Categories > Games > Final Fantasy 7
That Smile
2 ReviewsEveryone has their neurotic moments, Cloud more than some. Is this strange visitation a dream, an actual visit from her, or something he cooked up (yet again)? He doesn't know, and he doesn't care....
Notes: I don't usually write Cloud, much less Aerith, or really anything in AC, but this had to be written since the bunny was nibbling and wouldn't go away. This was a Chocobo Down request from the lj community ff_exchange.
The idea I had when I saw the prompt, made it a dream because she's dead, and would probably find it easier to manifest in one than rising from the grave like Zombie!Aerith. I was basing the idea off that one scene in FF7 after Cloud falls into a coma, too, so it's a bit more than one, a bit less than reality, if that makes sense.
Also! I wrote it a bit disjointed and in an odd way, trying to capture that feeling of "unreal" and "dreamlike". I think it came out well.
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Cloud stared at the plush toys inside the machine, wondering how, and why he was there. Wasn't he... in Edge, with Tifa and the kids? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in his bed, then he was standing here. It made no sense... Did he have sudden amnesia? What was going on? This seemed too real to be a dream...
The building surrounding him seemed off, however... The bright cheery air, the music flooding over the speakers... It wasn't right, and further more, it was nothing like the Gold Saucer the last time he'd been here with Tifa and the children. In an attempt at bringing people's spirits up, Dio had commissioned a massive remodel of the Gold Saucer to put more rides and games in... This saucer...
It was more like it was before Meteor had ever been summoned.
Specifically, it was like the night he had the date with Aerith. He could almost hear her voice, a light touch on his arm, he was half expecting...
A giggle floated from behind him, and he turned around. Surprise and a little sense of expectation come true... Aerith stood there, that smile on her lips, head cocked slightly to the side.
"You look kind of surprised to see me." The smile was tinged with amusement, her green eyes glittered in the blinking lights of the Grab-N-Go machine.
The mercenary's mouth worked a little, then he blinked once, and nodded. "Yeah..."
She leaned forward slightly and poked him in the nose, still with that smile... That smile. "You know, you don't have to be so gloomy all of the time. I bet Tifa is getting frustrated."
Cloud shook his head, not knowing how to answer it. "This... isn't real, is it?" His answer was an enthusiastic shake of the head.
"Nope! This is a dream, it's pretty nice isn't it? I like the old Gold Saucer best, I think. I can't really tell... Sometimes everything is blurred." The smile faded somewhat. "Let's not talk about that, though. Let's have fun!"
"Have fun?" Bewildered, Cloud repeated the words as if trying to make sense of them. "But... you... and..."
Aerith waved a hand, dismissing the stuttering. "No, let's not talk about that... This is our night, ok? I said one date, right? We never really got to finish, so I still owe you a full date."
There was silence for a second, as Cloud thought about that. She was here... and alive and warm, and it was just a dream. A dream he wished would come true, so that his family, his life could be complete again. One night... That was all that was offered, all that she could give. It seemed so much, and yet bitterly not enough.
"Come on, Cloud!"
Aerith started tugging on his arm, and he looked at her. "All right... I guess it couldn't hurt." A faint smile appeared on Cloud's face, briefly, then disappeared almost right away. Aerith saw it and grinned.
She pulled him off, seeming to know where to go already. "Let's go on the roller coaster. I bet I'll beat you this time!" Past the games they went, to the lobby of Wonder Square and the silly travel tubes that were so popular back then. With a short slide away, they were at the square. Tracks of the roller coaster loomed high above their heads, reaching far into the stars of the night sky, which looked like pinpricks in a black velvet sheet and covered by dull red and pink clouds.
The ride went by almost too fast. Aerith stood by the prize counter, puffing from the effort of happy shrieking and trying to attack all the right targets at once. She held up her prize in triumph, a little chocobo plush. "See, told you I'd beat you!"
"What... Wait. You cheated." Cloud pointed at her, starting to get into the spirit of the night. "You had my foot squashed all through the ride. I couldn't hit the fire pedal."
Aerith just pouted a little, and bounced on her toes. "You're so mean! I did not... That was uh... Ok, maybe a little?" She gave a sheepish smile, holding up her hand and pinching her fingers together.
"Where do you want to go next?" It felt good, seeing her... Her laugh, her pout, things he thought he'd never see again, even in his dreams.
She bit her lip, looking thoughtful for a moment, before bouncing on her toes again. "I know! Let's go see a chocobo race." Again, she started half dragging him there. The enthusiasm was catching, he started to feel... young again. Full of energy, something he hadn't felt in such a long time.
Cloud checked in his pockets. "Want to place a bet? I've got some money..."
Her eyes sparkled a bit. "Really? That's great! Let's go, the next race is almost starting!" They both broke into a run, getting to the bet counter just as the last better was leaving, they'd have to choose quick before the betting closed. "Quick! Which one?"
"How about Dreamer? Yeah, he looks good." Cloud placed a bet, and stood back with the ticket in hand. "Whew, almost didn't make it."
The girl beside him laughed. "It's okay. I haven't felt like that in ages. Sometimes, I think things are more exciting when there's a time limit, don't you?"
Cloud shrugged, watching the chocobos get into place. One of the yellow ones nipped the feather off a green one. "Sometimes. Sometimes it's scarier, though. Remember when the Shin-Ra were after you?"
"Yeah, you were running around frantically trying to find a way to stop them before they got me." She laughed, poking his arm.
He moved away and gave her a mock glare. "I did not. I knew what I was doing."
"Oh, did you?" Aerith clasped her hands behind her back and leaned toward him, mimicking his mock glare. It was one of her little mannerisms he'd... started to forget about.
So many memories... So many to remember. Some never remembered and lost.
The thought filled him with sadness.
"Oh, that wont do! You're supposed to have fun!" She'd seen the look come over his face, and promptly whapped him with a rolled up race brochure. "Come on, Cloud. Don't think about the past. It's now. Think now. All right?"
He felt guilty now. It was just a dream... he wasn't sure if it really was her, ghost or whatever... Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah... Sorry... I'm just..." He paused, taking a breath. "You really are you, right? Not just a dream."
She nodded. "Yep! I'm me, and we're here, and when you wake up everything will be fine, ok?" Turning her attention back to the chocobo race, she nudged him.
The announcer was getting really excited on the TV. "This is it folks! Last stretch! Pike's Place in first, followed by Tamaran and Dreamer. Dreamer had a nine in one chance of winning this race! Doing pretty well, isn't- OH HOLY MATERIA! Did you SEE that sprint!" He started getting faster and louder, bolting out information. "Dreamer is now neck to neck with Pike's Place! This is it! She's pulling out ahead! That's it folks! Dreamer is the winner!"
Aerith was cheering and jumping up and down, and the crowd surrounding them were groaning or cheering as well, depending on which chocobo they had bet on. Cloud smiled, and handed the ticket to her to get the prize.
"Look, Cloud! They have a free dinner for two as a prize in the restaurant! Let's go do that."
"Sure, I am kinda hungry." He let her drag off again, this time to the Ghost Hotel, where the famous Horrors d'Vors restaurant was. She turned in the meal voucher and they were seated fairly quickly, as there were only a few people inside. It wasn't quite so gross filled as the main hotel, opting to look more like an old mansion with a few "levitating" trays full of appetizers in the room.
"Now," she said, as soon as they were seated, "you've been all gloomy and depressed lately. That's not good! I don't want you to be so unhappy all of the time. Let loose a little, ok? Have fun, like I said. You know, you're not just hurting yourself, you're hurting the others, too." She casually flipped through the menu, her eye spotting a few yummy treats.
"But there's really no point to anything without you... And the world's so messed up. Even after everything, there was still nothing I could do... I-" He broke off, looking up at her to see her glaring. It wasn't a wise idea to get her mad when she looked like that.
"That's silly. You did a lot! If it wasn't for you, the planet would be gone by now. You did your part, Cloud. Others did the rest, that was all that could be expected of you." She sighed. "There's plenty of point to everything, Cloud. Being together, having friends, playing... All those things have a point. You'll find out what it is, eventually, but are you going to keep hurting the others around you?" Aerith set down the menu.
Cloud didn't say anything, even though the menu was open, he didn't see the words, see the pictures. "But..."
"No buts! You know that the others care about you, right? And it hurts them to see you like that all the time. It hurts me, too..." She looked up, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "Please, Cloud. Don't forget about me, but don't keep living in the past. Everything's okay now, nobody will take anything away from you ever again. You should start being there, instead of here." She waved a hand at the restaurant, the Saucer. "You have a family that needs you."
"But you should be there too..." Cloud managed to get out. Those tears hurt him in an odd way. It wasn't sadness... but a little of regret.
"No... I shouldn't. My place is here like this, as I am now. It was my destiny and fate. You were dear to me, but I have to protect the planet. I'm the last Cetra... after all..." She looked down, sighing. "There are so many people I know here, too. My family, and friends that died. And people who we fought against too. I'm not lonely. I'm not unhappy... And one day, we'll all be together, ok? See, it isn't so bad, is it? Don't waste your life. You only get one, and you'll be with me and everyone else at the end."
Inside, he knew that she was right. He'd been moping around for two years, blaming himself for something that was inevitable, wishing for something that would hurt others and...
"I'm sorry, Aerith... I guess I've been kind of selfish." There, that feeling of regret was out, acknowledged...
"It's okay, all right? You'll be fine now..." Aerith smiled at him. That same smile she had given him just before her death. "I'll always be with you and the others, though you can't see me. Please tell them that for me, ok?"
"Yeah... I will. Just one question, though... What's it like?"
She grinned. "It's like... having the entire planet for a body. You have feel so many things, know so many things. It's wonderful, and yet..."
"And yet?" Cloud prompted, wanting to know.
"I really, really miss hot chocolate with whipped cream." She laughed at the look on his face. "Anyway, I think it's time for you to wake up now, Tifa's getting a bit worried."
Suddenly, everything vanished, and he opened his eyes to bright sunlight, and a worried face.
"Cloud, are you ok?" Tifa backed up a bit, surprised at his sudden stirrings. "You weren't answering... I've been shaking you for ten minutes! You've got some deliveries today, remember? Are you feeling all right?"
The dream faded in his memory a little, despite his best attempts at keeping it there, fresh and whole. He shook his head. "Yeah... I'm fine. I remember. I'll go do them now. Need a shower, though." He sat up, rubbing his eyes a little.
"Good." Tifa smiled, and nodded. "I've got breakfast all ready. Marlene and Denzel are still eating. You should talk to them before you go, they really look up to you, you know."
Cloud hopped out of bed. "Thanks, Tifa. I'll tell them a story or something." He walked off to the bathroom with a handful of clothing, whistling. Tifa's mouth dropped open a little, completely taken by surprise at this, somewhat, cheerful Cloud. It made a small blossom of hope rise in her chest, and she went about the morning's chores with a much lighter heart.
The dream had given him a sense of purpose again, a warm glow that no matter what happened, it would be all right. It could have been the visit, or maybe the fact she wasn't unhappy. Maybe it was better just to be in the now, like she said.
Maybe it was that smile.
The idea I had when I saw the prompt, made it a dream because she's dead, and would probably find it easier to manifest in one than rising from the grave like Zombie!Aerith. I was basing the idea off that one scene in FF7 after Cloud falls into a coma, too, so it's a bit more than one, a bit less than reality, if that makes sense.
Also! I wrote it a bit disjointed and in an odd way, trying to capture that feeling of "unreal" and "dreamlike". I think it came out well.
------
Cloud stared at the plush toys inside the machine, wondering how, and why he was there. Wasn't he... in Edge, with Tifa and the kids? The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in his bed, then he was standing here. It made no sense... Did he have sudden amnesia? What was going on? This seemed too real to be a dream...
The building surrounding him seemed off, however... The bright cheery air, the music flooding over the speakers... It wasn't right, and further more, it was nothing like the Gold Saucer the last time he'd been here with Tifa and the children. In an attempt at bringing people's spirits up, Dio had commissioned a massive remodel of the Gold Saucer to put more rides and games in... This saucer...
It was more like it was before Meteor had ever been summoned.
Specifically, it was like the night he had the date with Aerith. He could almost hear her voice, a light touch on his arm, he was half expecting...
A giggle floated from behind him, and he turned around. Surprise and a little sense of expectation come true... Aerith stood there, that smile on her lips, head cocked slightly to the side.
"You look kind of surprised to see me." The smile was tinged with amusement, her green eyes glittered in the blinking lights of the Grab-N-Go machine.
The mercenary's mouth worked a little, then he blinked once, and nodded. "Yeah..."
She leaned forward slightly and poked him in the nose, still with that smile... That smile. "You know, you don't have to be so gloomy all of the time. I bet Tifa is getting frustrated."
Cloud shook his head, not knowing how to answer it. "This... isn't real, is it?" His answer was an enthusiastic shake of the head.
"Nope! This is a dream, it's pretty nice isn't it? I like the old Gold Saucer best, I think. I can't really tell... Sometimes everything is blurred." The smile faded somewhat. "Let's not talk about that, though. Let's have fun!"
"Have fun?" Bewildered, Cloud repeated the words as if trying to make sense of them. "But... you... and..."
Aerith waved a hand, dismissing the stuttering. "No, let's not talk about that... This is our night, ok? I said one date, right? We never really got to finish, so I still owe you a full date."
There was silence for a second, as Cloud thought about that. She was here... and alive and warm, and it was just a dream. A dream he wished would come true, so that his family, his life could be complete again. One night... That was all that was offered, all that she could give. It seemed so much, and yet bitterly not enough.
"Come on, Cloud!"
Aerith started tugging on his arm, and he looked at her. "All right... I guess it couldn't hurt." A faint smile appeared on Cloud's face, briefly, then disappeared almost right away. Aerith saw it and grinned.
She pulled him off, seeming to know where to go already. "Let's go on the roller coaster. I bet I'll beat you this time!" Past the games they went, to the lobby of Wonder Square and the silly travel tubes that were so popular back then. With a short slide away, they were at the square. Tracks of the roller coaster loomed high above their heads, reaching far into the stars of the night sky, which looked like pinpricks in a black velvet sheet and covered by dull red and pink clouds.
The ride went by almost too fast. Aerith stood by the prize counter, puffing from the effort of happy shrieking and trying to attack all the right targets at once. She held up her prize in triumph, a little chocobo plush. "See, told you I'd beat you!"
"What... Wait. You cheated." Cloud pointed at her, starting to get into the spirit of the night. "You had my foot squashed all through the ride. I couldn't hit the fire pedal."
Aerith just pouted a little, and bounced on her toes. "You're so mean! I did not... That was uh... Ok, maybe a little?" She gave a sheepish smile, holding up her hand and pinching her fingers together.
"Where do you want to go next?" It felt good, seeing her... Her laugh, her pout, things he thought he'd never see again, even in his dreams.
She bit her lip, looking thoughtful for a moment, before bouncing on her toes again. "I know! Let's go see a chocobo race." Again, she started half dragging him there. The enthusiasm was catching, he started to feel... young again. Full of energy, something he hadn't felt in such a long time.
Cloud checked in his pockets. "Want to place a bet? I've got some money..."
Her eyes sparkled a bit. "Really? That's great! Let's go, the next race is almost starting!" They both broke into a run, getting to the bet counter just as the last better was leaving, they'd have to choose quick before the betting closed. "Quick! Which one?"
"How about Dreamer? Yeah, he looks good." Cloud placed a bet, and stood back with the ticket in hand. "Whew, almost didn't make it."
The girl beside him laughed. "It's okay. I haven't felt like that in ages. Sometimes, I think things are more exciting when there's a time limit, don't you?"
Cloud shrugged, watching the chocobos get into place. One of the yellow ones nipped the feather off a green one. "Sometimes. Sometimes it's scarier, though. Remember when the Shin-Ra were after you?"
"Yeah, you were running around frantically trying to find a way to stop them before they got me." She laughed, poking his arm.
He moved away and gave her a mock glare. "I did not. I knew what I was doing."
"Oh, did you?" Aerith clasped her hands behind her back and leaned toward him, mimicking his mock glare. It was one of her little mannerisms he'd... started to forget about.
So many memories... So many to remember. Some never remembered and lost.
The thought filled him with sadness.
"Oh, that wont do! You're supposed to have fun!" She'd seen the look come over his face, and promptly whapped him with a rolled up race brochure. "Come on, Cloud. Don't think about the past. It's now. Think now. All right?"
He felt guilty now. It was just a dream... he wasn't sure if it really was her, ghost or whatever... Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah... Sorry... I'm just..." He paused, taking a breath. "You really are you, right? Not just a dream."
She nodded. "Yep! I'm me, and we're here, and when you wake up everything will be fine, ok?" Turning her attention back to the chocobo race, she nudged him.
The announcer was getting really excited on the TV. "This is it folks! Last stretch! Pike's Place in first, followed by Tamaran and Dreamer. Dreamer had a nine in one chance of winning this race! Doing pretty well, isn't- OH HOLY MATERIA! Did you SEE that sprint!" He started getting faster and louder, bolting out information. "Dreamer is now neck to neck with Pike's Place! This is it! She's pulling out ahead! That's it folks! Dreamer is the winner!"
Aerith was cheering and jumping up and down, and the crowd surrounding them were groaning or cheering as well, depending on which chocobo they had bet on. Cloud smiled, and handed the ticket to her to get the prize.
"Look, Cloud! They have a free dinner for two as a prize in the restaurant! Let's go do that."
"Sure, I am kinda hungry." He let her drag off again, this time to the Ghost Hotel, where the famous Horrors d'Vors restaurant was. She turned in the meal voucher and they were seated fairly quickly, as there were only a few people inside. It wasn't quite so gross filled as the main hotel, opting to look more like an old mansion with a few "levitating" trays full of appetizers in the room.
"Now," she said, as soon as they were seated, "you've been all gloomy and depressed lately. That's not good! I don't want you to be so unhappy all of the time. Let loose a little, ok? Have fun, like I said. You know, you're not just hurting yourself, you're hurting the others, too." She casually flipped through the menu, her eye spotting a few yummy treats.
"But there's really no point to anything without you... And the world's so messed up. Even after everything, there was still nothing I could do... I-" He broke off, looking up at her to see her glaring. It wasn't a wise idea to get her mad when she looked like that.
"That's silly. You did a lot! If it wasn't for you, the planet would be gone by now. You did your part, Cloud. Others did the rest, that was all that could be expected of you." She sighed. "There's plenty of point to everything, Cloud. Being together, having friends, playing... All those things have a point. You'll find out what it is, eventually, but are you going to keep hurting the others around you?" Aerith set down the menu.
Cloud didn't say anything, even though the menu was open, he didn't see the words, see the pictures. "But..."
"No buts! You know that the others care about you, right? And it hurts them to see you like that all the time. It hurts me, too..." She looked up, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "Please, Cloud. Don't forget about me, but don't keep living in the past. Everything's okay now, nobody will take anything away from you ever again. You should start being there, instead of here." She waved a hand at the restaurant, the Saucer. "You have a family that needs you."
"But you should be there too..." Cloud managed to get out. Those tears hurt him in an odd way. It wasn't sadness... but a little of regret.
"No... I shouldn't. My place is here like this, as I am now. It was my destiny and fate. You were dear to me, but I have to protect the planet. I'm the last Cetra... after all..." She looked down, sighing. "There are so many people I know here, too. My family, and friends that died. And people who we fought against too. I'm not lonely. I'm not unhappy... And one day, we'll all be together, ok? See, it isn't so bad, is it? Don't waste your life. You only get one, and you'll be with me and everyone else at the end."
Inside, he knew that she was right. He'd been moping around for two years, blaming himself for something that was inevitable, wishing for something that would hurt others and...
"I'm sorry, Aerith... I guess I've been kind of selfish." There, that feeling of regret was out, acknowledged...
"It's okay, all right? You'll be fine now..." Aerith smiled at him. That same smile she had given him just before her death. "I'll always be with you and the others, though you can't see me. Please tell them that for me, ok?"
"Yeah... I will. Just one question, though... What's it like?"
She grinned. "It's like... having the entire planet for a body. You have feel so many things, know so many things. It's wonderful, and yet..."
"And yet?" Cloud prompted, wanting to know.
"I really, really miss hot chocolate with whipped cream." She laughed at the look on his face. "Anyway, I think it's time for you to wake up now, Tifa's getting a bit worried."
Suddenly, everything vanished, and he opened his eyes to bright sunlight, and a worried face.
"Cloud, are you ok?" Tifa backed up a bit, surprised at his sudden stirrings. "You weren't answering... I've been shaking you for ten minutes! You've got some deliveries today, remember? Are you feeling all right?"
The dream faded in his memory a little, despite his best attempts at keeping it there, fresh and whole. He shook his head. "Yeah... I'm fine. I remember. I'll go do them now. Need a shower, though." He sat up, rubbing his eyes a little.
"Good." Tifa smiled, and nodded. "I've got breakfast all ready. Marlene and Denzel are still eating. You should talk to them before you go, they really look up to you, you know."
Cloud hopped out of bed. "Thanks, Tifa. I'll tell them a story or something." He walked off to the bathroom with a handful of clothing, whistling. Tifa's mouth dropped open a little, completely taken by surprise at this, somewhat, cheerful Cloud. It made a small blossom of hope rise in her chest, and she went about the morning's chores with a much lighter heart.
The dream had given him a sense of purpose again, a warm glow that no matter what happened, it would be all right. It could have been the visit, or maybe the fact she wasn't unhappy. Maybe it was better just to be in the now, like she said.
Maybe it was that smile.
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