#clerithcontest

Chapter 3: Aerith’s Church

The white and yellow lilies in Aerith’s church were blooming as beautifully as when she herself was caring for them. Sunlight gleamed through the stain glass windows with a subtle radiance that was peaceful and welcoming to the two visitors.  

“Is this where Cloud lives now?” Marlene asked after finding a few of Cloud’s things.

“It seems so,” Tifa answered.

Marlene pointed to a bandage covered with the ooze of Geostigma. “Is Cloud sick? Those look like the bandages Denzel wears. Is that why he left?”

“I don’t know, Marlene,” Tifa answered her. “Maybe we should leave.”

“We can’t leave! Cloud’s not here yet!” Marlene objected.

“I know. But I think Cloud wants to fight alone.”

The door to the Church opened. Tifa and Marlene looked up hopefully, expecting to see Cloud walk in. But instead, they saw a large man with spiky grey hair appear, a menacing smile on his face.  

“Where’s Mother?” the man asked.

“Who are you?” Tifa asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes while guarding Marlene.

“I’m Loz. Where’s Mother?” the man asked again.

“No one’s here besides us,” Tifa replied firmly.

“Fine. Then let’s play.”

Loz flew upward and kicked out at Tifa, while she ducked down and yelled at Marlene to run, then kicked the man in his ribs. He fell sideways but leapt back up and lunged at Tifa who pummeled her fists into him hard, driving him into the wall. She leapt up and ricocheted off the wall, shoving the man headlong into Church pews. He stumbled back up and cocked the weapon on his arm, then charged at Tifa while electrical charges pulsed from his weapon into her face. Tifa was knocked down and stunned, so the man hovered over her ready to make another attack with his weapon when a ball of materia hit him in the head.  

Loz looked up to see Marlene standing next to a box of materia. He stood up, leaving Tifa passed out on the floor and headed toward Marlene. He took the box of materia in one hand and grabbed Marlene in the other, then headed for the door. As Loz left the Church, Marlene could be heard struggling to get free and repeatedly calling out for Cloud.

  Some time later, Cloud finally returned to the Church and saw Tifa collapsed on the floor, still unconscious. Shocked, Cloud ran over and knelt down beside her, calling her name.

Tifa raised her head slowly and said, “You’re late.”

“Who did this to you?!?” Cloud asked angrily.

“Loz. He said his name was Loz,” Tifa murmured, barely awake. Then her eyes widened and she rasped. “Marlene! He took Marlene!” It was all she could manage before passing out again.

Cloud started to reach out to her, then clutched his arm in pain from another Geostigma attack. After he had passed out on the floor near Tifa, a few drops of water fell on them both from the ceiling as the shadow of a wolf passed nearby.

Chapter 4: Seventh Heaven

“You’re such a case,” said Reno.

“And you’re heavy,” Rude added.

Cloud opened his eyes to see Rude and Reno standing by the open door of Denzel and Marlene’s bedroom. When he sat up, he could see that Tifa was still unconscious, lying in the room’s other twin bed. Rude went on speaking as Cloud brushed his hair out of eyes.

“We found you two unconscious in the Church, so we hauled you back here. Weren’t there two kids living here, too? If so, they’re nowhere to be found.”

Tifa seemed to hear Rude, opening her eyes and then leaning up on one elbow. “Has anyone looked for the kids?”

Reno said, “We looked around, but we only found a witness who said that Kadaj’s gang took a truck full of about twenty kids out of town. Good chance that’s where they are. Since Kadaj’s base is in the Forgotten City, they’re most likely headed there.”

Cloud looked down at the floor and sighed. Agonizing memories of the Forgotten City would forever be haunting him.

Reno smirked. “Don’t you even care?” When Cloud didn’t respond, Reno simply shook his head and muttered “unbelievable” as he walked out the door. Rude followed him.

Tifa waited a moment, then said, “You have Geostigma, don’t you?”

Cloud hesitated before saying, “I’m not fit to help anyone. Not my family, not my friends. Nobody.”

“So you’re just going to give up? Is that it?”

“There’s no cure,” Cloud said quietly.

“Dilly-Dally Shilly-Shally. I don’t see that stopping Denzel,” Tifa said.

Cloud was startled and looked up quickly at Tifa, thinking how familiar those words were. It was just like something Aerith would say to him. Could it be a sign?

Without saying another word, Cloud got up quickly and left the room. Although he dreaded the ride to the Forgotten City, he felt in his heart that Aerith may be there waiting for him. It was certainly worth the chance.  

He left on Fenrir shortly afterwards, headed for the Forgotten City. Tifa watched him leave while thinking to herself,  “I wonder if he’s doing this for a memory, or for us?”

Chapter 5: The Forgotten City

Not knowing what to expect, Cloud sped his motorcycle down a narrow dirt trail that eventually led through the Sleeping Forest to the Forgotten City. He knew the trail well, but the journey haunted him with painful memories and regrets. He tried to focus on saving the children, but the specter of following Aerith along this same path as she made her final journey to the Forgotten City never left his mind.

Suddenly he was enveloped by a white translucent light and found himself standing in the midst of a flower field. He sensed a familiar presence behind him and then heard her unmistakable, melodious voice speaking gently and playfully to him. He wanted so much to turn around and see her, but somehow he felt unworthy to face her again. After all, he had let her die.

Her words to him were simple, yet magical.  

“You came. Even though you’re about to break. That’s a good sign.”

Aerith gently touched Cloud’s trembling arm with her hand, and he immediately sensed a tranquil healing and peacefulness radiate through his body, as if the aching burden of misery and shame that he had known for too long was finally starting to lift from his shoulders.  

“So, why did you come?” Aerith asked.

Cloud fumbled for the right words. “I think … I wanna be forgiven, more than anything.”

“Oh? By who?”

Cloud thought he heard Aerith giggle and tried to turn around, only to find himself back on Fenrir racing through the Sleeping Forest. Then he clearly heard her voice again, whispering in his ear:

“I never blamed you, Cloud. Not once. You came for me. That’s all that matters”

At that moment, Cloud caught sight of Loz and Yazoo firing at him through the trees. Kadaj gathered the children and had them stand on the road, blocking Cloud’s way. He had no choice but to swerve the bike to avoid hitting the children, so Fenrir crashed to the ground leaving Cloud in the dirt.  

Kadaj smirked and said, “I’m glad you could make it.”

“I only came for the children,“ Cloud stated bluntly.

Kadaj turned to the children, “See this man? He is our brother. But in our happy flock, he is what you call a black sheep. He causes us SO much trouble.” With that, Kadaj raised his weapon to kill Cloud.

“CLOUD!!” Marlene shouted loudly.

The distraction gave Cloud time to draw his sword and repel Kadaj’s attack. Then Cloud took on all three remnants at the same time, jumping from branch to branch in the trees, casting spells, attacking with his sword, dodging gunshots, and using limit breaks. Cloud held his own against Loz and Yazoo but had more trouble fighting Kadaj. There was a sudden swirl of dark red cloak amongst the trees and Cloud was swept away by Vincent.

Chapter 6: Forgiving

Vincent took Cloud to a different part of the forest away from the remnants and children. Vincent sat down under a tree and Cloud did the same.  

Cloud sighed and said, “See? I knew I’d be no help.”

Once again, Cloud heard Aerith whispering in his ear.   ‘Isn’t it time you did the forgiving, Cloud?”

“Wha?” said Cloud, bewildered by her words to him. Forgiveness had to come from her, not from himself. Aerith was the only one having the right to forgive him.

Vincent looked intently at Cloud for a moment, then said, “She speaks to you, doesn’t she?” Vincent then simply nodded his head and said, “It makes sense that a Cetra spirit who can commune with the Lifestream would be able to speak with someone having an extraordinary amount of Lifestream in their bodies.”  

Vincent said no more about it. Instead, he provided information about Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo maintaining a base near the shell house and the lake where Cloud had laid Aerith to rest in the midst of the Sleeping Forest. He also went on to explain that Geostigma was caused when a person’s body got infected with Jenova cells and the body tried to heal itself.  

Next, Vincent described how Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz had poured Geostigma ooze into the lake and then told the children to drink from the lake – all of them did so except for Marlene, who refused to do it. But those children who drank from it now seemed brainwashed and took orders from Kadaj.  

Cloud remembered the children blocking his way on the road. “So that’s how he got the kids to do that.” Cloud shook his head, then asked, “Where did Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo come from?  

“I don’t want to know,“ answered Vincent. “But they are searching for Jenova’s remains. Elena and Tseng found Jenova’s head in the Northern Crater. Kadaj’s gang tortured them to find out where they put it.”

“As I thought…” Cloud muttered. “When Kadaj asked me about ‘Mother’, he was talking about Jenova.” Cloud sighed and then he heard a rustling in the bushes. He jumped up and drew his sword, only to see that it was Marlene.

“Cloud!” She shouted. “Denzel and Tifa!”

“Tifa’s alright, and she’s at the Seventh Heaven,” Cloud answered.

“I want to call her,” Marlene demanded. Cloud checked for his phone, but couldn’t find it. Marlene turned to Vincent and asked if she could use his phone. When Vincent said he didn’t have one, Marlene sighed and shook her head. “How can you not have a phone?” she muttered, then turned back to Cloud.

“And what about Denzel?” Marlene asked impatiently, folding her arms across her chest.

Once again, Cloud heard Aerith whispering in his ear. “Don’t worry about the children, Cloud. I’ll take care of them. But the most important thing right now is that I want you to forgive yourself.”

Cloud hesitated for a long moment before thinking to her,   “But Aerith…. I let you die.”

Aerith whispered to him again,  “Dilly-Dally Shilly-Shally. My death wasn’t your fault. It was Sephiroth’s.”

“Cloud, I’ve been with you ever since the day you freed me from Sephiroth’s control in the Northern Crater – the day I reached out to you. But you never even knew it, all because you keep blaming yourself.”  

“So please forgive yourself, Cloud… do it for me.”

Her words were interrupted by Marlene. “Cloud?” she insisted. “What about Denzel?”

“Kadaj will bring Denzel and the other kids back to Edge very soon. Then we’ll have more help to free them.”

Marlene nodded. “Okay, Cloud. You’re probably right.”

Cloud looked at Vincent and abruptly asked, "Are sins ever forgiven, Vincent?”

Vincent: “I’ve never tried.”

Cloud answered: “Well, I am gonna try. I’ll let you know what happens.”

“Come on, Marlene. Let’s go back to Edge.” Cloud took Marlene’s hand and started walking back through the trees. Marlene smiled.

For the first time as they were walking back, Cloud considered forgiving himself… but it was only because she had asked him to.

Chapter 7: Transcendence

Cloud expected to confront Kadaj’s gang soon after returning to Edge, so he dropped Marlene off at the Seventh Heaven for her own safety.  

“Tifa may be out looking for Denzel, “ Marlene said.

“Yeah. If I see her, I’ll tell her I brought you back here. I plan to fight Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo as soon as I find them, so I think it’s best if you stay here,“ said Cloud.

“I know you can do it, Cloud,“ Marlene told him. “Do you think Aerith will heal you and Denzel?”

Startled, Cloud stared at Marlene. “What made you say that?”

Marlene smiled at Cloud and said, “Oh quit with the dilly-dallying already.” Then she winked.

For the first time in many years, Cloud found himself laughing with relief as well as happiness. It couldn’t be anything but another sign from Aerith. He should have remembered that the Cetra had always been close to children. Smiling, he gave a brisk salute to Marlene and said, “Yessir.” Then with a roar, Cloud sped off on his motorcycle.  

While Marlene watched him leave, she whispered, “Take care of him, Aerith….” As if in answer, Marlene saw a faint tendril of Lifestream dance briefly in the air before her eyes.

  Cloud headed toward the City Plaza in Edge where the monument had been built, thinking it likely that Kadaj’s gang would show up there. On his way, Cloud suddenly felt a light and airy touch surround him, almost like a soft embrace, and then he heard her voice again: “I’m always with you Cloud, so let’s do this together.” With that, a sudden surge of strength and energy started to course through Cloud’s body and heart as his recent self-doubt and lack of confidence started to melt away. He was suddenly sure that he could fight and make a difference. Once again, he felt like a SOLDIER.

When Cloud arrived at the monument, Yazoo and Loz were putting chains around it while planning to pull it down. The children were standing around the perimeter of the monument, and a crowd of outraged citizens had gathered. Angry voices could be heard shouting: “Give us back our children!” “Whatdye think you’re doing?!” “You have no right to do that!”  “Give me back my baby!!”:

Cloud saw Rude and Reno in the crowd, so he walked over to them. “What’s going on?” Cloud asked.

Reno snapped at Cloud, “Don’t come sniveling to me, cry boy“ and then turned away.

Cloud arched an eyebrow and looked at Rude, who spoke to Cloud in a low voice. He said that Rufus had just called saying that Kadaj intended to bring back Sephiroth, that Yazoo and Loz thought Jenova’s head was buried under the monument so they wanted to tear it down, and that Kadaj’s gang had somehow brainwashed the children.

In the midst of the shouts of anger from the crowd, Yazoo suddenly raised his right arm straight into the sky and two Shadow Creepers appeared. The crowd was quickly dispersed as terrified people ran away from the monsters. Cloud stepped forward drawing his sword to confront them, when Kadaj suddenly appeared.  

“Let’s put an end to all this,” he said. Drawing a ball of materia from his arm, he summoned Bahamut-Sin.

Chapter 8: Bahamut-Sin

Bahamut-Sin let out a massive blast and shockwave that destroyed the monument and sent rubble flying. Tifa was knocked unconscious by the blast and Denzel was shaken out of his trance. When Denzel saw Tifa unconscious, he turned and attacked Bahamut-Sin with his bare fists. Barret suddenly appeared and started shooting at the monster with his gun arm, and then a flying shiruken hit Bahamut in the face. While Barret’s gun arm was reloading, he shouted at Denzel, “Go help Tifa. I’ll take care of Bahamut.”

“Who’s been messing with my materia?” Yuffie shouted as she appeared, then let her shiruken fly at Bahamut again.

“Who do ye think? The bad guys….” Barret aimed another barrage of gunfire at Bahamut when Cid appeared. Four more Shadow Creepers had attacked out of nowhere, but Cid quickly got rid of them with his spear.

Just then, Tifa started to regain consciousness and Denzel helped her to her feet. When she saw Bahamut, she pulled Denzel behind her and took on a defensive stance. At that moment, Nanaki took a flying leap at Bahamut’s head with Cait Sith riding on his back. Vincent also appeared and asked Denzel where he could buy a phone.  

Denzel turned to Tifa and asked, “Who are these people?”

Tifa smiled, “They’re our friends.”

Not long afterwards, Cloud suddenly arrived on his motorcycle. “Bout time you showed up,” Yuffie yelled at him as she let her weapon fly at Bahamut again.

Cloud turned to Tifa and Denzel: “Marlene is safe. I took her home.”

“I’ll go to her, then,” Denzel said and started to run off. But then he stopped, turned around, and said to Cloud, “You’ll be back, won’t you?”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah, I will.”

Denzel smiled and then ran off.

Yuffie, Barret, Nanaki, Cait Sith, Vincent, and Cid were still fighting Bahamut when Cloud and Tifa finally joined them. Cloud prepped his sword and then lashed out furiously at Bahamut-Sin, knocking it down. The others backed off once Cloud started to fight, and Bahamut flew upward through the scaffolding of an old building. Cloud leapt to one of the higher scaffolding beams and made multiple slashes at Bahamut with the same strength and speed he had shown in his final battle with Sephiroth two years ago.

"I think he's found himself again," said Tifa with a smile.

"Bout time," Yuffie commented.

Bahamut then flew higher over the city of Edge and Cloud leapt up after it, but couldn’t match the altitude at which the summons now flew. Suddenly Cloud saw Barret leaning over a scaffolding beam, offering his hand. Cloud took hold of Barret’s hand and Barret flung him up higher.

“There ya go!” Barret shouted.

Cloud reached Bahamut, but got knocked back down by the monster. This time, Cid grasped Cloud’s hand and flung him upwards while yelling, “YeeeeHaaawww!”

Bahamut kept flying higher and higher, but Cloud got another boost upwards from Nanaki and Cait Sith. Then Yuffie got under Cloud’s foot and thrust him up even higher. Next was Vincent, who jumped off of a high building, took hold of Cloud’ hand, and threw him upward into the sky.  

“Fly!” Vincent called out to Cloud.

With each boost from his companions, Cloud flew closer to Bahamut. Then Tifa appeared from the side, grabbed Cloud’s hand and hurled him even higher.

“No giving up!” she yelled.

Bahamut-Sin and Cloud were racing toward one another at tremendous speed. As Cloud drew near to it, Bahamut let loose a massive blast of energy that was enough to destroy an entire city. Determined, Cloud headed into the blast, when he was suddenly enveloped by a pure white light.

And suddenly there she was. The gorgeous face and exquisite green eyes that he had desperately been searching for and hoping to see, an  unexpected miracle revealing itself to his eyes, surrounded by a magical radiance that captured his heart and soul with its beauty.

“I told you I was here,” she said simply with a smile

Aerith reached out her hand to Cloud, the same way she had two years ago in the Northern Crater. This time, their hands joined together as a brilliant energy surrounded the two of them and Cloud's heart was enraptured by her touch, the same touch he had longed for years ago.  

"At last... " Cloud whispered to her, at a loss for any other words. "Aerith, I've found you again!"

"All you had to do was forgive yourself," Aerith said with a wink. “Are you ready?”

Then Aerith threw Cloud toward Bahamut, and Cloud drove his sword directly into the monster’s head. Using the limit break “Climhazzard”, Cloud slashed at the monster repeatedly, a fiery trail of blue energy forming along its back with each blow.  

Defeated, Bahamut-Sin fell through the sky toward Edge and finally disintegrated in the midst of raging blue flames.

When Cloud landed on one of the scaffold beams, his heart was beating wildly with thoughts of seeing Aerith again. It was like dancing with the wind to have his hopes and dreams fulfilled after two long years of believing that he could find her and be with her again.

But then he heard a huge blast coming from the center of Edge.

Chapter 9: The Nightmare Returns

After summoning Bahamut-Sin, Kadaj had returned to where he was talking to Rufus at the top of a building under construction in Edge. The whole city could be seen below them.

Kadaj said, “I’ve never known Sephiroth. I only know his name. It’s unbearable to think that Mother may prefer him to me.”

“Poor little remnant,” Rufus replied with heavy sarcasm in his voice.

“It doesn’t matter who Mother picks. You’ll all meet the same end,” Kadaj retorted.

“So the nightmare returns?” asked Rufus.

“As long as you exist, the nightmare will return again and again,” said Kadaj.

Rufus replied, “The Lifestream courses through our planet, back and forth between the borders of life and death. If that is the truth of life, then history will inevitably repeat itself.”  

“So go on – bring your Jenovas and your Sephiroths,” Rufus continued. “It won’t matter. We’ll do as life dictates and defeat you every single time.” With that, Rufus stood up and flung most of the white bandages off of his body. Smiling almost in mockery of Kadaj, Rufus revealed a metal strongbox to him.

“Mother!” Kadaj shouted.

Rufus threw the strongbox from the roof of the building, then pulled out a gun and started shooting at it. Enraged, Kadaj fired a blast at Rufus, but Rufus dodged it easily. Then Kadaj jumped off the building after the strongbox. Rufus and the Turks were all shooting at the strongbox, but Kadaj caught it before hitting the ground. He opened it and found Jenova’s head. Shouting gleefully, Kadaj took the strongbox and jumped on a motorcycle, speeding down the highway.

Cloud jumped down from the scaffolding to his own motorcycle and followed Kadaj. Soon after that, Loz and Yazoo caught up with Cloud on their own bikes, but he dealt with them easily. At that moment, Cloud had another attack of Geostigma and clutched at his arm, when suddenly a large gush of water sprang from the ground and spilled over Cloud, thoroughly drenching his body and clothing.

The waters had heen specially mixed with the Lifestream by Aerith to bear a mystical healing power to cure Geostigma, so Cloud's wounds quickly started to heal.

Aerith whispered in his ear again. “We’ll be fighting this battle together, Cloud.” And once again, she surrounded Cloud with another light, airy embrace that brought even further strength and courage back to his heart and soul. Her touch reassured him that she was still beside him, filling him with a strength and confidence he hadn't known for years. Then Cloud heard the voice of his old long-lost friend, a SOLDIER named Zack, speaking to him: "Count me in on this, buddy!"

Ahead, Cloud saw Kadaj pouring the contents of the strongbox on himself and crying out as blue pulses of energy flashed around him and transformed him. The nightmare had returned.

“Good to see you, Cloud.” Sephiroth said with a dark and menacing smile, his presence filled with foreboding. “Your Geostigma is gone? What a shame.”

Cloud stood defensively with his sword prepped. “Just what do you want, Sephiroth?”

“I plan to sail the darkness of the cosmos using this planet as my vessel… the same way my mother did long ago,” said Sephiroth. “Then one day we’ll find a new planet where we can start a shining future.”

“And what about this planet?” Cloud asked.

“That’s up to you, Cloud,” Sephiroth answered while dramatically raising his arm. In response, menacing dark tendrils of Lifestream descended from the sky like a sinister threat and obliterated most illumination. Sephiroth jumped to a higher ledge on a nearby building and then attacked.  

Cloud leapt back at him, lashing out viciously with his sword multiple times, but Sephiroth repelled all hits easily with his Masamune. Brilliant flashes of light pulsed whenever their swords clashed, as both of them angled and twisted while making their blows and leaving flames in their wake.

Denzel and Marlene were watching the fight from a window in the Seventh Heaven when a drop of rain hit the ground nearby. Marlene gasped, her eyes widening as she asked, “Is it her?”

When Sephiroth and Cloud were locked close in combat, Sephiroth asked, “So where did you find this strength?”

Cloud answered bitterly, “I’m not about to tell you!”

Cloud shoved him away and leapt to another building before attacking Sephiroth again. Their swords clashed repeatedly, both fighting strongly and brilliantly against one another - yet Sephiroth slowly started gaining the upper hand. Desperately, Cloud unleashed the limit break “Omnislash”, but Sephiroth managed to stab him through the shoulder before Cloud could make the final blow. Then Sephiroth disdainfully raised Cloud high into the air on the end of his Masamune.

“Shall I bring you despair?” Sephiroth asked, letting Cloud collapse to the ground as if he were a used toy.

“You already did that to me two years ago,” Cloud muttered while clutching his injured shoulder..

Sephiroth laughed, “Then let me take away the thing you cherish most.”

“You already did!” Cloud shouted with fury in his voice as memories of Aerith raced through his mind.

Cloud leapt at Sephiroth again, unleashing another “Ommislash”, this time with fusion blades. As Cloud launched this attack, he could hear Zack’s voice telling him, “You are my living legacy.” Cloud then used multiple swords as they appeared around Sephroth, slashing him numerous times with each blade quickly and powerfully, the steel flashing and searing into his opponent with ultimate force. Each crushing blow he made on Sephiroth was for Aerith, over and over again avenging her death with unrivaled force and punishment unleashed by explosions of steel against the sinister presence which had once stolen away the life from his heart.

Sephiroth was defeated and rose into the air as he slowly started to dissipate into black tendrils of Lifestream.

“Stay in my memories where you belong,” Cloud said to him with bitter contempt.

“I will never be a memory,” Sephiroth said right before he disappeared, once again transforming into Kadaj who fell into Cloud’s arms.

After the death of Sephiroth, a gentle rain started to fall. To Cloud, the rain’s touch was familiar and he raised his head up into it, welcoming it. Then he heard the voice of Aerith speaking to Kadaj:

“You don’t have to hang on any longer. Everyone’s waiting, if you’re ready.”

Kadaj reached his arm up saying, “Mother?” and then slowly disintegrated into particles that would return to the Lifestream.  

The rain started to heal Geostigma all over the city. Many with the disease stood in the rain, taking their bandages off, and watched their wounds fade away. Both adults and children were laughing and celebrating and hugging one another as their wounds were healed and hope returned to their hearts.

Tifa looked up into the sky. Then she smiled and said softly, “I thought you must be here, Aerith. Thank you.”

Chapter 10: No Longer Alone

Cloud stood up, letting the rain fall into his face and hair, letting it touch his eyes and his lips, knowing that the touch of each rain drop was from her.

“Aerith…” he whispered. “Aerith, I love you. I always have.”

Immediately, Cloud felt her presence surround him and then he heard Aerith’s voice telling him, “My heart is yours, Cloud. Now and forever.”  Then he saw her beautiful face again as their lips met in a deep and passionate kiss, their arms fervently embracing one other. Cloud’s lips and tongue eagerly explored her mouth as he relished the touch and feel of her body against his own, never wanting to let Aerith go again.

But then there was a gunshot. Yazoo had fired his gun at Cloud while laughing contemptuously. The bullet hit Cloud squarely in the back and he fell to one knee.

“We’ll go together, Brother,” Yazoo said.

“Then we can play,” said Loz.

A massive blast followed that, hollowing out the ground and leaving a scar on the face of the Planet. And then Cloud was gone.

Cloud opened his eyes to find himself enveloped in white light with Aerith and Zack sitting next to him. Cloud reached up and took Aerith’s hand before he sat up and held her to him closely and tenderly. Aerith returned his embrace by snuggling into his arms,

Zack chuckled and said, “Uh, buddy, look… I saw that action between you two just a few minutes ago, so I hate to tell you this. But I don’t think it’s time for you to be here yet.”

Cloud looked at Aerith and she nodded. “Zack’s right. You can’t stay here long, Cloud.”

Cloud hung his head for a moment and sighed, but then he looked back up at Aerith and gently ran his hand along the side of her face while gazing deeply into her eyes. “Aerith…. Would you please marry me before I have to leave? I want you to be mine forever and always.”

Aerith’s lovely face beamed with the radiance of sunshine. “Yes, Cloud…. I always want to be yours. Yes, yes, yes!” She then snuggled deeper into his arms, her eyes shining with her love for him.

“Would you be my best man, Zack?” Cloud asked with a smile, his arms still around Aerith.

“Woot!” Zack cheerfully exclaimed. “I’d love it!”

Cloud then looked at Aerith and asked, “Who could do the ceremony?”.

With a smile, Aerith said, “Are you there, Mother?”

A lovely presence suddenly graced the area, her elegant body draped in a full length gown of shimmering light blue silk, with long brown hair flowing around her shoulders and a bejeweled golden tiara on her head. It was high priestess Ifalna of the Cetra, Aerith’s mother. “I would be honored, my child,” Ifalna said quietly while smiling at all three of them, who stood up in front of her.

Aerith and Cloud joined hands while their eyes locked together in a deeply amorous gaze. Then Zack chuckled. “Yo, buddy. You have any rings?”

Cloud blushed and started searching his pockets. Ifalna laughed lightly and then raised her hand into the air. A moment later, two golden rings with beautiful engraving appeared in her hand. She gave one to Cloud and one to Aerith. “This will be my wedding present to you both,” she smiled.

Aerith said, “You’re the greatest, Mom… thank you!” and hugged Ifalna. "But I have one more request. Could we please have the wedding in my church?"

Cloud smiled at Aerith and said, "In our place... yes, that would be perfect."

It looked as if Ifalna were pulling stars out of the sky as she created a glimmering translucent sphere that shone with brilliant radiance inside Aerith's Church. Although Cloud and Aerith could see their friends inside of the Church, none of them seemed to sense their presence.

Aerith beamed happily as she knelt down to pick some lilies for her wedding bouquet. "Thank you so much, Mother.... it's good to know our friends are here with us!"

"They cannot see or hear us," Ifalna explained, "People can only sense a spiritual presence easily if they have recently emerged from the Lifestream like a young child, or if there is a great deal of Lifestream energy already present in their bodies, like Cloud and Zack. Both of you had so much Lifestream infused into your bodies that you were both able to form a special bond and relationship to Aerith that others are incapable of. After all, her Cetra heritage bonds her to all forms of the Lifestream, wherever it is present."

"It's true that Aerith and I still share a close bond of friendship, but it's also obvious that her heart is always with Cloud. I can verify that, buddy," Zack said with a smile at Cloud.

"And my heart is always with Aerith," Cloud said while gazing fondly at her and squeezing her hand gently in his own.

"Love finds its own way," Ifalna said simply. "But it is the high level of Lifestream in Cloud's body that allows him to see her and communicate with her even though she exists only as a spiritual consciousness without physical form. She would have to manifest physically for the others to see her."

"At least they are here with us," Aerith said, her eyes still glowing with love for Cloud.

"So whatdye say let's get this wedding started already!" Zack suggested cheerfully.

  Chapter 11: Cloud Smiles

Ifalna smiled and started the ceremony.

“The two of you will forever be joined by the Lifestream. It flows deep inside of you both, but in this ceremony you will become forever joined and forever united as one person instead of two. It is the way of the Cetra: two hearts and two souls become one so that you are joined together for eternity.“

Turning toward Cloud, she said, “Do you, Cloud take this woman Aerith as your wife, forever joined to her as one heart and one soul?”

“Yes, I do,” said Cloud, sliding the ring onto Aerith’s finger while gazing at her with adoration and love.  

Turning toward Aerith, Ifalna then said, “And do you, Aerith, take this man Cloud as your husband, forever joined to him as one heart and one soul?”

“Yes, I do, “Aerith said, sliding the ring onto Cloud’s finger while returning his loving gaze.

"You may now kiss each other as husband and wife, joined together for eternity," Ifalna smiled.

Aerith and Cloud responded by locking their lips together in a deep loving kiss.

“The two of you are now one and your destiny is fulfilled,” proclaimed Ifalna. ”Henceforth, your Promised Land is with one another as your souls are united as one in peace and harmony for eternity. May your love forever be blessed.” Ifalna hugged both her daughter and Cloud, and then Zack did the same.  

Zack smiled and said, “This is too awesome. I’m really happy for you guys – you belong with each other!” Then he turned to Cloud. “And don’t worry, buddy. I’ll make sure the other guys keep their hands offa her til you get here.” Then he winked.

Aerith laughed and poked Zack in the ribs. Then she turned back to Cloud and the two kissed each other lovingly once again.

  Several hours later, Cloud finally returned to the Church. All the members of Avalanche and his family were there, smiling at him and welcoming him back. Nanaki said to Cloud that not all the children were healed yet, so Cloud encouraged Denzel and the other children to join him in the pool of Healing Rain that had formed next to the Church. Then Cloud looked up to see his wife standing inside the Church as she talked to some of the children, so he headed towards her.  

Aerith looked up and smiled as Cloud approached and took him into her arms. “See you later?” Cloud said to her and Aerith giggled. “It's a date!" she said, smiling brightly. "Whenever you search inside your heart, you’ll find that I'm always right here with you. I promise.” Cloud smiled and they shared another kiss.

“See?” Aerith said as she gazed into his eyes. “Everything’s alright.”

“I know, Aerith. I’m not alone… not anymore, now that I’ve found you again,” Cloud said.

Aerith then playfully told him, “Don't be silly, Cloud… I was never gone.” With that, Aerith blew him a kiss and walked toward the open doorway. Zack smiled at Cloud and waved as he followed Aerith. Then the two disappeared into whitespace.

Even though she had left the Church, Cloud could still easily feel her presence inside of his heart. He tenderly touched his wedding ring when suddenly he realized that Tifa was standing next to him, peering quizzically into his eyes.

“Isn’t that ring new?” she asked.

“Yes,” Cloud nodded. “Aerith and I got married while I was with her in whitespace.”

Tifa turned her eyes away and stared at the ground for several long minutes. Then, without looking up, she said quietly, “It’s what you’ve always wanted, Cloud, isn’t it?”

Cloud nodded his head. “Yes, it is.”

Tifa simply said, “I thought so. It wasn’t that hard to tell.” She looked down for another few moments before looking up again. “Is Aerith here now?”

Cloud answered. “Yes, she is. As my wife, she’ll always be part of me.”

“I see.” Tifa then gave Cloud a hug and said, “Congratulations and hugs to you both. Aerith, I guess that means you’re part of the family now?”

Then, as he felt the presence of Aerith surround him and embrace him, Cloud smiled happily and said, “She always has been, Tifa.”

The End

Rating

Chapter 10 is PG-13. All other chapters are PG.

Notes

Story is based on the fact that Cloud is in whitespace with Aerith and Zack for approximately 10 to 12 hours. Quote:

"Cloud's final battle with Sephiroth began at 6:00 PM on the story's second day and he woke up at 7:00 AM in Aerith's church on the third day. There's no suggestion of how long he was unconscious, but I'd guess it was anywhere from 10 to 12 hours." ~FFVII Ultimania Omega

That quote is cited at the following sources:

FFVII Ultimania Omega Translations by Ryu_Kaze: GameFaqs

NeoSeeker FAQs: FFVII Ultimania Omega Translations by Ryu_Kaze

Cloud x Aerith Forums

  Credits

1. Story by Anastar. The story follows most of the plot of the movie, but significant parts of the script were changed between Cloud and Aerith. Some scenes were omitted while other scenes were revised. All description of the scenes was written in my own words.

Some of the original dialogue from the movie was used, while other dialogue was revised or omitted.

2, Scripts used for reference:

Script: "Advent Children Complete"/The Lifestream

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children/GameFaqs

3. All screenshots are from the movie and were available online.

4. One picture is a photomerge by Anastar and is entered separately to the Graphic Editing section of  the Clerith 20th Anniversary Contest