FFVII Fan Fiction Submitted by: Ultima Weapon The Sign (Part 5) *This is the Last Part of 'The Sign' in where Cloud narrates as usual, and this is the longest Part... "Zack!?" I cried out in surprise and stumbled over. "Long time no see, Cloud..." Zack smiled at me and without saying or warning me, he drew his Buster Sword and charged me. I jumped up and backed away from Zack as he slashed me twice with his gigantic sword. I used my Ultima Weapon to guard his attacks easily. "Zack! What are you doing??? I thought we were --" "Friends??? Do friends steal their friend's GIRLFRIEND?!!" Zack screamed at me and attacked me again, furiously and swiftly I hardly defended myself. "Die Cloud! Die with Aeris and me, and join us!!!" Zack sent a war cry in the air and struck at me lots of times, he slashed me deeply in my leg. I heard Aeris gasp and cry behind Zack and me. I glanced quickly at her and saw some white tears in her eye, they resembled her... for me... I was concentrating on Aeris I didn't see Zack slash... He cut me in the left shoulder balde deeply and wounded me too in the chest. I stumbled in front of Zack, half-unconcsious, half-alive. "You can't beat me Cloud, I'm your trainer too if you forgot!" Zack arrogantly told me kicked me in the side. Pain shot through my entire body. "Zack! Stop it, please... Let Cloud go!" Aeris screamed behind me. Zack drew his sword once again and walked towards me, I can say by his eyes he was as cold- blooded as me now... As Zack neared me, I pictured Aeris crying... crying her eyes out and weeping for me. She said she wanted to be with me for the rest of her life, but she died and still kept my memory deep in her heart... This can't go on! I can't die! I can't lose, I can't fail AERIS now!!! All the fear, confusion and sadness especially anger inside me, was let out as I forced myself to stand up and prepare for Zack. Spirits can't die anyway, they just fade away... When Zack charged me, he sent a one-wayed thrust at me as usual, which had a weak spot. As I calculated his position hastily, I saw his right leg was wide open. I didn't hesitate. I sent one fast but ensured cut at Zack's right leg. Blood splashed everywhere. I saw Zack stumble in front of me and clutch his leg in pain. I turned back at Aeris, and saw her still crying. "Oh Cloud..." Aeris called after me and hugged me. I turned to check if Zack was okay, but he was gone!!! In his place, was only his shiny Buster Sword and his purple Shinra clothes. I looked closer and saw a note... It was from Zack.. to his beloved girl, Aeris. Something inside me told me that I didn't belong to Aeris, no matter what. Aeris... and me... sad to say weren't meant for each other. yes Aeris liked me, and I liked her a lot. But, things didn't reallt turn out for us. I belonged to someone else... "Aeris, I'm going away now..." I told Aeris softly and petted her smooth brown hair and touched her ribbon. "I'm leaving again..." I told Aeris the bad news. Aeris let go of me. She faced me, her eyes deep with concern and her body shook. I can say she was startled at what I said. "Aeris, listen to me... Some people... were meant to be with some people... some... were really meant to be... to be married and have kids... but some, like me... were meant to be alone for a very, very long time... You should understand this Aeris..." I said slowly and very carefully, not wanting to hurt Aeris's feelings. Aeris backed away from me. I could see she was shocked and she didn't believe a word I said. "C -- Cloud, you're jok -- joking right???" Aeris asked me nervously. "No Aeris... I'm really going away... For a long time. Probably you'll only remember me... in your dreams..." I told Aeris. Suddenly, lights flashed before my very eyes, Aeris was dimming away and I could say that I was returning to my world, where Tifa, Barrett, Cid and the others were all anxiously waiting for me. Before I left the Lifestream... I could make out last words Aeris said to me... "Cloud! Don't go!!! I'll MARRY you if you want me to!" Then, memories of Aeris and me flashed before my eyes. The last memory, was Aeris and me, on the dating scenario... I let out a cry of frustation... I opened my eyes. This scene was similar, or probably because I kept on blacking out for at least 5 times by now. The stood in front of me. I was lying down in the flowerbed. The kids were also looking down at me. I sat up and saw Cid Highwind, our pilot, Vincent Valentine, the vampire who seemed to didn't care at all, Yuffie Kisaragi, the nasty thief, Red XIII, the mysterious something, Cait Sith, the fortune teller, Barrett Wallace, the rough and scary guy and finally, my childhood friend, Tifa Lockhart. They all wore concerned looks on their faces, even from Vincent's! "You alright Cloud???" Barrett asked me and waved his fingers at my face. "Uh, yeah. Did I sleep again?" I asked Tifa. "No Cloud. You won't believe this, but... you came dropped from the sky!!!" Tifa told me with wide eyes. "Then, I didn't dream of it then, I met Aeris..." I told Tifa and the others and sighed. To my biggest surprise, Tifa and the rest laugh. The two kids were laughing their heads off. "Cloud, you must be dreaming the whole thing!!! Aeris is alive, she didn't die. Sephiroth... Sephiroth and Jenova... their dead now and not Aeris! And your friend Zack, he sent us his regards telling you to take care of your girl now..." Tifa told me slowly trying not to shock me. My heart beat hastened, and I felt I was going to explode with fright, disbelief and astonishment. "What?!? Aeris is actually alive!!!" I screamed my voice shaked the church's walls. Tifa whispered something in Barrett's ear and Barrett spread it out from Red XIII to Vincent to Cid to Cait Sith then finally to Yuffie. They all shook their heads and left. Tifa told me to head for the airship and we were going back to Costa Del Sol, in our Villa to have a nice vacation. Then she left. Then from the corner of my eye, I saw Aeris walking towards me. No mirage or illusion this time. She was solid real. She was in her usual outfit and she was carrying a basket of flowers. "Aeris?!? Are you real??? Isn't this all in the Lifetstream??? What about Zack???" I asked Aeris not calming down... Aeris put a soft finger to my lips, she hushed me and sent the two kids away. She bent down to my ear and whispered... "Cloud... I... love... you..." I smiled at her, a sweet, gentle smile and put my arm to her waist as she put her arm to my shoulders. We walked happily out of the church, boy I've never been so happy my entire life! In fact, this just couldn't get better, could it??? In the Highwind, the team were all in their daily routine. Everyone was talking about me and how nutty I sounded. I was still confused about the Lifestream incident... Aeris... Zack... What about it??? Did time actually rewind without Aeris reviving Sephiroth and Jenova? "What date is it anyway Aeris?" I asked my possible fiancee. "Um, it's May 23'rd Cloud... why?" she said. Nope. It was the exact day that all of this happened okay. "So, what really happened Aeris???" I asked her. She smiled at me and told me to forget about all of it. Then, I saw a letter in Aeris's pocket. A small letter, that seemed to be wet. Of course! Zack's letter in the Lifestream! I didn't dream all of it! All of it really happened! I needed more proof.. then I saw Aeris's left hand, a shiny ring with a flower symbol in it. Probably the ring I gave her in the Lifestream!!! So it wasn't a dream... it really happened. Panting, I rushed towards Aeris and asked her in the ear... Aeris... pulled me into the Operations room and closed the doors. Aeris, smiled at me so temptingly, she neared me, I thought she was going to kiss me...but to my surprise (again) she neared her face, so close to me, I could feel her breath in my cheeks. "Cloud... this isn't a dream... this is... reality..." then she winked at me and told me how she did it. I smiled. "Oh by the way Cloud... when do you want the wedding day to be???" Aeris asked me and smiled even bigger. Uh... probably this went too good... hehe