A Wish
by Kristine Gonzales

A Final Fantasy VII Fan Fiction

It was a cold night and the girl wore only her pink dress as she inhaled the cold breeze. She welcomed the cold air whole-heartedly. The girl placed her mahogany-colored hair behind her ear as the gentle wind brushed lightly on her fair skin. Her green eyes glowed, shimmering upon the misty moonlight, silver and shining, reflecting her beautiful angelic features. She cast a dreamy gaze upon the full moon, and slowly her emerald eyes wandered at the silver-dotted velvet sky, digesting the whole majestic view in her heart and mind. Aeris Gainsborough silently whispered something in her mind as her eyes darted on this one particular star. The star was the most distinct among its fellow silver comrades. It shined with dignity and bravery. Aeris could not take her eyes off it.

"I wonder what it's like…" she murmured, her eyes still on that shining star.

"Aeris?" a voice softly called out behind her.

But Aeris didn't need to turn around to see who it was. A young man with broad muscular shoulders stood next to her. His blue eyes glowed strangely, yet beautifully, as Cloud Strife's azure blue eyes trained on Aeris' green eyes. Aeris returned his gaze, secretly admiring his handsome features, remembering every detail of his face. She looked at his spiky blonde hair, which he never left undone. Her eyes wandered everywhere about his face.

"What is it, Aeris?" Cloud whispered.

She blinked and could not help but smile at Cloud's expression. He had a surprised child-like expression. She giggled. "Oh Cloud…" she gasped, her eyes returning back to stare at the infinite sky above them. Aeris looked once again at the bright twinkling star that she had been staring at. "Cloud, tell me…" Aeris whispered. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Cloud looked up at the sky, but he did not speak, for Aeris continued, "This whole sky-it's so wide and beautiful."

Cloud listened to her and in a brief moment, he remembered the whole situation back in Midgar. To be able to see the sky freely like this was a very rare experience for the citizens of Midgar. And it was all because of that damned plate that acted as the sky watching over them. It was all the President Shinra's selfish ambitions that had led to the pollution of Midgar. Cloud gritted his teeth and remembered the hard lives of the people living in the slums. No wonder Aeris, who was brought up in the slums, was excited over the dotted sky. He could not help but muster a big grin.

"But what about your flowers, Aeris? They're probably even more beautiful," Cloud suggested.

She suddenly turned to him, as if surprised at what he'd said and then she shyly smiled. "The sky wouldn't be as beautiful without the clouds, without the stars, the moon, and the birds."

Cloud frowned. He had a misunderstood look in his face. "Aeris, what are you saying?" he asked.

Aeris chuckled. "Cloud…" she turned to face him and suddenly took hold of his hands. "Cloud, if God can grant you any wish right now, what would you wish for?"

"Uh…" he hesitated. "Uh… I'd wish for world peace, I guess…"

Aeris stared at him for a bit and then nodded. "Then tell Him."

"Huh?"

"Why don't you talk to God?"

Cloud couldn't escape his reddening face. "Uh… what do you mean, Aeris?"

Aeris let go of his hands and turned to look at the sky again. "I know that someday, sometime I'm gonna go somewhere far away…" she closed her green eyes. "I can feel it. There's no escape in it. It's my fate. My destiny. My purpose."

Cloud tried his best to understand what she was trying to say. She had already left her home in Midgar. Was that what she was trying to tell him? He did bring her with her on his journey. Still, something told him that it was more to it than that.

"Where… are you going?" he found himself asking. But deep down inside, he didn't really want to know.

"I can't tell you," Aeris answered. "Not yet. You'll know it someday…"

Cloud opened his mouth to say something, but Aeris beat him at it.

"Cloud, there will come a time where it will just be me whose able to protect myself," Aeris whispered, glancing down on her foot. She then turned to him and took his hands into her own. "But let's make a pact…"

He nodded without hesitating.

"Cloud, please remember my words," Aeris could already feel her eyes moistening with tears, but she fought the urge to shed them. "When I leave, just remember this… Remember that I will come back when it's all over. I'll be back to meet you again, Cloud. That's my promise."

He was tempted to ask her where she was going, but instead something different came out from his mouth. "Aeris, why do you always say the strangest things?" he blurted out. But as Aeris looked at him, she could see the hurt in his darkening blue eyes. And her heart was touched at the look in his face.

"Look at the sky and find a green glowing orb," Aeris began. "You'll know it once you see it. It's a holy light…"

"Aeris…" Cloud took her in his arms, wrapping her gently in a tender hug. "Aeris, please say no more."

"Cloud…"

Cloud gently stroke her mahogany hair and his face lowered to meet her face. In her ear, he gently whispered, "Let's kiss…" He closed his eyes. "Let's just kiss, Aeris…"

He didn't even need to wait for her to answer for he invited himself to her lips. He reached down to put his lips on hers, kissing her passionately. Aeris enjoyed his kiss, for she could feel the blooming love in it. As they let go of each other, the two just stared at each other for the longest time.

"Goodnight, Cloud," Aeris broke the silence.

Cloud motioned to leave but then suddenly stopped to look at her again. "Aeris, I think I know what I'm going to ask God now."

Aeris opened her mouth to reply, but when no words would come out, Cloud continued, "I think I'm beginning to understand…" He gave her a smile before heading down the dark stairs.

She smiled as she watched him disappeared. And then she once again looked up at the sky, ready to make her wish. But she almost gasped when she realized that the brightest star in the sky had disappeared. Frowning, her eyes wandered about the velvet sky to look for her missing star, but she didn't need to look for it. A silver shooting star raced across the sky and she muttered her wish, her heart matching the beat of Cloud Strife, who was watching in the next room, making his very own wish.

A/N: This is just a short little Cloud/Aeris fanfic. This takes place in Kalm, above the clock tower. ^_^ Anyways, I have always want to believe that Aeris did return to Cloud in the end. You know, she did promised that she will come back when it's all over. Hope all you Aeris/Cloud fans enjoyed this!

~ Kristine