Moments

Chapter 5: fake plant

The sun danced on the pristine petals, highlighting the clean whites and yellows, skipping merrily on the cool surface of the miraculous pond.

The familiar, almost welcomed wave of blind anger washed over him.

This wasn't fair.

She could make this happen, cure so many people, some of which didn't even deserve saving in the first place…. Why not one more time…?

Fists tightened into balls at his sides, the strange burning sensation appeared behind his eyes again.

"How could you?" his voice was tight and hoarse, ripping through his throat with effort, as it burned its way against the chords and tissue.

A pebble from one of the destroyed walls fell into the still pond, disturbing its surface, making the flowers sway gently.

And he never felt more alone, even despite all of his friends that left not that long ago, just after the painfully familiar figure disappeared in the depths. He still could hear their hushed voices, and the girls' gentle weeps.

A soft gust of wind wrapped around his frame, making him shiver as it pierced through the drenched through fabric of his thick trousers.

Soft steps caught his attention, yet he didn't turn, as he remained frozen to the spot, his eyes not once leaving the water.

How come the sun was still shining when he felt like the foundations of his world were falling apart…?

Willowy arms wrapped around him, a soft cheek pressed into his shaking back, and the same, sweet smell that lingered inside this old, run-down church filled his nostrils.

"You'll be fine" he could hear the strain in the usually gentle voice, could feel the ragged breath.

Of course he'll be fine. Probably later than sooner, but he will be fine. That's what she would tell him anyway, to stop lingering in the past and move on. To never lose hope in what the future brings, to always hold his head high…

But she never told him how to live without her.

"She just fell asleep… " the blunt of his nails dug into the hardened skin of the inside of his palms "And then just…stopped breathing… She stopped breathing" jerking his head up, staring straight at the burning sun, pretending that it was the reason the tears glazed his view "And she still looked so much at peace"

"I know…" there was a soft kiss pressed in the small space between his shoulder blades "I know…"

"And now she's gone… Gone. No more here…"

Emerald eyes closed shut tight, keeping the fresh tears from falling. She was the one that hurt the most, yet another golden string ripped away from her heart in the middle of the night, but she couldn't begin to imagine what it felt for him.

After everything , after slowly and carefully picking up the broken pieces of himself, of getting his life together… it took one small second, a smile and a dying breath for everything to break apart.

"You know, she'll always be watching over you"

The wind blew again, making blonde spikes move gently with its gusts, and if he would close his eyes, he could easily imagine it were her hands...

The only tear finally slipped from his eye, rolling down the pale cheeks as Cloud once again looked up at the dazzling skies, and the golden globe visible through the gaping hole in the roof.

You watch over her, Zack. She deserves at least that…

And he could pretend that those dainty arms around him, were the ones that were always supposed to be wrapped around his frame.

Author's Note:

Well I really gues everyone has to write one of those AUish, Tifa-dies little ficlets...

So yeah, that is what I came up with.