While reading a fanfic of the same title, I stumbled upon this song, by someone called Heather Dale. She likes to write songs based on legends, and this one's for the King Arthur Legend; about Lancelot visiting Guinevere one last time at her deathbed.
I find the lyrics hauntingly beautiful, and taken in a Cleris perspective, the lines blur over who is speaking to who. Cloud to Aerith or Aerith to Cloud? It can go both ways, really.
Tarnished Silver by Heather Dale
Sleep my tarnished silver
Let me dull you once again
and let our battle end.
Sleep my snowless winter
Let me warm you once before i go
and I'll pretend to know and understand.
Sleep my fallen cedar
Let me have your weakened pride to hold
and join my barren soil.
Sleep my aimless river
Let your torrent rest against my shore
and leave me what was washed away before.
Time's been kind to you my love
as the world had never been
Kinder than to me.
Strange the things that we regret
You wanted me to leave
I found enough to give you that.
Sleep my darkened chapel
Let me kneel before you now as then
Unworthy as I am.
Sleep my flameless shadow
Let me cool the lingering fires of old
And carry only ashes in my soul.
Sleep my tarnished silver....