Chapter Text
Cloud probably shouldn’t have listened to a mysterious voice in his dream.
Many years had passed since Aerith’s death. He had made peace with her passing long ago, but occasionally, he’d feel this overwhelming sense of guilt and regret bubbling in his heart, threatening to burst.
It seemed too good to be true. Cloud knew that when the voice started speaking, but he was desperate, perhaps eager.
“Do you wish to see her again?”
The voice drifted into his ear like a whisper. It was light, like a child’s laughter, yet it carried the weight of a thousand words. It spoke as if it were exchanging a big secret.
Cloud looked around. An endless field of grass and small wildflowers surrounded him. The night sky shone brightly over him, the stars twinkling as the flowers swayed in the light breeze.
He didn’t need to ask questions to know what the voice was saying. “More than anything,” he whispered, closing his eyes.
Cloud didn’t feel scared when he heard the voice. Instead, a wave of peace calmed his heart. He sat down, feeling the small blades of grass brush against his hand.
“A chance to turn back the clock, to change destiny, will be granted to you.”
He felt like drifting into sleep again. How could a person fall asleep in a dream?
Cloud murmured, “Who are you?” He tried to open his eyes, but a gentle force kept them shut. He slowly fell to his back, the delicate yet resilient flowers brushing against his arm.
The sound of light laughter echoed softly, almost like a chime.
“A manifestation of her wishes, perhaps.”
Then, the sensation of gentle shoving. Cloud could feel the light behind his eyelids. Yet, his eyes remained shut.
He felt like he was falling, and floating at the same time, suspended in nothing.
Then, he woke.
Cloud blinked, dazed. The air smelled weird. It wasn’t like Edge. Even the sounds felt louder. He could feel the light vibrations of footsteps under his feet, or were they his hands?
Slowly, he pushed himself up, feeling his hands and feet buckle under the weight of his body.
Immediately, he fell, practically face-planting into the ground.
A few hours ago, he ensured Marlene and Denzel were in bed and got ready for the night. He was in bed, exhausted after a long day of fighting and delivering packages, not to mention helping Tifa in the bar when he returned. Cloud was sure he wasn’t sleeping on the concrete sidewalk in a city that looked a lot like Midgar.
And why was everything so big and bright?
He slowly pushed himself up again, looking around. He opened his mouth, attempting to say something, anything. People were walking right in front of him. Surely, they would listen and help him.
A weak “meow” came out instead.
Puzzled, he tried again. Another “meow,” now slightly louder, came out of his mouth.
Cloud froze, looking at his body. He had to stay calm. He lifted his hand, almost falling over again. He wasn’t looking at a human hand.
A small paw with dirty fur greeted him instead.
Cloud turned his head around, looking at his body. There was more fur, with bits of dirt or dust clinging to it. Suddenly, he felt every single bit of it.
Holy shit.
He turned into a cat.
It was hard navigating around Midgar, especially when he couldn’t see the colors he used to see when he was a human.
Cloud had been meowing at the sidewalk for over ten minutes, begging for help. Not a single person batted an eye, so he left.
Cloud thanked that his memories were still intact as he strolled around what was once the Sector 5 slums. It was so…lively and loud. His paws hurt as he walked around the scrapyards, accidentally stepping on some concrete rubble left behind by construction.
He kept walking, though. Cloud knew this road.
Pushing past the gnawing hunger in his stomach, he finally arrived at the church. It still looked like what he remembered all those years ago, only with less damage. There still weren’t small chips and cracks in the bricks that made up the church’s walls, yet.
Cloud shakily hopped up the stairs, already familiar with the movement of his body. He had been turned into a toad, a moogle, and now a cat. He had even more stories to tell the kids when he got back, Cloud mused.
A wave of dizziness hit him as he attempted to jump up to push open the doors. He stretched out his arms, barely grazing the handle of the door, and he fell to the ground, collapsing just before the large wooden doors.
Cloud let out a yelp, curling up in pain. He was so hungry, so tired.
Small black spots started to appear in his vision, and keeping his eyes open was a struggle. His chest felt heavy, and his breathing got shallow.
Was this how he was going to die? To wake up in Midgar as a cat, unable to do anything?
Cloud barely registered the church doors opening, with the small pitter of footsteps approaching and scooping him up.
“A kitty? Mom, it’s a kitty!” He heard a young voice exclaim softly, and he leaned into the warmth. The voice sounded like a young girl, and his heart jumped in his chest for some reason.
Too tired to respond, Cloud released a soft meow and passed out in the girl’s arms.
“I wonder when the kitty will wake up…”
“Well, the vet said he’s very tired and weak, so give him some time, sweetie.”
Cloud blinked slowly, his eyes squinting as he observed his surroundings. He felt the blankets under him—so soft and warm. Warm, comfortable light from the lamp lit up the room, and he could faintly make out the wooden floors beneath where he rested.
It felt so familiar. Cloud swore he knew where this place was.
A floral smell surrounded him, and he sniffed the area around him slowly.
“Mom, look! He’s awake!”
Cloud jumped slightly when he felt small hands comb through his fur. Startled, he hissed out of instinct, baring his teeth as his hair stood up, turning around to see…
…Aerith?
She was smaller than he remembered, but there was no way he could forget those bright, green eyes that shone like jewels. Her hair was just like he remembered, decorated with her trademark ribbon. Her hand hovered over him, hesitant and uncertain.
“Sorry…” Aerith whispered, setting her hand down. She settled on sitting opposite him, observing Cloud with curious eyes.
Cloud blinked once and then twice. He hated how he almost forgot what Aerith looked like and how she sounded. It had been far too long. He stood on shaky legs, slowly stepping towards Aerith.
Aerith tilted her head in an encouraging gesture, patting her lap with a tender smile as she waited patiently.
With a hesitant leap, Cloud crawled into her lap, his paws sinking softly into the fabric of her dress. He looked up at Aerith as he took in her scent, his nose twitching slightly. The smell of flowers, which he had almost forgotten, practically crashed over him like a wave.
He fought back tears.
Aerith’s hand settled gently on his head, her touch whisper-light, as if afraid she might break this fragile moment.
“There, there…” Aerith murmured, her fingers cautiously scratching behind Cloud’s ears, the motion soothing and rhythmic, “It’s okay. You’re safe.”
A whirlwind of emotions surged through Cloud. He didn’t know what was happening, but seeing and feeling Aerith pet him so gently after years of longing to see her one last time…
He abandoned himself to her voice.
Cloud leaned into her touch, pushing his head into her palm. He heard Aerith let out a surprised giggle before picking up Cloud and holding him close.
Nuzzling his head into her shoulder, Cloud let himself relax. He was finally where he belonged.