A Promise Fulfilled

AN: Okay, so I have been sitting on this final chapter since June 2008. I kept going back and rewriting portions. I really want this last chapter to be as strong as some of the other's have been. So, I apologize for the long time it took to get this out, but I absolutely refused to post something I wasn't happy with. This version is in fact the fourth or fifth draft, I've actually lost count.

o.0.o.0.o

Lightning crashed around him even as the rain-laden wind whipped into his eyes. He didn't care for petty little issues like that, he was a man possessed.

Slowly, almost infinitesimally, the city of Midgar rose from the barren wastes that were all that remained of the plateau following the incident with Meteor a few years ago. Even as the desolate landscape fell away under his tires more rose up to meet him.

Lifting a hand from the handlebars of Fenrir he wiped the soaking hair from his eyes before returning his hand to the bars and his concentration to the road.

Could it really be true? He asked himself for what had to be the millionth time since he had set off on his journey back to where it had all begun.

Even as this thought rattled around in his head he couldn't help but think back on the simple encounter that had thrust him onto the path he now walked.

.0.0.

It had been almost a month since he had left the Ancient City and every day he felt as though he had forgotten something when he'd left. After the feeling had overwhelmed him, he finally returned, only to find nothing remained.

Being back in the place where she had died always made his heart shatter. He took to the woods and circled the lake as he always did, hoping that somehow he could find the will to go on without her. On this day it was no different, he had made it to the eastern side of the lake when his knees had given out and he fell to the damp, dew covered ground. Falling on his hands he screamed out his pain and fury.

"You lied to me!" he cried even as he rocked back on his heels, face turned toward the sky, eyes closed.

"You promised you would come back. It's over and you're not here. You left me alone, so alone," he trailed off into a whisper.

Words failed him as tears began to stream down his cheeks, clouding his eyes even as they fell to the ground before him. His strength left him and he fell to his side before rolling to his back. He was always an emotional wreck when he was here. He almost wondered why he came back every year, but he knew the answer. It was the last place he had seen her and it held the strongest memories of her. Just being here could dredge up all the memories he'd kept buried since she died in his arms; her blood staining his hands, the guilt staining his soul.

Now he lay on his back staring up into the trees as the Sun rose past noon and on toward midday. With a reluctant sigh he tried to rise only to have his strength fail again and go falling back to the ground. Sighing at the frustration of not being able to rise he rolled over onto his hands and knees, slowly sitting back onto his heels. Just as he was going to push himself from the ground a flutter of movement caught his eye from the side.

Turning his head to see what it was, his breath caught in his throat. Later he wouldn't be able to say if his heart actually stopped or not, but he's pretty sure it had, for there, caught in the breeze, was a faded pink ribbon snagged on a branch. With shaking hands he reached for it, gently pulling it from the bush he ran his fingers over the soft material.

Even with the Sun fading it, it was just as soft as the day it had been made. He allowed a small smile to reach his lips as he remembered how Aeris was never without a ribbon just like this one. If he imagined hard enough he could almost believe that this was some relic left from when she had been buried here many years before. Sadly he knew that material like this could never survive that long in this environment.

Placing the ribbon into his pocket as a reminder of Aeris, he made his way back to his bike and eventually out of the Ancient City and into the town that had sprung up around the archaeological dig site.

.o.o.

Sitting in the booth of a small diner he slowly sipped his coffee. It would be a few hours before the airship returned to pick up the tourists that had come to see the dig.

Settling back into the booth he nursed his coffee; watching as the steam wafted up and away. He watched as it shifted and flowed, reminding him of the Lifestream as it ebbed and flowed when it burst forth to destroy Meteor.

Thinking of the Lifestream made him remember the ribbon. Reaching into his pocket he removed it and held it before him. Taking it in both hands he ran his thumbs over it. It felt so much like the ribbon she wore in her hair, but he knew it had fallen off into the water with the Holy Materia when she had been killed. He and the others had seen it.

So lost in thought was he that he didn't notice the waitress approach and refill his coffee, only noticing her when she spoke.

"Ya know," she began in a Junonian accent, her tone slightly clipped, "there was a girl in here a few weeks back wearing a dress that exact same color. Poor thing looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks, didn't even have enough to pay for her sandwich." At this point she had begun to wander away so Cloud only caught a part of her last sentence. "Had the most beautiful green eyes too."

Needless to say she was shocked when Cloud's hand snapped out and caught her wrist, pulling her back to the table.

"Say that again," he commanded in a voice filled with shock and tinged with hope.

"She had beautiful green eyes," the waitress replied in confusion, wondering what this strange man could be thinking.

"You said she wore a dress this color, did she have a red jacket on over it?"

"Yes, she did, do ya know her?"

He didn't answer, only released her and threw a handful of Gil on the table before rushing out.

.0.0.

Cloud had pulled every string he had ever developed as a mercenary to get a ride back to the main continent as soon as he could. Some how he had done it, managed to make the trip in the time it took for the other airship to arrive for the tourists. As it was dropping its ramp on the northern continent, Cloud was speeding off the ramp of his airship on the main continent.

Presently that is where he found himself, driving like a mad man through the blinding rain with only a hope and a prayer to guide him.

He only hoped that she truly had returned and that it wasn't some sick cosmic joke at his expense. Following the events of Meteor many girls had taken to dressing like the heroine that had saved the planet by sacrificing her life, but that fad was slowly fading, a fact for which he was both happy and sad. But that still didn't explain why they would be at the Excavation site, that part of the adventure had been downplayed so tourists would only be there for the dig itself. Well that and the chance to dig up a piece of history and keep it, for a price. It also didn't explain how they would be at the City of the Ancients; Aeris' burial there had been left out entirely to preserve her final resting place.

As the rubble of Midgar began to grow larger on the horizon he began to think back on what had happened to the city following Meteor. After the destruction only a handful of people stayed, trying to make the best of their devastated city. The plate was gone, melted into slag by the heat of Meteor, all that remained now were piles of slag and open sky. Gone was the pollution, the choking and stinking air. All around the ruins flowers began to grow, the same flowers that Aeris grew in her church. Remarkably her church had been one of the few buildings not destroyed or damaged by the slag and debris. Now it stood as a silent monument to her commitment and devotion to the planet. A mausoleum with out a body. All around the church the flowers had spread amidst the destruction, turning the rubble fields into fields of flowers.

Slowly bringing the bike to a stop, Cloud sat for a moment to take in the clean air and the scent of flowers. The rain continued to fall around him, blessing the shattered Earth with a gift of cleansing water. His soul too felt as thought it were being cleansed, that the guilt of not only trying to kill the very women he loved but from allowing her to be killed, was being washed from his body like the dirt from his skin.

Taking a shuddering breath he resumed his journey into the heart of the ruined city, the skeletal ruins of the once thriving metropolis having come upon him all too quickly.

Driving more carefully he approached the church, her church, his home. It had been a log time since he was able to claim any one place as home, but this one holy place was his more than any other place. More so than even the small house he had lived in with his mother in Nibelheim. This building, this church, was his home. He spent more time here than any other single in the world. It was where he always came back to, the light that called him home from whatever mission he had been on.

Over the years he had slowly been able to rebuild portions of the building, shoring up the weakened structure and adding more electrical lights. He had slowly tuned the forgotten church into his home. He had even claimed a small section in the back, what he believes used to be called a Cloister, as his home.

Pulling up outside of the building, he felt apprehension wash over him even as the rain did. Would she really be here or had been only been chasing phantoms, ghosts that vanished into ether as quickly as mist before the Sun.

Getting off Fenrir, he slowly made his way to the double wooden doors before him. Taking a steadying breath he pushed them open even as the rain continued to fall and lightning crashed all around him. Soaking wet he stumbled into the dry foyer of the church, closing the doors behind him. Casting his eyes around the room he noticed nothing different from when he was here a few months before aside from a fine layer of dust.

Running his hand nervously through his hair, Cloud began to slowly search the adjoining rooms. All were exactly as he left them.

Pausing a moment in the sanctuary, the rain falling through the opening in the roof that he himself had made, Cloud allowed the rain to caress his face even as memories of her eyes came back to him. They had been the first things he had seen upon waking, and though neither knew it at the time, those twin pools of emerald had captured his heart forever and irrevocably.

Stepping softly through the flowerbeds he made his way to room he called home. Pushing the door open he entered, hoping to see what his heart yearned for. But alas, the room, just like the rest of the church, was exactly as he left it, unattended and covered in a layer of dust.

Sighing he let his shoulders slump.

It had all been for nothing, he thought as he had to drag his feet through the room, creating a trail of destruction in the dust. Just like my life, he considered uncharitably as he approached the bedroom.

Only stopping for a moment to remove his boots he all but fell into his bed, not even bothering to turn on a single light. As soon as his head hit the pillow he was asleep.

.0.0.

Morning couldn't come fast enough for Cloud Strife, all night his dreams had been plagued by nightmares of Aeris. Over and over again he dreamt of her death, the sickening sight as the Masamune slid effortlessly through her unsuspecting body, the shock registering on her face as she pitched forward in pain as Sephiroth slowly drew the blade from her body, amplifying the pain she was in. All at once he was at her side, cradling her broken body even as her life force flowed onto the platform, onto him.

Yet, somewhere during the night, the dream suddenly changed. Instead of her death, her life began to play before his mind's eye. Images of their time together and their love. Sometime during the dream he felt warmth surround him as the dream Aeris held him in a tight embrace, vowing to never let go of him again.

Then, all too soon the dream was gone as he awoke. While the dream may have gone, the warmth had remained. Instantly alert he tried not to stiffen and alert the person holding him to his awareness.

Turning his head fractionally he tried to see who, or what, was holding onto him. Turning enough to make out an outline in the darkened room he could tell that the person was clearly female. With the question of what gone only the who remained, and that was the most frustrating part too. He couldn't move to see who it was for he might wake them, but he also couldn't wait for them to wake up, they may be dangerous after all.

With a near silent sigh he did his best to roll onto his back, might as well try to puzzle this out.

What he knew is that there was a female in his bed, in his home. It could simply be someone looking to escape the storm in which case it was all harmless. It could even be Tifa, but he quickly discarded that idea as there was no snoring loud enough to wake the dead.

Outside he could hear the rain continuing to fall, the wind had begun whipping against the building and causing it to creak. The air held a slight chill that only came with storms in the dead of night.

Following a rather close flash of lightning, he felt the figure burrow deeper into his side, seeking not only warmth but protection. In that moment he felt his heart, or what remained of it, go out to the woman beside him. He knew not what her history was all he knew was that in this single solitary moment he was able to bring comfort to another human being. That single, solitary moment, alone in the dark with a stranger holding him, he felt all the guilt fall away. In that moment, he was absolved of his sin and guilt.

And in that moment, he found peace for the first time in years. As the peace washed over his body and soul, he fell asleep with the stranger holding onto him and to his surprise come morning, he holding onto her.

.0.0.

The next morning he awoke refreshed, feeling more energized and rested than he had in a long time. Stretching his arms above his head he heard the sound of the rain continuing to patter against the windows, in that instant he was reminded of the body that was next to him.

Looking in that direction he saw nothing, not even an imprint in the mattress. The sheets looked as though he were the only one to have slept there.

With a sigh he laid back again, knowing it had all been a waking dream, yet wondering who there woman had been. There were only a few times where he had felt as safe and warm as he did during that dream, most were when he was younger and he was with his mother; however the most significant times were when he was with Aeris.

Thoughts of the only women that he had ever loved, and tragically lost, brought the prickling of tears to his eyes. While he would never publically show it, the brave and strong Cloud would only cry here in this sacred place.

Pinching the bridge of his nose to force the tears back, the threw the sheets off and sat up on the edge of the bed. Searching around for his boots he found them placed neatly beside the bed, not something he had remembered doing. He remembered just throwing them off and letting them land wherever they would.

Shrugging it off as an illusion of his exhausted mind he pulled the boots on and tied them before standing, stretching tight muscles as he did. After recovering from the blood rush he made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth. It had become a habit to brush first thing in the morning and he only had Aeris to blame for it. While they were traveling she had commented on how it was good for his health to brush first thing, he had shrugged it off at first, but her persistence had paid off in the end. He had started to brushing first thing every morning and he did in fact notice that he at least felt better about the day, if nothing else. There was also the fact that after they were wed he she commented how she liked the minty freshness of his breath when he gave her a morning kiss.

Having finished his morning ritual in the bathroom he made his way to the kitchen, a nice strong cup of coffee would help to fully wake him. After that he'd find something to eat and see about resupplying his pantry as he was sure that most of the perishable items had in fact perished during his absence.

Walking into the kitchen he was surprised to see a pot of coffee already made and a small but healthy breakfast set out for him.

At once his awareness level jumped to maximum even as he grabbed a knife from a drawer. While he knew that the intruder could have killed him while he slept he figured he'd be better safe than sorry.

Silently making his way through the building he checked room after room finding nothing. Finally he reached the sanctuary, taking a steadying breath he pushed open the door and entered.

So far nothing looked amiss, the flowers were soaking up the rain that continued to fall, what filtered light there was trickled through the clouds to provide some illumination. Yet there in the middle of the flower beds, on hands and knees was a raincoat-clad figure. He recognized the coat as one of his own, a little worse for the wear as he often didn't wear one.

Silently stalking through the beds he approached the figure only to find them … humming as they attended to the flowers. Shock coursed through his body, not at the action of the person tending the flowers or humming, but at the song they were humming. It was a lullaby that Aeris had often hummed when she was concentrating or off in her own little world. She had said the Elmyra had used it to put her to sleep as a child. Cloud had taken to calling it Aeris' Theme in his mental musings; after all, every heroine needed a theme song. But to hear it here, in this place where he knew that he and Elmyra were the only living beings to know the tune, it caused his body to shut down. His shock caused his nerves to become unresponsive and therefore caused the knife he was holding to drop to the ground, the impact all but absorbed by the soil. Yet the smallest sound must have been made for the figure before him stopped humming and partially turned their head toward him.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up," a voice he both knew and didn't spoke out, her face still hidden by the hood.

Hearing her voice, he had to take a step back even as she rose before him. He knew that voice, he heard it every night in his dreams and nightmares. It was her voice, Aeris, but that was impossible for she was dead, never to return.

With her back still toward him she gently brushed the muddy soil from her hands before turning to face him, a smile gracing her angelic face. An Angel, that's what she had to be, come to take him to the Promised Land and away from this world and its pain.

Falling to his knees before her he could do nothing but let the tears fall form his eyes to mix with the rain that fell from the hole in the ceiling.

"Aeris," he whispered as she only smiled, slowly approaching him, "Have you come to take me to the Promised Land? Is it my time to die?"

"No," she said in a gentle voice as she knelt before him and wrapped him in her arms. "No, I haven't come to take you."

"Then I've finally lost my mind," he managed to say between the sobs that had begun to rack his body. He knew that it had been too good to be true, his fragile grip on sanity had finally snapped and he was delusional.

"No, Cloud," she said with a smile in her voice, "you haven't. I have returned, but not to take you away. I'm back, Cloud, back with you."

"You can't be," he said as he began to ramble, "You're dead, never coming back. You couldn't keep your promise to return, I wasn't worthy enough for you."

"You were worthy Cloud, you so much more than others. I'm sorry it took me so long to return, the planet wasn't strong enough to return me after the incident with Meteor." Noticing that he was still in shock she sighed as she helped him to stand and began to lead them both toward the cloister.

To say the journey was a smooth one would be to lie; Cloud had seemed to lose all energy and was being almost totally supported by the slight girl next to him. Finally she was able to make it to the bedroom and lever him up onto the bed.

Sighing again she repositioned him on his back so he'd be more comfortable, during her life she had seen many forms of shock. She knew that it was only a matter of time before he was able to process everything that had been happening.

"Cloud," she said softly as she took his hand and gently held it to her cheek, the warmth of his skin sending a rush of emotions through her body. Too long had she been bereft of contact, lacking of the warmth of another person. While there were other spirits in the Lifestream they didn't carry any warmth, they were simply there, tangible yet distant. Even Zack was the same way, she had initially turned to him for comfort but the lack of warmth even in his friendly embrace turned her away.

Now, now that she had finally been returned and her long journey home had ended, she had the warmth she had sought for so long once again, she had the warmth of Cloud, the man she loved and her husband.

Releasing her grip she noticed that he had fallen back asleep, smiling to herself she covered him up before crawling into bed and just holding him, taking the warmth she had yearned for.

All too soon the sound of rain and the warmth of her heart lulled her to sleep; even in their soaked clothing there was a warmth that permeated even that mild chill.

.0.0.

Cloud awoke again, this time he knew it was much later in the day; the rain still fell but the light from the Sun was markedly less. Sighing he became aware that this was the same thing that had happened to him once before, before he had lost his mind.

Turing his head to the right he expected the warmth of his dreams and memory to be gone, just as it had been before. However, to his utter surprise there was a body next to him, curled into a ball in sleep, hand tucked under her head.

Rising slowly and with shaking hands he gently pulled the raincoat's hood down exposing the chestnut hair her knew so well.

With a shaking sob he fell on her as he hugged her body to his, placing gentle kisses on her face even as he clutched her as a drowning man does a lifeline. To him that's what she was, his lifeline, his only hope of rescue.

"Cloud," she sleepily mumbled against his neck as he just held her, the kisses having given way to the desire to just hold her.

"You're real," he began to mumble; repeating the phrase over and over again as he slowly rocked them, interspacing the phrase I love you every now and then.

Now fully awake, Aeris could only smile as she wrapped her own arms around him and hugged him to her, feeling the warmth flow into her heart even as it filled her body.

"Cloud," she began again, pulling away slightly to look into his tear reddened eyes. Deciding that actions were more important now than words she kissed him, gently at first before the pain, loss, desire and passion took over.

All too soon the kiss ended with them both panting for breath, both with small smiles on their faces. While Cloud was still slightly numb from his shock, it was starting to give way to the utter joy he felt bursting at his heart.

"You're back, you kept your promise," he said as he stared into her emerald pools, all he saw reflected back was love. Smiling he pulled her into another hug, one of only many that they would share from this day forward.

"I did," she said with a smile as she removed her left hand from his shoulder and showed him the wedding ring she still wore, as perfect as the day he had placed it there. "I made a vow, 'til death do us part', and not even then."

Raising his own shaking hand he showed her his much more pitted and time worn ring, stilling resting on the finger it had been on since their marriage.

"Not even then," he repeated as he pulled her to him once again and buried his face in her hair.

"Not even then," she parroted as she too clutched her love to her.

Sighing with a contentment that they both hadn't felt in years they just sat on the bed for hours and held the other. No more words were said, none needed to be. Their love shone through all possible vocal affections and rendered them moot.

While they both knew that they couldn't keep her return a secret, not that they wanted to, they would tell the others and Elmyra eventually. For now though it was just the two of them, two star-crossed lovers reunited at last.

As the light of the Sun finally faded from the rain and darkness overtook the church, the two lovers slept soundly in the arms of the other, reunited after years apart, determined to spend the rest of their lives together, and if God willed it all eternity as well.

o.0.o.0.o

The End