thought, -Maybe….-
With uncertain conviction, Cloud reached into his left trench coat’s pocket, and emerged with his PHS.
…
“Son of a bitch.. it’s in the middle of the fucking night!” grunted a groggy smoker… “Yeah, yeah.. I know I said, ‘call me whenever’… but I didn’t mean when my ass was sleeping. Normal sane people have to work in the morning.”
Cid’s profane antics always brought a smile to Cloud, though he never would show it in person.
“I need you to power up the airship, Cid,” responded a calm Cloud. “And gather up the group that’s living on the eastern continent..”
“This better be worth the paycheck I’m loosing in time loss Blondie.. your shit antics ain’t worth cash you know.”
“We’re heading to the City of the Ancient in two days. I want you to have everything ready on the eastern front.”
With as solemn of an atmosphere Cid could muster, he responded moments later, “ Right, friend… I’ll do what’s needed over here.” A moment passed,… “You want me to pick up the dog on my way over.”
“Yeah… that’s a good idea… I’ll see you in two days on the outskirts of Costal del Sol.”
“Right..” an inhale of smoke could be head emanating from the phone’s speaker.. “I’ll make sure Mr. Money gets his presidential ass.. er.. behind in gear… see ya in two days.”
Without a goodbye, Cloud folded up his PHS, and stood up from his mother’s grave.
…
On the way back to his motorcycle, Cloud noticed a final eulogy being given on a newly fresh dug grave. He passed on the outskirts of the small ensemble surrounding the gravesite. Darken clouds began moving in over the horizon. The light began dwindling.
“Though in recent years,” the priest vocalized, “our brother Luis had resorted to a life of misdeeds, he still holds a cherished memory within our hearts... Let the peace he could not find in life present itself in the lifestream. May the spirits of the planet allow him to find his way in the afterlife, and let the deranged beast who sucked out of the life from him meet his fitting end.”
An open casket held the stillness of a void corpse, an unfortunate being who laid colorless and peaceful within the box’s depths. Cloud only caught a small glimpse of the lifeless man, before his casket was close shut for eternity.
Straying his eyes away from death, Cloud relentlessly looked uninvolved in his surroundings, and continued past the grieving.
[Camera cuts to in front of the grieving crowd, all with their backs facing Cloud. He walks on by them. The camera sidesteps to a heavily covered man, standing near the casket. He is almost completely covered in a brown cloak. Only visible are his devilish red eyes, staring slightly skewed from the front, starring back at Cloud’s passing. The man begins to tread off in the distance away from Cloud.]
Mounting his darkly metallic bike, Cloud sped off into the distance towards Costal del Sol. It began to rain.
…
“Serenity…” Cloud began.
“I want to give this gift to you all. I want to put your mind’s at ease… about The Planet, about Sephiroth,.. about me. I’m going to save The Planet. And put your faith in me. I can do this.”
Cloud read slowly from the neatly folded letter. Elymra had been so careful with her daughter’s letter, she considered it precious. Cloud was not far from her feelings, but undetermanint whether he considered it more or less. He detached himself from his feelings as much as he could at the moment. Aeris’ eulogy needed a proper reading.
Dusk began settling in on the eastern wall of the cave entrance to the watery grave. The deep yellowish light bounced off small imperfections and reflectous crystals embedded into the rock and petrified ashen trees. The light scattered into an infinite amount of directions inside the hollowed area. It bathed the inside walls, the house, the surface of the lake, and the greavers. Reflected, yet surprising warm and welcoming in the cold north. The light emberred and glowed. To the unknowledged eye, the cave was immersed in hundreds of small adoring candles. Even the light seemed to show its respect for her.
“Its my job as the Last of the Ancients. I know how to make everything right. But.. I don’t know if I’ll be coming back. I know our habits or writing down our happenings on this journey So.. in case this is my last, I just wanted to say a few little things to each of you.
The eight of them stood near the entrance to the cavern. Cloud has his back to the lakebed, and he was professing Aeris’ final letter to the gathered. The eight of them, dressed in their finest attire: The four men dressed in solemn black coats and ties, each dressed similarly. The two women dressed in solemn short tailed dresses. Tifa’s was short sleeved and proper. Yuffie’s, unfortunately, was a little bit scantily for this particular situation. Nanaki had even gotten his coat brushed and shined. And, for this moment’s reprise, Cloud wore his old hairstyle again.
“To Barret,”
The larger man shifted and straitened his position. His arms folded behind his back, his head slightly tiled upwards. He blinked quickly and erratically.
“You are a good and wonderful man. None of us would be on this Journey today if it wasn’t for you. You have lead Avalanche to righteous cause. You are helping to save the planet. I know my ancestors would have been proud of you, just like I am. From the little I’ve seen, you have done wonders raising Marlene. You are a good father, and I’m proud to call you my friend.”
Barret closed his eyes, his eyelids desperately tried doubling for dams.. but they broke.
“To Tifa,”
Tifa’s walled eyes had been cracked since the moment she set forth inside this place. Hearing Aeris’ words through Cloud’s mouth only further brought to mind of the love triangle between the three. At that moment, she felt guilty for loving Cloud, for wanting him by her side.
“You are a passionate and strong woman. Your convictions to join Avalanche and save the planet just for the good of the planet is the most noble and courageous thing I have ever heard. You would have been a great Cetra. You give me confidence that someone like me can do the same. You are my idol of courage in this task I have before me. Thankyou.”
“To the man controlling Caitsith”
Reeve felt a little betrayed the she didn’t know or remember his name. But what really could he expect.
“I hope someone has properly berated you in person for spying on us.”
Small glances traded view between Reeve and Barret.
“But regardless of your transgressions, you have been a valuable member of our team. Umm.. I guess I’ll never forget your selfless “Selfless” sacrifice at the Temple of the Ancients. But.. truly I’ll never forget the fortune you gave me there. It brought a lot of warmth to my heart.”
“To Vincent.. Mmm.” Cloud had become so entranced with the reading of the letter, he began to read the part he meant to leave out. As he looked up from the pages to stare at his comrades, all their faces had attuned themselves to his words, and were desperately waiting to hear what the flower girl had to say about the devil.
Sighing inside his mind, Cloud continued on.
“To Vincent… I know you struggle deeply inside with your own inner demons whether you want to admit it or not. You think you are an evil man.. a man who must continually pay and repent for some past sin. Please.. hear me. You are not an evil demon… the struggle that you continue everyday is what makes you human. Everyone of us struggle with our own personal, inside evil, yet you do it much greater than the rest of us. Truly, you know what it means to be more human than any of us. Because you’ve vowed to make up for your past, because you help us on our journey, because you struggle, that is what makes you a good man..”
Still red eyes stared vacantly across the upstairs of the vacant dormitory. The back of their cranium leaning against the windowed wall that faced the lakeside. Their body kept inside the increasingly shadowed darkness. The mind moved, but the body did not.
“To Yuffie,”
The young girl began snuffling several passages earlier…
“You are wise beyond your years, and let no one tell you differently. To go in and search the world for a way to help your home village is a very honorable task. Though you may not have always gone about doing so in completely honest ways, your heart was in the right place. You are youth that I admire. Though you are growing into a young woman, don’t ever forget that you are the youthful great spirit that ties all our bonds together.”
“To Cid, I only got to spend a very short amount of time with you, but, for how much.. and how colorfully you talked, I felt like we were old friends.”
A nod, a wink, and a smirk came from the roughly thirty year old’s visage. With raised eyebrows, he glanced over the rest of the group. When meeting his eyes with Barret, Cid pointed to his chest with his thumb, and mouthed airlessly, “That’s me”
“When I first met you, you seemed like the roughest and gruffest man I had ever seen. But, the more I got to know you, the more time I spent with you, I realized you were far from the sort. Out of everyone I know here, now, in the group, you are truly the kindest, most heartfelt one of us all. I know that you would drop anything at a hat, even your dreams, to simply help one of us out. Your are truly the embodiment of friendship, and I know I could trust you with my life.”
His smirk dumbed down and grew into a smile, his nod into a bowed head, his wink into closed eyes.
“To Red XIII,”
His tail began wagging, even though he consciously tried not to.
“Thank you for saving me inside the experimental room inside Shinra’s headquarters. I’m so terribly sorry that I mistook you for a beast. You are a gentle, compassionate soul, and truly, the smartest sentient being I know. Please continue your studies with your grandfather, I can tell you have the gift to hear the voice of the Planet. Truly, you are as close another Ancient that I know. And, if things come to worse, I look forward to hearing your voice thru The Planet. Oh, and by the way.. I’ve always liked your true name.. Nanaki. I know I’ve mentioned this to you before, and I think you should use it.”
With those final words, Nanaki lowered himself off of all fours, and laid with his belly on the ground, with his chin resting just a little forward form that. His eyes continued to stare back up at Cloud.
“And to Cloud…” He hesitated for a moment.. “well.. to my Bodyguard… I guess your service is up now.. either way.. I won’t be needing a bodyguard anymore, though I still owe you your mercenary payment. Well, I guess its somewhat even, we did go on that date. And you did ruin those poor people’s play. But, I’ll never be able to pay you back in full all that I truly owe you. Though, I know you like to seem cold… you hold all the same emotions as the rest of us. Yet, despite your self inflicted handicap, you are strong, courageous, friendly, helpful, kind, and above all else, compassionate. You are the heart of our team, you are our leader, our confidant, our friend. And, if this doesn’t work out right, you are the only other person I trust in this world that can complete my mission. You must be my second, and follow in my footsteps.. and I trust that you will. I got to know you, and I have faith in you.
“I love you… all.”
A few moments of solemn adoration passed.
“Well.. I guess this is a goodbye letter… so
GOODBYE
Love, your friend, Aeris.”
Cloud began to fold the letter back up into its proper creases. The rest of the gang, save for the hidden one, moved forward, and from the pockets in their clothing, each emerged with a small petal filled flower for their flower girl.
Cloud stood by the lakeside, and watched each of them gently place their flower onto the surface of the water. Tifa went last.
“You comin,” a swollen eyed Tifa said as she caressed Cloud’s arm right after she placed her flower.
“Yeah… I’ll be there in a minute. I’d like.. just a few moments of alone time. My way of final respects you know.”
“Of course..” Tifa slowly responded. With the final clicking sound of her heals, all noise vanished from the cavern as the rest of the group left outside.
Cloud was left with his breathing, and about ready to break state.
[Aeris’ theme starts playing]
“I didn’t read the rest of you letter aloud… you know.. the part you wrote specifically for me.
“I coul.. hrmph..
umm.. well…
it… it meant a lot to me. I had always wondered why you ran off without me. I had always.. hmrph.. I had always wondered how you felt.
“You should have waited for me… We should have gone together…””
Tears began forming on the innard sockets of his eyes.
I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.. but.. I’m I’m ..” A sigh escaped from his lungs. Cloud looked up and around the cavern indiscriminately. His eyes surrounded rashed with swelling blood. A small glint of desperation and relief poured out. “I’m glad you don’t blame me.”
A sniffle soon followed
A grunt for controlled composure
His eyes wondered for the first time today to look upon her laying at the bottom of the lake. He waded slightly in to the waters, standing waist deep… rippling the surface.
“Since you’ve died, I’ve been able to recover my emotional side.. hmm.. it had truly been awhile since I had really felt anything.
“But.. with you.. always whenever you were around.. I felt something. Joy, elation, something.. but I felt it…. You made me happy.
“Love…” a sigh, “ I didn’t know for sure. I had always wondered if it was. I thought I was incapable of feeling that. I thought,… maybe, it was just my mind playing tricks on me once again. Screwing me.
The rippling water had yet to settle.. it still lay disturbed, shaking.
“But your letter… we never.. truly got to say this.. but… the letter did. It said you loved me.”
Cloud’s left hand raised to harshly remove any water from his face.
“So now I know.. now.. I know.. it really was love between us. You’re not haunting me.. your memories aren’t disturbing me.. It’s love remembering you. …
[Aeris’ theme fades out.. silence is replaced.]
A long moment passed. The water stands still.
“I’ll cherish them.”
“Cloud,” a soft voice spoke.
[Camera is placed from the cave entrance looking in. One can see the house, and a half emerged Cloud in the water.]
[Camera switches to a 180 degree cut. Red XIII stands waiting for Cloud’s response.]
“You comin.. Cid’s got the ship all powered up.”
“Yeah Red.. coming right now”
[Screen cuts to Cloud’s waist level inside the lake.. only visible is his right side torso. As he begins to move, the water starts rippling again, slowly but picks up momentum. The chiming bell toll heard inside The Shinra Mansion begins playing]
[Screen cuts to Cloud moving out of the water. The camera is in front of Cloud, looking into the cavern. It is watching Cloud emerge... the water is continuing to ripple violently, but silently.. it’s completely distorting Cloud’s reflection in the water. After the image has completely distorted.. the water begins settling.]
[Screen Cuts to behind Cloud.. as if it were placed in the middle of the lake.. looking out the cave entrance. Light is emitting from the entrance. The angle allows for both Cloud to be seen.. and his reflection in the water moving out of the cave. It’s a mirrored reflection.
The water settles. The ripples stop. Instead of Cloud’s reflection moving out of the cave, It’s Sephiroth. The music picks up with the sound heard while Neibelheim is burning. They walk out.. mirrored, in unison.]
[Screen Cuts to black]
[End episode 3]