Those Who Live - A Final Fantasy 7 Fanfiction

Those Who Live

~•~•~•~•~ Ending II

He came to his senses when he heard a gasp. The girl, Mari, was still alive. The phantom breathed again.

"Go ahead, puppet. Finish this." Cloud nodded his acceptance. He lifted First Tsurugi from the ground, approaching the petrified girl. She was kneeling in shock, her eyes hazy and distant. He raised his sword above his head.

She lifted her hands.

He stopped.

Her hands, when had they done that?

When had her eyes become so green?

Had her hair always been that shade of brown?

Why... is she smiling?

Cloud collapsed in front of her. She gazed at him with those all-knowing eyes.

"It's alright Cloud. I understand. Sometimes the planet forgets that humans are fragile, and she pushes us a bit too far. But that's what I'm here for, silly! I make sure that her Weapon, isn't just a weapon." That smile was still there.

"Weapon?" He murmured. "Not... Hojo?"

"No human could have done this to you, Cloud. The planet wouldn't have allowed it. But she chose you anyway, and for that I am very sorry. You had to suffer almost an entire millennia alone. But not anymore, okay? It's over now. You can rest."

Cloud's mind was still trying to comprehend everything. He was... a puppet. Not a weapon. Or was he? He gazed down at the woman in front of him.

"Aerith... can I go home now?" He whispered. She smiled.

The world started to glow. Trees became particles, drifting into the air, and he could feel himself being pulled along with it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see silver hair approaching him. An arm snaked itself around his middle.

"It seems that we will not be able to sail the cosmos together... I... accept that."

What was his god saying? All he could focus on was the warmth against his back, the tickling of silver on his neck, and the white filling his vision.

When he was finally able to see again, it was of striking yellows and greens, which soon made up a field of flowers.

"Hey spike! You finally made it! And you brought Seph with ya!" A cheerful voice came from behind him, and he turned to see the familiar grin on his once-best friend.

"Zack." Came his choked reply. A hand on his shoulder made him look up to see cat-like eyes staring down at him.

"Thank you, Cloud."

~*~*~*~*~*~*

I hope you liked that ending as well. This was actually the first one I wrote, but the other fit best with the tone of the story, so I chose that one to be the main ending. But it's up to you which one is reality.

Amber Silverwood