~Mercenaries~

Okay. So, I got this idea while I was in the middle of writing my other story. Don't worry, I'll be continuing with Embrace Your Dreams and Stream of Stars! I just wanted to get this out of my head. Yes, Cloud is a jerk, but he's a cold hearted mercenary, much like in the beginning of FFVII.

I wanted to do something other than a survival story, so Zack never died in this story, obviously. Also just as obviously, neither Cloud or Zack have met Aerith, though I do have an interesting idea for that. Anyway, I'll get to that later. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but it's just an introduction. Let me know what you think.

Chapter One: Renown​

The gravel crunched under his boots as the mercenary strode forward confidently. His uniform was similar to that of a SOLDIER, with the black vest and pants, though the uniform was missing the well known SOLDIER insignia, normally placed at the waist. Instead of the normal shoulder armor, the young man had a scarf of sorts, similar to those seen on infantrymen in the army. He was neither SOLDIER or an infantryman, however. He was much more.

He had left his small, country town and traveled to Midgar, the destination of many young country men. Midgar was where you could become somebody; Midgar was the home of Shinra. Upon arriving, he immediately made himself known, rising quickly to the top. He had been accepted as SOLDIER, one of the elite...he was on his way to accomplishing his dream: to be a hero. But, as he trained, he realized that Shinra kept too many secrets – people would disappear mysteriously, and Shinra executives would announce them dead, with no other explanation. He felt that Shinra had darker intentions behind their noble words, and though he had little proof, he realized he couldn't work for Shinra. So he made his own mysterious disappearance, and word was passed around that he was dead – in that moment, he understood that his intuition had been right; Shinra made false claims.

The ex-SOLDIER had left and traveled the world, and upon his travels he happened upon a man who had also been claimed dead by Shinra – Angel Hewley, 1st Class SOLDIER. The man had taken him as a student, becoming a mentor of sorts – but also a good friend. Seven years passed during the time that the young man had left Shinra; seven years during which he trained his mind and body and his eyes laid claim to sights he never imagined possible. Sadly, though, his mentor passed on: died because of a process he called degradation. As the young man sat by his mentor's bedside, he learned that Shinra had been the cause of this. When Angeal died, it was decided that he would return to Midgar. He would be a mercenary, though he vowed to avenge his mentor and his friend; there was no love for Shinra, his feelings of distrust stronger than ever. He would become the plague that would plight Shinra, and soon there would be no person who didn't know the name of Zack Fair.

--

They always held their meetings in the basement of the bar, despite how small it was. It mattered little, though, because they had too little members to make much of a difference. They had worked in secret up until now; they had just blown up the reactor in Sector 5, with the help of another Ex-SOLDIER, a mercenary himself.

“You realize that Shinra will be after you now?” the man asked, his voice flat, uncaring.

“Damn straight, they will. AVALANCHE is a force to be reckoned with, dammit!” a large, dark skinned man roared, waving his gun arm around wildly. Cloud Strife gazed at him with cold blue eyes that glowed eerily – mako infused, the SOLDIER trademark.

“...”

“What?” Barret demanded, growling at Cloud. “God dammit, stop lookin' at me like that.”

“...”

“Say something dammit!” Barret roared, letting off a few rounds from his gun.

“Barret, calm down,” said a kinder voice. Cloud's eyes shifted, resting on the newcomer – long brown hair, crimson eyes, and an attractive body, something even Cloud couldn't ignore. Barret only grunted in reply to the young woman, face still contorted in an angry snarl.

“Damn...Shinra...spiky headed punk...” he muttered to himself.

“Fighting with Barret again, Cloud?” The young woman gave Cloud a reproving look, though there was a hint of a smile playing about her lips. Cloud shrugged indifferently. As long as he got paid, what did it matter?

“Yeah.” he replied shortly, eyes meeting with hers. Tifa, his childhood friend from so long ago, before he had left for Shinra. Actually, perhaps they hadn't really been friends – he had only admired her from afar. It had been a shock running into her after all those years, but when she had offered him a job with good pay, he had agreed to help.

Tifa looked at him for a long time, though he couldn't quite read her expression. Finally, she broke the silence.

“Rumor has it that Shinra is after some girl...they claim she's an Ancient.”

“An Ancient?” Cloud grunted, raising one brow quizzically.

“Apparently, she's the key to the Promised Land.”

“The Promised Land?” Barret snorted, shaking his head disbelievingly. “That's only a myth.”

“Shinra doesn't seem to believe so. Reports say they've been looking for her for a long time.”

Barret contemplated this, and Cloud almost smirked, unable to resist a jibe at the man.

“Don't think too hard, Barret. Wouldn't want to hurt yourself.”

“SHUDDAP!” Barret snapped, glaring at Cloud.

“...”

“DAMNIT!” Barret raised his gun arm, pointing at Cloud.

“Barret!” Tifa warned, stepping forward, trying to force the man's arm down. This seemed to calm Barret down, though only slightly.

“Anyway...” he grumbled, still glaring at Cloud. “I say we find this girl first. If Shinra wants her, we should stop them.” Barret looked at Cloud expectantly. In response, he shrugged.

“I'll do it. 5000 Gil charge.”

“WHAT?!”

“Kidnapping is dangerous.” Cloud replied monotonously.

“I'll show you something dangerous!” Barret retorted, spittle flying out of his mouth.

“I still need my pay for tonight. Don't forget.” Cloud simply responded, ignoring the man's threat. He rose from his position, heading for the pinball elevator that would return him to the bar.

“Cloud!” Tifa cried, as though she were ready to try and reason with him. Cloud shook his head in a small apology, but his eyes were hard. He wouldn't work for anything else.

“That's my final offer. Otherwise, find someone else.” Cloud left a cursing Barret and a dismayed looking Tifa down below.

 

Chapter 2: Dirty Job​

Cloud had almost made it to the door when he heard the makeshift elevator behind him, grating unpleasantly in his ears. He didn't bother to turn around – either Barret was coming upstairs to pay him his money, or Tifa was going to argue with him.

“Why do you have to be so stubborn?” Tifa asked, and Cloud sighed. Tifa it was, then. Not that he minded. He turned to face her, shrugging dubiously. He had no words to give her an adequate answer. Yes he had to be that stubborn.

“Well?” she demanded, beginning to look angry. She placed both hands on her hips in a defiant stance, eyes narrowed, hair falling haphazardly in her face. He almost smiled, but he caught himself just in time – somehow, she managed to look cute, even when she was angry.

“Like I said, kidnapping is risky business.”

“Its not like Barret is made of money,” she retorted, frowning in displeasure.

“Then I guess he can find someone who'll work for cheaper...”

“...You're just going to leave then?” Tifa sighed, angry look slipping off her face, replaced by a disappointed one. Cloud felt a twinge of guilt, but he brushed it away.

“If I don't get my money, there's no point in staying.”

“Even for you childhood friend?” she asked, eyes wide. Cloud gave a strangled laugh, shaking his head.

“We weren't friends – we were neighbors. You sat back and watched while the other kids picked on me.”

“You were always getting into fights,” she frowned again, hands clenching into fists.

“Maybe I wouldn't have if I had some friends,” Cloud shot back, glaring at her. Tifa fell silent. She knew he was probably right.

“Gotta go.” he muttered, sighing angrily. Why did she have to bring up old memories? It certainly rubbed him the wrong way. Suddenly, the elevator was grating again, and Barret rode up.

“Fine,” he grunted, giving Cloud an unpleasant look. “Here's your money,” he said, tossing Cloud a wad of cash. It felt like more than 1500 gil.

“I'm assuming you're paying me for the kidnapping, too?”

Barret grunted, which Cloud could only assume was a yes. “I expect you to get started tomorrow. I don't care how you do it, just get the Ancient first.”

“...No problem,” Cloud smirked, shoving the money into his pocket. He glanced over at Tifa – he couldn't tell if she was pleased that he was staying, or still upset because of their fight.

“I'm going to bed,” Cloud announced. He knew he would need his rest.

--

Midgar. Looking as poisonous as ever...Zack grimaced, holding one hand above his eyes as he squinted at the city; ironic how it used to be the city he had so desperately wanted to be a part of. Now it repulsed him. Shinra was in Midgar though...and he wasn't sure how, but he would get back at Shinra for everything they did.

“But how?” he muttered to himself, tapping his chin thoughtfully. He couldn't very well storm into Shinra's HQ and start killing people to and fro. Killing wasn't really his style – he took no pleasure in taking someone's life, so he tried to avoid it if possible. He preferred incapacitating people: nobody died, but he got his message across all the same, and people left him alone.

With a great sigh, the raven haired man gripped his buster sword, closing his eyes as he lifted it, resting the cool metal on his forehead. Zack took five deep breaths, relaxing his mind, relishing the fresh air outside of Midgar. Inside, smog would be trapped under the great metal plates, creating a stifling, oppressive atmosphere. To say the least, he wasn't looking forward to it.

He opened his brilliant blue eyes again, lowering his sword, gazing back out at Midgar. It wouldn't take more than an hour to get into the city limits, he figured. He frowned as he stared at the city, shivering slightly. The city had an almost sinister look to it – and why wouldn't it? The city was cold, sharp metal, built to impress; under the plates was the sad debris and rubble of long forgotten buildings...the sectors, which used to be towns, each with their own names, but were lost as Shinra took over. It gave him a heavy feeling of sadness for everyone who had to live there – he was glad he had left long ago.

Taking another deep breath of his precious, clean air, he strapped his buster sword onto his back and jumped nimbly off the rock he'd been standing on.

“Welcome back,” he told himself, smiling wryly, then shot a look up at the sky, whose color matched his eyes so well. He gave a thumbs up and nodded, just in case Angeal was watching. “I'll take care of things!” he said loudly, then started forward toward the dark city. He would just have to improvise as he went – he was never very good at planning, anyway.

--

“Git your ass up, Spiky!” Barret shouted. Cloud gritted his teeth, jaw clenching. Why couldn't he be woken up by a beautiful girl, smiling, offering him breakfast after a hard night's work? He cracked one eye open, glaring as best he could at Barret. No, instead he was woken up by this grunting, grumbling, grouchy man. Not a pretty sight at all.

“Tifa says breakfast's ready.” Barret had a look on his face that made it apparent that he was surly at being the messenger. Cloud felt a little better though; a beautiful girl had made him breakfast, even though they had fought the night before, and Barret was unhappy. The morning was looking better already.

“You can go, or did you want to escort me upstairs?” Cloud asked, raising a brow coolly. To his pleasure, a vein bulged in Barret's head as the older man restrained himself. How Cloud loved to get under this guy's skin. It was way too easy.

Barret stormed out of the room, mumbling what Cloud was sure were vicious threats under his breath, and Cloud allowed himself a grin. He inhaled deeply through his nose, the scent of bacon and french toast intoxicating him. How long had it been since he had a decent meal?

Too long, Cloud decided, flinging the blanket off himself as he rose from his makeshift bed in the basement. He strode into the bar, glancing over at Tifa. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up, giving him a cool, appraising look. Apparently she was still upset with him from the night before.

Maybe I should apologize...Wait...why the hell do I care? He frowned, wondering what was up with him. She was just some girl from his past who he just happened to be working with. Nothing more, nothing less. Taking a seat at the bar, she pushed a plate of food in front of him without a word, then turned her attention to the little girl behind the bar with her.

“Who's that?” the little girl whispered, gazing at Cloud with wide eyes. Tifa glanced at Cloud, then turned back to the little girl.

“That's Cloud, Marlene. He's...I know him from a long time ago. He's helping out with some stuff.” The little girl – Marlene – stared at Cloud until he finally turned his head, staring back at her. She quailed and hid behind Tifa's leg, frowning.

“His eyes are scary...” Marlene whispered to Tifa, but Cloud caught it. He quickly looked away, focusing on his breakfast. His eyes often freaked people out – they knew it was a SOLDIER trademark. He'd been told many times that they glowed eerily in the dark. Frankly, it kind of annoyed him, people always talking about his eyes.

Who is this kid anyway? A strange thought flitted through his mind. Is she Tifa's? Much to his surprise, he found he didn't like the idea at all. It was true that he had had a crush on her a long time ago...he'd outgrown it though. Still, the thought of her being with someone else bugged him, though he couldn't explain it. God damnit.

“Daddy!” Marlene suddenly cried, running toward Barret. Cloud felt both relief and confusion. Marlene wasn't Tifa's...but how was she Barret's? Tifa seemed to see his confused look, because she forgot that she wasn't talking to him and explained.

“Marlene's parents were killed by Shinra. Barret was their friend, and when they died, he adopted her.”

Cloud nodded, preferring no to reply. What could he say to that? Barret suddenly turned his attention away from Marlene and glared at Cloud. What now?

“Shouldn't you get going? You have a job to do.” he growled.

Cloud shrugged, pushing away from the bar. “Alright. I'm going. Where do I find her?”

“How the hell should I know? Shinra doesn't even know. You're the big, bad SOLDIER -”

“ - Ex-SOLDIER!” Cloud interrupted, glaring back.

“Whatever. Find her yourself.” Barret finished.

“Fine. I will.” Cloud grunted, and without another word stormed out the door.

Nothing is ever easy.

 

Awe. That makes me happy.
I mean this story just came out of the blue,and you loved it. YEAH!

 

Chapter 3: Meeting
​

Trailing the Turks hadn't been so hard – why were they considered so elite, anyway? Cloud was confident that they had no idea that he was following them. Finding them hadn't been hard either – all he had to do was lurk around the Shinra HQ, waiting until he saw one of the familiar black suits.

Cloud was following two of them, one with messy red hair, complete with a messy black suit, the other big, bald, and serious. The two looked like complete opposites.

“Rude, let's head to the bar.” the red haired man said loudly, twirling some sort of rod in his hand.

“We're supposed to go to the church.”

“Yeah, yeah, I want a drink.” Cloud was growing impatient, following the two around. So far, they hadn't led him to the Ancient – and now they were going to a bar, for Gaia's sake!

“You just want to see that bartender again, Reno.” Rude replied, and Reno gave him a wide smirk. Cloud stiffened, realizing what bar they were talking about. 7th Heaven. His eyebrows creased and his eyes narrowed as an angry feeling welled up inside of him.

What does he mean, see the bartender? Like Tifa would ever give this guy the time of day. Cloud had the overwhelming urge to punch the guy in the face – but he held back. He had a job to do, and he couldn't find the Ancient if he knocked both the Turks' lights out.

“Just a quick drink, promise!” Reno winked, strolling through the dirty slum streets (if you could call the dirt trails a street) as if he owned the place. Rude followed behind him, eyes hidden behind his sunglasses, though Cloud was sure that they were scanning the area, just like a true professional would. Cloud made sure to stay a good ways back so that they couldn't see him, but he could still see them. The rubble that littered the slums made it all too easy to hide.

The pair made their way into the bar, and Cloud followed surreptitiously. Tifa's eyes widened slightly when she saw him, but he held one finger up to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet. He didn't want his cover blown. Taking a seat in a dark corner of the bar, his eyes darted around the room. Cloud was glad that Barret didn't appear to be around, because he didn't want to deal with his whiny bullshit. Cloud settled into his seat and he watched Reno and Rude carefully – especially Reno.

“Hey there, beautiful.” Reno said loudly, leering at Tifa. Cloud ground his teeth, a vein pulsing in his head. He snorted inwardly, his hand forming into a tight fist. Calm down, Cloud. What the hell is wrong with you? He forced himself to relax. What did he care if Tifa had a boyfriend? Not that this Turk would ever have a chance. The thought was consoling.

“What do you want to drink?” Tifa asked in a weary way – Cloud wondered if this guy came in often. How ironic that Shinra was looking for AVALANCHE, and here were two Turks, in the very bar where they all met. Cloud was aware of eyes on him, and he turned his head, catching little Marlene staring at him with wide eyes.

Why is this kid always looking at me? Do I have something on my face? She scurried away when she realized he was staring back, and he refocused his attention back toward the bar.

“What the hell?” he shouted, standing up abruptly. Where did the Turks go? They had slipped right past him when he was looking at Marlene.

“Cloud, what's wrong?” Tifa asked, looking startled at him from behind the bar.

“I gotta go!” he shouted, leaving without an explanation. Shit! SHIT! Where the hell did they go? Cloud cast his eyes around frantically, furious at himself for losing his targets so quickly. There! Cloud spotted a tuft of shocking red hair and raced after it, eyes locked on the hair like his life depended on it.

“Y'know, Rude, I just don't get it. What's a pretty girl like her doing all alone?” Cloud had gotten close enough to hear them again, and he slowed down, eyes narrowed at Reno in dislike. What was his obsession with Tifa? It was really starting to piss him off. Rude only grunted in reply.

“I mean, I don't see any other guys in the picture. So why won't she go out with me?”

“We have work to do, Reno.”

“Right. The Ancient. Shinra's got his pants in twist about her.”

“Tseng says she'll be at the church again.” Cloud wasn't sure what church they were talking about. He wasn't aware of any churches in Midgar, actually.

“That's it?” Reno asked, giving his partner a quizzical look.

“He also says not to step on the flowers.”

Don't step on the flowers? Is that a code or something? Cloud knew that flowers didn't grow in Midgar – at least, he'd never seen any.

Suddenly, Reno and Rude stopped, and Cloud almost kept walking right into them. He stopped, dashing behind some rubble, peering over the top to watch them. He hoped that his hair didn't give him away. The building in front of them was a church, though a derelict one at that. It didn't look like anyone had been there for years.

“Let's go,” Reno said, grinning at Rude and swinging his rod again, striding forward confidently toward the church doors. Cloud realized that he would have to find another way in. On a whim, he climbed the rubble around him, gaining higher ground until he reached the roof of the church.

His hunch had been right – the ceiling was in as poor a condition as the rest of the church, and there was a small hole, allowing him enough room to see what was going on in the church below. He settled himself easily, gazing down at the scene before him.

What he saw was amazing. Flowers weren't a code word for anything – there were actual flowers! And tending to the flowers was a young woman, perhaps a little older than him, with long brown hair, dressed in pink. So this is the Ancient... he mused. She didn't look that special – he was expecting something...more. Then again, he was a ways up. Maybe you could only tell up close.

The girl looked up, startled, as the two Turks walked. She didn't try to run though, surprisingly. Perhaps she's tougher than she looks. Cloud though, amused. In fact, the group seemed to be talking. He couldn't hear them well from where he was, so he leaned down, trying to catch their words. The roof groaned in protest, and his body stiffened. Apparently he was too heavy for the weakened roof, and all of a sudden, he was falling, bits of wood and shingle falling down with him.

He landed right in the flower bed. For some reason, his only thought of was what Rude had said earlier. Don't step on the flowers. Oops. Both of the Turks and the Ancient had stopped talking, and were staring at him, surprised. With a grunt, Cloud flipped up onto his feet, one hand resting on his sword.

“Who the hell are you?” Reno asked, while behind him Rude's hand went for his gun. Cloud shrugged, not caring to answer.

“Just stay outta the way,” Reno told him, waving his rod threateningly.

“You want the Ancient? You'll have to get through me.” Cloud said, raising his sword. The two Turks gave each other a look, then chuckled darkly to one another. They held their weapons ready, prepared to fight.

--

Zack paused as he heard the sound of gunfire, and bullets ricocheting off of metal, followed by angry grunts and a shrill yell.

“Get off the flowers!” he heard a girl shout. Gunfire and flowers? It seemed like a strange combination, and that was probably the only reason he decided to check it out. He burst into the dilapidated church, eyes widening slightly as he saw the situation: two Turks (he knew who they were from his previous employment with Shinra) were fighting a man with blond hair that rivaled his own. The blond haired man had no problem deflecting the bullets shot at him, or the electric rod a red haired man was jabbing at him. What made it so strange was the fact that they were fighting in the middle of a flowerbed.

Flowers. In Midgar. Hmm. Off to the side, a young woman in pink was glaring angrily at the three men, shouting at them to get out of her flowers. Suddenly though, a shard of bullet flew off the blond man's sword, flying toward her face. She flinched as the shrapnel made contact, drawing blood. She seemed stunned that she had gotten hit. Zack decided that he should step in before the poor girl got hit again.

He darted forward, grabbing the girl pulling her away from the ongoing battle.

“Are you crazy?” he asked her, and she turned, glaring at him angrily.

“They're in my flow-” she stopped, staring at his eyes, her mouth open slightly. “Your eyes...” She seemed to forget about her flowers in that moment, and it made Zack grin.

“I'll explain later,” he told her, setting her down on one of the empty pews, hand reaching for his large Buster sword. He didn't know why, but seeing her face – which he had to admit, was rather pretty – gave him the desire to help her out. Plus, maybe he'd always been a sucker for that kind of thing: helping the damsel in distress, being the 'white knight' kind of guy. “I'll get them out of your flowers,” he said, winking at her. A flush rose up on her cheeks at his wink, and he laughed.

I can't believe I'm flirting while there's a fight going on in a flowerbed next to me. Still, stranger things had happened.

It was funny, the group seemed so focused on each other that they hadn't seen him come in and help the poor flower girl.

“HEY!” he said loudly, catching their attention. They all stopped, heads turning to look at him. Zack couldn't help grinning again as he lowered his buster sword, pointing it toward them. “I think the young lady would like you out of her flowers.” The all looked down, and amazingly enough, they all stepped out of the flowers. Well, that had been easier then he had expected.

“Who are you?” the red haired asked, sounding exasperated. He looked like he had had enough surprises for the day.

“Zack Fair, mercenary.” Zack replied, a smug look on his face. The other Turk, a bald man, rose his gun up to Zack's head, but quick as a flash, he disarmed the Turk. The man was so surprised that he didn't even move when Zack's fist came flying to his face. Sunglasses crunched under Zack's punch and the Turk stumbled backwards, holding his now bloody nose.

“Hey!” the red haired man yelled, swinging his electrified rod toward Zack, but he quickly brought his sword up to block the blow, then quickly countered, hitting the man on the back of his head with the blunt edge of his sword. The Turk fell without another word, knocked unconscious by the blow.

He heard the punch coming before he saw it, and Zack quickly ducked, the bald Turk's fist just missing him. Zack grabbed the man's arm and twisted, flipping the man over onto his back. Taking a step back, he watched as the Turk struggled to breath and get up. He rose unsteadily, glaring at Zack through a broken pair of sunglasses dangling on his face, blood dripping out of his nose.

Without another word, the Turk lifted up his red haired partner and dragged his body toward the church doors; Zack let him, feeling he'd done enough damage. When they were both gone, Zack returned his gaze to the blond man, who was looking at him warily, sword still out.

“You let them go.” the blond man spoke, his voice low.

Zack shrugged. “Why not?”

“The Turks will be after you.” Zack met the man's eyes, surprised that he knew about the Turks. Then he saw the familiar mako glow in the other man's eyes and he understood: this man was in SOLDIER.

“Good.” Zack said, eyes narrowing. “So, you're in SOLDIER?” he asked casually, though he felt his muscles tense. Subtly, he adjusted his grip on his sword, ready to attack if needed.

The blond haired man glared back, shaking his head slightly. “Ex-SOLDIER.” This surprised Zack, too. It was rare to find an ex-SOLDIER. Still, Zack didn't lower his sword.

“Thanks for getting rid of the Turks, but could you move? I'm here for the girl.” the man said, pointing to her with his sword. Zack glanced back at the flower girl, a questioning look in his eyes.

“You know this guy?” he asked her gently, and her eyes widened. She shook her head quickly, looking a bit confused by what was going on. Zack turned back to the other ex-SOLDIER, and smiled, shaking his head.

“Sorry pal, but it looks like she doesn't want to go with you.”

“I'm not your pal,” the man spat back, staring back coldly. “Get out of the way. Don't make me hurt you.” Zack laughed again, unable to contain it. So this man didn't know who he was – unsurprising, Shinra always liked to keep news of traitors quiet.

“I'd like to see you try.” Zack retorted, sliding easily into battle stance. Secretly, he was a little eager for a fight. It had been a long time since he had been up against a SOLDIER. Maybe this guy would provide him with a little challenge, for once.

“My pleasure.” The man lunged forward, bringing his sword down with a powerful stroke. Zack grinned as he blocked the stroke, pleased that there was actually some strength behind the sword.

He's strong. But I bet he can't keep up. “Is that all you've got?” Zack taunted, pushing back with his own sword, blades sliding against each other with a grating noise. This only caused the man to frown and glare more.

Lunge. Block. Counter. Zack could see the sweat building on the man's forehead, as well as the increasing frustration on his face that he couldn't get a shot in. On the other hand, none of Zack's attacks were doing well either. The man blocked them just as easily as he was. Clearly, he wasn't one of the lower ranked SOLDIER's.

“What rank?” Zack asked conversationally, as though they weren't battling. He blocked another thrust, swords clanging loudly.

“First.” the man grunted, ducking as Zack swung his sword at his head, then quickly tried to swipe at Zack's legs. Zack jumped up easily, smiling broadly.

“Nice try!” God, how he loved the thrill of battle. He didn't like killing, true, but a nice sparring session – what a way to get your adrenaline pumping! “I was first, too.” he felt the need to add. Another block. They were getting nowhere.

As the man's blade met Zack's own, he gave a flick of his wrist, twisting the other sword out of the man's hand, disarming him. Their eyes met, and Zack could see that the other man thought he was going to die. Zack lowered his blade, shrugging.

“I'd get going if I were you.”

“What?” the man was shocked, but he quickly hid it behind an impassive face.

“I don't like killing.” Zack watched as he picked up his sword warily. When he had it, he looked like he wanted to continue fighting, but Zack put up a hand.

“Do you really think you'll win? Both of us are too good to really get anywhere. Besides, you're already tired, and I'm fine.” It was true – while the blond haired man was sweating and breathing heavier than normal, Zack was fine, like all he had been doing was walking, not fighting for his life. This seemed to make the man decided, and with a final glare, he hurried out of the church.

Zack turned back to the flower girl, who wasn't there. “Eh?” Zack cried, turning swiftly, scanning the church. She had somehow slipped silently past him, and was bent down by the flowers, a concerned expression on her face.

“My flowers,” she mourned, picking up a fallen petal with her small, delicate hands. Zack frowned, kneeling down next to her.

“Are you alright?” he asked, eyes falling onto the blood trickling down her cheek. She nodded, absently wiping at the blood, smearing it on her cheek and hand.

“I'll be fine. I've been in worse scrapes before...but the flowers.” Zack turned his gaze to the flower bed – several flowers had been crushed, others totally ravaged. Still, most of them appeared to be okay.

“Looks like most of them made it.” he said, smiling as he tried to lighten the mood. She nodded, looking up at him finally.

“I told them not to step on the flowers, but they didn't listen.”

“Did you know those guys?”

“Only the men in black. They come here often. This time they were going to take me somewhere – then that man crashed through the ceiling.” she said, pointing up to a large hole now in the roof. “He had glowing eyes, just like yours.”

Zack nodded, shrugging. “That's the trademark of SOLDIER.”

“I know...so you're a SOLDIER?” she asked hesitantly, looking a bit frightened. Zack shook his head, frowning.

“Not anymore. I'm a mercenary.” A look of relief washed over the girl's face, and she gave him a little smile. It was probably the nicest smile he had seen in a long time.

“SOLDIER's are kind of scary...I'm glad you're not one of them.” she fell silent again, turning her attention back to the flowers. Zack sat there, unsure of what to say. “So...if you're a mercenary, does that mean you do all sorts of jobs?” she asked quietly, looking at him expectantly.

Zack nodded, giving her a light grin. “Sure, why?”

“Do you think...do you think you could be my bodyguard?” she asked uncertainly. Zack rose, giving her a thoughtful look.

“What're you paying?” he asked, and she stood up, wiping her hands on her dress, shaking her head.

“I don't have any money.”

“I know, how about a date?” Zack asked, grinning at her. She gave him a strange smile and looked away.

“What are you talking about? Don't be silly.”

“I was just kidding,” he said quickly, though he had to admit he was a little disappointed. Zack found that he still wanted to help her though, money or not. “I'll be your bodyguard.”

“What will I pay you with then?” she asked, looking back at him quickly, her face torn between a smile and a look of wariness.

“Don't worry about it. You don't have to pay me.” She did smile then, a bright, beaming smile, full of joy and his heart nearly stopped. It had been a long time since a girl had smiled at him like that – then again, he'd been gone for a long, long time.

“Your smiles are payment enough,” he said impulsively, and a bit flirtatiously. She blushed at his words, shaking her head, and hiding her pretty green eyes behind a curtain of brown hair as she looked down.

“I wouldn't feel right, taking your help and not giving you anything back.” she argued, eyes locked on her flowers.

Hmm. She needs a bodyguard, but won't let me help her without paying me. But she doesn't have any money...but she still needs help. Quite the dilemma. He locked his eyes onto the flowers – it was so strange to see something so pretty in Midgar. They made even this dilapidated old church look bright and cheerful. If only flowers grew everywhere else in Midgar...

“Sell the flowers!” he said, surprised by his own genius.

“Excuse me?” she asked, looking surprised as well.

“The flowers. Fill Midgar with flowers. I bet tons of people would buy them – Midgar is so sad, y'know? So...filling it up with flowers would make the whole place better!”

“Sell...the...flowers...” she mused, looking at the flowers in a new light.

“Yeah. I'll even help you build a wagon for them. Then, you could make money, and then you'd be able to pay me for being your bodyguard.” he explained eagerly.

Why do I want to help this girl so much? He wondered. Why was he so excited about helping her sell flowers, at that? He was here to get revenge on Shinra. Not to plant flowers with some girl. He found he couldn't help himself though – something about the way she had looked into his eyes had caught hold of him, and inevitably drawn him in.

“...Okay.” she replied after a long moment, smiling broadly at him again. He realized that he didn't even know her name, and she didn't know his.

“By the way, I'm Zack Fair.” he said, holding out a gloved hand. She giggled and nodded, reaching out and taking his hand with her own.

“I know. I heard you introduce yourself.”

Oh, right.

“I'm Aerith.” she said, and he smiled back at her. Pretty name. “Thanks for saving me and the flowers.”

“Any day, Aerith.”

--

What a strange day. She had woken up, thinking that it was going to be just another normal day – but then, two Turks had come to take her away, a man crashed down through the roof of her church, and another had come to save the day.

She had been amazed at how he fought – so effortlessly, with a grace she had never seen before. The giant blade he held seemed like it wasn't just a weapon, but a part of him. Somehow, she could tell that he had been holding back, though. Zack didn't kill the Turks, or the blond haired man who he had fought with. It seemed strange, when all her life she had heard that SOLDIERs were just killers who loved to fight – yet this man used to be a SOLDIER, and he let the other men get away.

Aerith found herself extremely grateful that Zack had come when he did; he had saved her from both the Turks and the other ex-SOLDIER. Now, it seemed, Shinra weren't the only people after her. She found comfort in the fact that Zack would be looking out for her now, with his large sword, and nicely toned muscles. She would have been blind not to notice how in shape he was.

Even more captivating, though, were his eyes. They were like the sky, so brilliantly blue and deep, she was almost afraid that she would get lost in them. She wished that she had flowers that color blue. She would plant them everywhere she could.

“After we fill up Midgar with flowers,” Zack was saying to her, carefully picking up the flower wreckage from the battle, “We can go above the plates and plant some flowers there too.”

“Above the plates?” Aerith asked, trying not to let her fear show on her face. She hadn't told him that she was afraid of the sky.

Why would I? I hardly know this man?

You asked him to be your bodyguard, though. Another voice argued in her head.

“I know, I know...” she muttered wearily.

“What?” Zack asked, looking at her strangely.

“Nothing.” she said quickly, feeling her face flush as he stared at her. There were those gorgeous eyes again. Zack didn't know she was an Ancient, so naturally he wouldn't understand that she was always talking to the Planet. She preferred to keep it that way though – too many people were looking for her to begin with.

“Oookay...” he shrugged, returning to his task. He handled the dying flowers with surprising gentleness, and Aerith found herself staring at him with fascination. Who was this man? Why was he so willing to help her?

More importantly, why am I so drawn to him? She wondered, but this time, the planet gave no reply.

--

Cloud was furious. He wanted to yell, but he kept his jaws clenched together as he strode angrily back into the bar. Tifa was at the bar again, drying out glasses with a rag.

“Cloud...?” she trailed off, seeing the angry look on his face. “Are you okay?”

He grunted, throwing himself down onto a stool.

Who was that guy? He was...skilled. Cloud admitted grudgingly to himself. Man, I'm never going to hear the end of it from Barret when he finds out I let the Ancient get away. But what was I supposed to do? He thought furiously, clenching his fists. Zack Fair...never heard of him. I never saw him in SOLDIER...could he have been lying?

But no, the man who called himself Zack Fair had the telltale sign of SOLDIER – eyes that glowed with mako. Besides that, the guy could fight. He hadn't even broken a sweat.

“Cloud?” Tifa's voice interrupted his thoughts, a concerned look on his face. “Are you alright? Because you stormed out of here earlier after those two guys, and now you look really...mad.”

“Give me something hard,” he muttered, not wanting to talk about his failure so soon. He just wanted to drink away his problems, for tonight.

Tifa looked like she was about to argue, to push him more, but at the look on his face, she stopped, then complied with his wishes. She made him a drink, pouring it into the glass she had just been cleaning. He had no idea what it was, but he drank it down anyway, gasping slightly as it burned his throat.

“More.”

“...Alright,” she shook her head sadly and poured him more. “Do you want to talk about it, Cloud?”

“No...” he grunted, tearing his eyes away from her. “Just drop it.” So she did.

- xxx -

Cloud had lost count of how many drinks he'd had. His vision was blurry, and everything swayed strangely, like the room was moving.

“More...” he said as he drained his glass again, but Tifa took the glass from him and shook her head firmly.

“No Cloud, it's all gone. You're drunk.” she argued, and he narrowed his eyes, glaring up at her. Then he forgot what he was glaring for, and his face slipped into a relaxed smile. He rose from his stool unsteadily, then tried to climb over the bar. He ended up slipping clumsily, falling onto the floor.

“Cloud! What are you doing?” Tifa asked, gripping his arms with surprisingly strong hands and pulling him up.

“Just coming to see you,” he mumbled, then laughed to himself. He blinked at her, trying to get his eyes to focus.

“Come on, Cloud, let's get you to bed.” Tifa sighed wearily, trying to guide him away from the bar. He wouldn't budge though, preferring to stay where he was. In one sudden motion, he pulled her close to him, gazing seriously at her face.

“You're really beautiful, you know?” he slurred, her face still swimming in front of his eyes.

“Cloud...” she blushed, trying to pull away from him, though weakly. “You're drunk.” she told him again.

“So?” he retorted, leaning closer. “You're still pretty, drunk or not.” With that, his lips met hers. At first, she resisted, but then she kissed him back, one hand rising up to his neck, pulling him closer.

Cloud was just beginning to enjoy the kiss when she pulled back sharply with a gasp, frowning.

“No, Cloud.” she told him firmly, and he frowned.

“I want you, Teef...” he mumbled, reaching for her again, but she sidestepped him, shaking her head sadly.

“Not the way I want you...” she replied, and a look of confusion crossed his face. “Not like this.” Cloud scowled angrily.

“Fine...forget it.” he mumbled, stumbling unsteadily toward the basement. He nearly fell, but Tifa was there to catch him.

“Let's get you to bed...” she sighed, holding him up. After that, everything became fuzzy for Cloud – he didn't even know when he fell asleep.

When he woke up in the morning, he didn't remember a thing – the only thing he knew was that he had a killer hangover.

 

Everybody does. Not just me. But thank you Silver. ^_^

 

Chapter 4: Bodyguard​

“So, where do you get wagon supplies in a place like this?” Zack asked Aerith, stretching casually, though he couldn't help the smirk on his face as he noticed Aerith eye balling him as he did so. He made a show of flexing his muscles for her, then laughed as her face turned a shade of red.

“There are lots of things in the slums...I bet all we'd have to do is ask around.” she replied softly.

“Sounds like a plan.” he replied, walking alongside her slowly, his sword strapped onto his back once again. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her curiously. She was about as unique as the flowers in her church, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why he thought so. Yes, she was quite easy on the eyes, with sparkling green eyes and soft, brown hair pulled back into a braid, save for her bangs and a few, curly locks falling around her face. She had a soft-looking quality to her that contrasted sharply with the harsh edges of Midgar, and she smelled faintly of flowers and earth. Still there was something else that he couldn't figure out. It was just a feeling he got.

With a start, he realized that he had been staring into her eyes while he had thought this, no longer trying to watch her casually out of the corner of his eyes. Aerith was staring at him staring at her with a bemused expression on her face.

“What?” they both said at the same time, and he laughed. “Sorry, just thinking,” he shrugged, trying to stay casual.

“Do you always stare at people when you think?”

“Only if they're interesting to look at.” he teased, his grin widening. She seemed pleased by his comment, because she quickly turned away to hide her blushing face.

“I'll take you to the slum market. I'm sure people there can help us.”

“Lead the way, m'lady.” She gave him a friendly push and then hurried forward before he could retaliate.

“You're not supposed to run away from your bodyguard!” he called after her, stupid grin still on his face. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly and raced after her.

--

Crash. Cloud cursed as he stumbled into a bar stool, holding his head and squinting his eyes against the painful light. Being pump full of mako didn't prevent him from getting hangovers, unfortunately. Sometimes he wondered if it made it worse.

“Morning, Cloud.” Tifa said coolly, and he peered out at her from between his fingers.

“Uggh.” he groaned, finally managing to sit himself down on a chair. “Hangover...” he mumbled.

“Yeah, don't you remember drinking yourself silly last night?” she asked him accusingly, a strange look on her face.

“I don't remember anything.”

“Oh...” she mumbled, and for a second he thought that she looked both relieved and disappointed. Then she smiled at him, as if to say, 'That's what you get for drinking, Cloud'. He scowled back at her.

Suddenly the bar door slammed open and Barret came swaggering in, followed by group of three people. Cloud winced as the loud noise reached his ears; it felt like someone were beating a drum in his head.

“Fuck, do you think you could keep it down?” Cloud cursed, glaring angrily at Barret.

“Shit, I'll make as much fucking noise as I want!” As if to prove his point, he turned and fired a few rounds out the door. The group behind him had to throw themselves to the ground to avoid being shot. Cloud winced again, holding his hands against his ears. Then Barret strolled over cockily, eyeing Cloud with great dislike.

“So, big shot, did you find the Ancient?” Damn. The question Cloud had been dreading.

“Yes...” he mumbled, reluctantly pulling his hands away from his ears and opening his eyes.

“Oh really?” Barret looked shocked, then glanced around the bar expectantly. “Where is she?

“...There were some complications.”

“What the hell do ya mean, complications?”

“There was a guy. He kind of...interrupted.”

“I thought you were the tough guy SOLDIER. Why couldn't you finish him off?” Barret demanded. Cloud sighed nasally, frustration building.

“He was stronger than me.” Cloud mumbled, nearly incoherently.

“What?” Barret asked, holding a huge hand to his ear. “Couldn't hear ya.”

“I SAID...I said that he was too strong. He was SOLDIER too...” he muttered, remembering those mako blue eyes. Like his own, only a darker – where Cloud's own were like ice, Zack's were so dark they were almost violet.

Barret gave Cloud an almost satisfied look. What the fuck was he so happy about?

“So, you couldn't get her all on your own. A lot of help you were.” Barret snorted derisively. Cloud stood up angrily, trying to keep himself from swaying as his head spun wildly.

“Look, here's your damn money,” he hissed, shoving back the 5,000 gil. “I don't need any of this shit. Find the girl on your own.”

“You tell anyone about where we are and I'll kill you, kid.” Barret shouted back threateningly, holding up his gun arm.

“Barret!” Tifa admonished, leaping up over the bar to stand between the two fuming men.

“Yeah right, like I'd bother to tell anyone about you guys.” Cloud sneered, shaking his head. “The Turks come here anyway, they'll probably find out any day now. Not that you're a threat to Shinra anyway.” he added venomously. Cloud was pissed, and he had a hangover. Not a good combination.

“God damn you, fucking kid.” Barret swore, lunging toward him, while Tifa tried unsuccessfully to keep the two guys apart.

“Forget this shit, I don't need this.” Cloud snorted, pulling away and storming toward the door, shoving past the three people who had come in with Barret; they were watching him with anxious looks in their eyes.

Cloud didn't know where he would go, but he knew he had to get out of this place. It was driving him crazy. He was walking blindly, his head pounding, both from his anger and from his hangover. It wasn't a pleasant combination. It didn't matter to him, as long as he got out of here though; so he walked blindly, bumping into anyone who got in his way, glaring at them like it was their fault. People started to get the hint and got out of the way.

“Cloud!” he heard Tifa behind him, running to catch up with him. “Cloud!” she gasped as she reached his side, grabbing his arm. He stopped abruptly, turning to glare at her.

“What?” he demanded coldly, and saw the flash of hurt in her eyes. He tried to ignore the slightly sick feeling in his stomach.

“You're just going to leave?” she asked, quickly covering her hurt look with an angry glare.

“Yes.” He could see her fighting back her frustration as her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed.

“...God! You are so frustrating!” she cried, throwing her hands up in the air.

“...”

“Fine! GO! You're not even the Cloud I remember, so why should I care?” she demanded, punching him resolutely on the arm and then storming away.

He blinked, a bit shocked at her outburst, one hand lifting to cover his now throbbing arm. “Ow.” he mumbled lamely, suddenly feeling terrible that he'd been so cold to her. What bothered him more, though, was the fact that she had said he wasn't anything like before. Why would he be? He had left Nibelheim to change, to become stronger, better; why would she want him to be the same guy he was before?

Women.

--

God, he was such an asshole! Tifa was fuming as she hurried back to the bar, her whole body tense with frustration. When did he become such a cold hearted jerk? He certainly hadn't been that way when they were kids. Not that she had been really good friends with him – still, she could tell that he had been a kind boy.

Now he was like a completely different person. He only worked for the money, and he didn't give a damn about anything. He didn't remember his promise to her either, or if he did, he didn't show it. Before he had left Nibelheim all those years ago, he had asked her to meet him at the well; she had, more out of curiosity than anything else. He had told her he was leaving to join SOLDIER, and she had come up with a crazy promise.

“Promise me that you'll come save me if I ever get in a jam.” And he had agreed. Now she wondered if he remembered or cared at all.

And then he didn't even remember last night. She frowned, the memory of his kiss still lingering on her lips. When he had kissed her, her first impulse had been to kiss him back; honestly, she had wanted him just as badly as he wanted her at that moment, but she stopped herself. She didn't want him like that, when he was drunk, and didn't know what he was doing.

It was for the better anyway. I don't even know him anymore. I hardly knew him then. Tifa couldn't explain her attraction to him. She had thought of him briefly over the years, wondering where he might have gotten to, but that was it as far as thoughts of him went. Then, suddenly, he had reappeared in her life, and just the sight of him had sent her heart thundering and her body tingling. His glowing blue eyes made her strangely light headed when they met her own, for reasons unfathomable to her.

It's probably just lust. Stupid lust. That's it. There was no denying that Cloud was attractive, but nothing could have prepared her for how much of a jerk he was. She wondered what had changed him.

Shinra, no doubt. They're poison in all of our lives.

It went without saying that Tifa was in a very bad mood the rest of the day, and most of the customers made their visits brief.

--

“These people haven't been very helpful,” Zack told Aerith accusingly. In fact, most of them seemed wary of Zack.

“You're dressed kind of like a SOLDIER,” she pointed out, her eyes filled with mirth. She seemed to think it was funny. “People don't trust SOLDIER down here...they're scary.”

“Yeah, but I'm not SOLDIER.” he sighed. “I'm a mercenary. I'm here to help these people, not...ruin their lives like Shinra.”

“...I'm sorry.” Aerith frowned, gazing at him quizzically. “Why did you leave SOLDIER?” she asked boldly.

“...I don't really want to talk about it.” Zack shrugged, then changed the subject. “I guess we'll have to look somewhere else for wagon supplies.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Aerith said a little sadly, gazing at a small shop. “Can we just look here for a second?” she asked, looking hopefully at Zack. He sighed, defeated by her look.

“Alright, you can look around.” Not that he really had a choice – he was her bodyguard, so where she went, he went.

“I've always liked looking at these ribbons,” she told him, a longing look on her face.

“So buy one!” he grinned at her, shaking his head.

“I don't really have a lot of money,” she mumbled, seeming embarrassed.

“Hmm...I'll buy you one then!”

“What? Oh, no, I couldn't accept...” she started, but he held up his hand to stop her.

“Don't worry about it! Just consider it a...thank you.”

“For what?” she asked, a confused expression crossing her features.

“Well, for brightening up Midgar.”

“But we haven't sold any flowers yet,” she argued.

“Then this is your incentive to do a good job.” he shot back, giving the man some gil for a pink ribbon.

“I see...” Aerith said, in a voice that said she didn't really see at all.

“You aren't used to getting gifts, are you?” he asked in a somewhat amused, somewhat exasperated voice. She shook her head, still looking faintly embarrassed. “Well, here,” he said, handing her the ribbon, a goofy grin on his face.

“Why are you buying me gifts?” she asked, looking at him quizzically. He opened his mouth to respond, then faltered. The truth was, he wasn't really sure. When he had seen her looking so longingly at the ribbons, something inside him had immediately wanted to please her; it was startling to think that he'd want to give her anything she wanted, just so he could see that smile of hers again, that twinkle in her sparkling green eyes.

Weird. Perhaps it was because it had been so long since he'd been around any girl – in fact, he never really had much interaction with them when he was a teen, and maybe this was all his pent up hormones finally rushing free. He wasn't sure, to be honest.

“Well...” he stuttered, then shrugged. “Do you want it or not?” he asked, hand still held out with the ribbon lying in his open palm.

“Of course!” she said quickly, then turned around. “Put it in for me.” she demanded, and he obliged, stepping closer. Strange, how his body reacted when he got close to her. Suddenly he felt awkward and clumsy, not at all like how he felt in battle, where he was always confident and agile. His hands shook very slightly out of nervousness as he tied the ribbon in her hair, unsure of what he was even doing.

“Does it look alright?” she asked, unable to see what he was doing. He took a few more moments straightening it out, then stepped back, relieved that it looked okay.

“Yeah, looks great!” he said, his confidence back now that he wasn't standing so closely to her. Hormones are even stranger than mako. She turned to meet his eyes, beaming at him excitedly.

“Thanks!” she said, one hand touching the bow gingerly.

“Yeah, anytime. That's a bodyguard's job!”

“Really?” she asked, eyes lighting up with laughter again as she covered her mouth with a delicate hand to smother a giggle.

“Absolutely. I'm the kind of bodyguard that goes above and beyond, you know?” he told her, swaggering confidently beside her. “I mean, normally it's just the usual: protect your principle at all costs. But you know, I think part of protecting a person is keeping them happy too.”

“So now you're job is to keep me happy too?” she said, failing to cover another giggle.

“Yup! At all costs.” he said seriously, leaning toward her, trying to keep himself from smiling. “Anything you need to be happy, just let me know.”

She blushed as he drew closer, but she didn't pull away, just stared into his eyes. After a long moment, she nodded in reply, then pushed him away lightly.

“You're kind of a strange bodyguard.” she teased, and he shrugged.

“What can I say?” She didn't have an answer, though, it seemed, because she kept quiet as they walked.

“I should probably go home. My mother is waiting.” she said suddenly, looking at him. The night before they had stayed in the church, so Zack was kind of surprised that she had an actual place. It wouldn't have surprised him, sadly, if she had lived in a church – most people in the slums didn't have a real home.

“Oh. Well, we wouldn't want your mom to worry, right?” he nodded, hands on his hips. “Lead the way!”

“I think she'll like you,” she told him, hands clasped behind her back. Before he could respond though, she turned away and began walking away. Zack followed, the dutiful bodyguard that he was. He found himself hoping that Aerith's mom did like him.

Who is this girl? Zack wondered, watching her thoughtfully. She was different than anyone he had ever met...and there was something that he was just drawn to. He intended to find out what it was.

 

Chapter 5: Proposition​

Cloud nearly ran into a pile of rubble, he was staring so intently at the two. They had appeared out of nowhere, and now a feeling of anger and amazement was bubbling up inside of him. It was that mercenary guy, the ex-SOLDIER! What was his name again? Zack? That sounded about right. And with him was the flower girl, the Ancient that AVALANCHE was after – the girl he had failed to capture.

They were talking animatedly, as though they were best friends, although, who's to say they weren't? However, Cloud hadn't gotten that impression when the raven-haired man had walked in on the fight: the Ancient seemed just as surprised as everyone else to see him there.

Still, they were chatting away, apparently oblivious to the fact that Cloud was staring them down, watching as they walked.

What's he got that I don't? How did he beat me? Cloud wondered enviously, his hands tightening into fists as he took deep breaths to calm himself. And what's he still doing with that girl? The pair were leaving the slum market, though where they were headed Cloud wasn't sure. An idea was forming in his head though...

No...could it work? Could he salvage his wounded pride and manage to thwart Shinra too? Though he would never admit it, he wanted to put himself back into good – or, better at least – graces with Tifa again. It had irked him how she had told him he was frustrating. What about her? What about everyone in AVALANCHE? They were the frustrating ones.

Now, however, seeing Zack and the Ancient walking together, an idea had popped into his mind, so blindingly brilliant he was surprised he didn't stagger at his own genius. Zack was a mercenary too – and, on top of that, he was close to the Ancient, as far as he could tell. It was so simple! He just wondered if Barret would go along with it.

--

“That just might work, Spike.” Barret said, stroking his chin in a way he probably thought made him look thoughtful. Tifa almost laughed as she watched him, but she held it back. “Who would have thought behind that stupid haircut there were some brains?”

Cloud scowled back furiously, but Tifa could tell that he was holding his tongue, for once. She was still angry with him for walking out on her.

“I'll do it,” Tifa blurted out impulsively, before she could stop herself. She wanted to do something, anything, as long as it meant getting away from Cloud for now.

“What?” Cloud's jaw dropped and he looked stunned, but only briefly. He quickly shut his mouth and returned to scowling. “No way.”

“Why not?” she demanded, her own ferocious scowl forming. “Because I'm a girl?”

“Exactly.” he said, only infuriating her further.

“I can take care of myself, Cloud.” she retorted coldly, crossing her arms stiffly over her chest.

“You shouldn't mess with this guy. Even I couldn't beat him,” Cloud admitted, and she saw a flicker of respect cross his features, before resuming into his angry scowl.

“Maybe I'm better than you,” she taunted, though she knew it probably wasn't true. If Cloud's personality had changed since she last saw him, then his physique certainly had. Though he was wearing baggy pants and a bulky vest, she could clearly see all the muscles on his arms, and just a hint of it under his shirt.

“What are you looking at?” he asked angrily, and she realized that she had been staring and that she hadn't heard his angry reply beforehand.

“Nothing,” she covered hastily, meeting his icy blue eyes. “Look, it only makes sense that I go. You can't go because you've already fought him, and Barret sucks at charming people. He'll just end up pissing this Zack guy off. I have the best chance of getting him here.”

“She's right,” Barret interjected, nodding his head. “Tifa does it.” he said with finality, then walked away, leaving a spluttering, furious Cloud behind.

“It's decided then,” Tifa said, trying to keep the smug smirk from her face, though inside she was glowing with self-satisfaction. “I'll go hire Zack to capture the Ancient.”

“How do you plan on doing that?” Cloud asked, snorting derisively.

“I'll use my feminine wiles.”

“What does that mean, exactly?”

“...I'll flirt.” Tifa rolled her eyes in a 'duh' sort of way.

“What?” Cloud demanded, shaking his head.

“You heard me.” Tifa replied bitingly. “It'll work, trust me.” Cloud's jaw clenched furiously, and she could just see the wheels turning in his brain. He opened his mouth as though to speak, then shut it just as quickly. Finally, he spoke up.

“Just don't mess it up.” he said, and stormed out. Tifa knew she had won that little battle.

Now all I have to do is find this Zack guy, convince him to work for AVALANCHE, and get him to capture the Ancient.

Tifa suddenly realized that she didn't know what this Zack guy looked like, or how she was going to convince him to work for AVALANCHE, an anti-Shinra group. From the little she'd heard from Cloud, the guy was a mercenary of sorts, but that didn't necessarily mean that he was against Shinra. In fact, if Tifa recalled correctly, the guy had the tell-tale mako eyes, which meant he was in SOLDIER once, if he wasn't still. She realized that this was going to be harder than she had thought.

--

Meeting Aerith's mom had been a little nerve wracking, though Zack couldn't figure out why. Perhaps it was the way Elmyra had glared at him, and he was reminded of the predators he'd seen out in battle: sharp eyed, regarding him with curiosity and suspicion.

She stared at him almost the whole time Aerith explained the situation, and Zack nearly quailed under the intense scrutiny. Was something on his face?

Get a grip on yourself, Zack. He scolded himself mentally. You're an ex-SOLDIER and a mercenary for crying out loud! Despite his self-assurance, he still had to admit that he was a bit frightened of the older woman.

“I think I'll just go freshen up, mom.” Aerith's voice suddenly broke through his nervous thoughts, and he blinked, startled.

“Alright, honey.” Elmyra replied calmly, though her sharp gaze remained on Zack. As soon as Aerith was out of ear shot, her mouth turned down into a scowl.

“Why should I trust you to protect my daughter? You're a perfect stranger. How do I know that protecting her is your true intention? What if you're really working for Shinra? Aerith may be more willing to see the good in people, but I am no fool.” Zack had to stop himself from stepping back, forcing himself instead to stand stock still and meet the angry woman's eye. Everything that Elmyra said was true, after all. These were all concerns that Aerith hadn't bothered to question him about, and honestly, he hadn't thought of them himself. How could he prove his intentions were good?

“Ma'am...” he started slowly, trying to find the words to explain himself without the woman spouting off another hundred questions. “I understand...well, no, I don't really understand where you're coming from, seeing as I don't have a daughter.” he paused, watching Elmyra apprehensively – he wasn't sure if she would reply or not. She looked like she was listening though, and he released a small sigh, not realizing he had been holding his breath.

“It's true that I don't have a lot of proof to show that I'm not from Shinra...in fact, it probably looks like I do...” he trailed off, lowering his gaze, hiding his eyes for a moment. He lifted his head again to meet her firm gaze, and she nodded stiffly. “But...but,” Zack continued, his voice growing stronger, “Shinra is not the great company they make themselves out to be, and I've seen that. I cast Shinra aside many years ago, and I'm here for my revenge.” he finished, his voice colder and more harsh than he had realized. Thinking of his mentor, and his degradation had brought the corrosive hatred he held for Shinra back to the surface.

“That may well be true, but what does Aerith have to do with anything?” Elmyra asked, her voice still as sharp as steel.

“Well-” Zack paused, trying to find the reason, but realizing that there really wasn't one. “Look, like Aerith said, those Turks have been following her, and there was another ex-SOLDIER there, too. So it would seem to me that Shinra and someone else we're not aware of are after Aerith...I just don't know why.”

A strange look flitted across the older woman's face, and he thought she looked a bit paler. The look was gone in a moment though, and she was glaring at him all over again.

“Why is it you agreed to be Aerith's bodyguard when you are so set on destroying Shinra?” she asked, a calculating look in her eye. Zack shrugged, trying to look aloof, though his stomach fluttered, giving him both a pleasant and unpleasant feeling.

“She was a lady in distress...what else could I have done?”

Elmyra opened her mouth to speak once more, but shut it quickly as Aerith came bounding down the stairs, a smile on her face, her green eyes sparkling happily. Zack quietly thought she looked much better than she had earlier; no longer did she look nervous that someone would leap out and grab her at any moment.

“Behaving, you two?” Aerith smirked, as though she had known all along what her mother and Zack had been discussing.

“Of course, Aerith,” Zack grinned sheepishly, though his smile faltered slightly under the firm glare Elmyra was still bestowing upon him.

“Well, seeing as it is so dangerous out there now, I suggest you help us by running to the market for some supplies,” Elmyra said brusquely, pulling a small amount of money out of her dress pocket and shoving it into Zack's hand. “That should be enough for dinner.”

“What? But-”

“Mother, I can do it,” Aerith retorted, sounding a bit exasperated.

“No, dear, I'd rather you stay here. You've had quite enough adventure the last 24 hours, so please, do your mother a favor and spare her the worry?”

“I...alright.” Aerith sighed, though she seemed rather reluctant to obey her mother's wishes. She gave Zack a small, apologetic smile. “Will that be okay with you, Zack?”

What am I, a delivery boy, or a mercenary? Zack asked himself, berating himself inwardly. What had he gotten himself into? He was about to open his mouth and protest, but as he saw the pleading look in Aerith's eyes, he felt compelled to appease her.

“It's fine,” he said, pocketing the meager amount of change, silently wondering if it would be able to buy anything. He felt that Elmyra just wanted to get him out of the house, and he supposed he could understand that – she was Aerith's mother, and Aerith had almost been kidnapped the previous day. Surely, they would want to spend time alone.

“Thanks, Zack,” Aerith smiled, hurrying over to him and giving him a brief hug. She pulled away, a faint pink tint on her cheeks, looking rather embarrassed by her sudden outburst of affection. A small flare of warmth spread in Zack's chest, and he smiled broadly.

“I could get stuff for the wagon too, if I can find them. It might take me a little longer...”

“What wagon?” Elmyra asked, raising a brow.

“Oh, mom, Zack's going to build me a wagon for my flowers so its easier to sell them. That way we'll have more money for food!” she beamed at Zack broadly.

“I'll be back soon,” he promised, then hopped quickly out the door – he could still feel Elmyra's eyes on his back, watching him like a hawk.

--

Tifa hadn't been sure where to start, but the slum marketplace seemed like the best place to start. Surely a mercenary had to buy supplies; she knew Cloud went there often enough, always with some new materia or better armor. Where he got the money, she didn't know.

And surely, I'll be able to recognize this guy – he won't look like everyone else down here in the slums. She knew that this would be true – everyone in the slums had a defeated look about them, though a few still held onto the hope that their lives would be better some day. Zack was a mercenary, and an Ex-SOLDIER if what Cloud had said was true. He was going to stick out like a sore thumb. So she leaned up against a wall, and waited, observing the people that walked by.

She was startled, then, when only fifteen or so minutes had passed, that a handsome young man made his way confidently into the marketplace, brilliant blue eyes visible even from a distance. She was shocked by how much he looked like Cloud, though there were obvious differences: though his hair was wild and spiky, like Cloud's, it was raven black rather than chocobo yellow; the man held his head high, with confidence and ease, as though he didn't have a care in the world, where Cloud usually kept his shoulders hunched, tensed, watching people from guarded eyes; finally, though both the ex-SOLDIER's eyes were blue, where Cloud's were like ice, his were a deep blue, almost violet. It was also safe to say that he was a few inches taller than Cloud.

That must be Zack. Not only were his eyes so distinguishable, his clothes were as well. They held traces of the SOLDIER uniform, and the humongous blade slung on his back made it clear that he was not someone to mess with. Now what? Tifa wondered, biting her lip uncertainly. Now that he was here, in front of her, she wasn't sure if flirting with him was going to work. Normally, she wouldn't have doubted herself – there were plenty of men at the bar, both drunk and sober, who had hit on her, though obviously not for a long-term relationship. Zack had this look on his face as he looked around, and it made her falter. Something about the look in his eyes reminded her of herself – Tifa saw something similar in the mirror everyday, whenever she thought of Cloud.

She observed him as he walked slowly through the slum market, his eyes roving over the stores with their meager wares, and she could hear the slight jangle of money in his loose pant pocket as he picked his way through the milling people. Tifa pulled away from the wall, her muscles tense, her heart pounding unnaturally. Why was she so nervous about this? Taking a deep breath, she plunged into the crowd, determined to accost Zack before her courage deserted her.

“Excuse me,” she said, loud enough for him to hear as she placed a hand tentatively on his arm. She felt the muscles there tense as he stiffened, turning to face her, one hand already reaching for his sword. He stopped as he saw her, the hard gaze he'd had in his eyes softening to something much friendlier.

“Sorry about that,” he said, and she noted that his voice was pleasantly deep and smooth; she imagined that he was very charismatic. It was a nice change from Cloud's bitter tone. “You never know, down here.” he explained, granting her a small smile.

“It's okay – I'd do the same thing. Well, if I had a giant sword, anyway.” she replied smoothly, pleased she managed to keep her voice from shaking with nerves.

“What can I do for you?” he asked politely, his arm lowered to his side once more. He gazed at her, a small spark of interest in his eyes.

“Well...I just...” Tifa struggled to find the right words. Now that she had his attention, she had no idea what to say! He looked amused at her loss of words, and stuck his hand out in greeting.

“I'm Zack.” he said simply, saving her from her stuttering. She took his hand firmly and gave it a solid shake, smiling gratefully.

“Tifa.”

“Strong grip you've got there,” he commented as their hands pulled apart. Tifa shrugged modestly.

“Look, I guess I'll just be blunt here.” she said, taking a deep breath to spurn herself onward. She leaned in closer to him, her voice lowering to a soft whisper so no one around her could hear – like Zack had said, you never knew down here, and she didn't know if any Shinra spies were lolling about. “I'm with a group called AVALANCHE,” she began, and he rose a brow curiously. “We're an anti-Shinra group.”

Both of his brows shot up now, and he looked intrigued.

“Go on,” he urged her to continue, and she could hear barely contained excitement there.

“Well, we heard from a...reliable source,” she continued, making sure to keep Cloud's identity a secret. “That you were a mercenary. Well, AVALANCHE wants to hire you for a job.” she finished, pulling away from him now. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a frown on his face.

“The thing is, I kind of have two jobs going on right now...but I suppose that the primary one is to get revenge on Shinra, so helping you guys would benefit me and you. Both of us win, right?” he grinned cheekily at her.

“You're not the only one who wants revenge on Shinra,” she agreed. “And what's the other job you have? We don't have much to pay, but seeing as you're seeking revenge as well, this will be better payment than we could give you anyway.”

Zack nodded, waving his hand nonchalantly. “Just a bodyguard job. I suppose that I can do both – er...what is the job you want me to do, by the way?”

“I can't explain here,” Tifa said apologetically, shrugging. “If you can come by the 7th Heaven – it's a bar over in Sector 7 – then I can explain there. You can also meet the other members.”

“...Alright. When do you want me to swing by?” he asked after a pregnant pause.

“Tonight, if you can.” Tifa said, pleased that everything had gone so well. She pushed away the nagging thought that all of this had been way too easy.

“I'll see what I can do. Well, it was nice meeting you, Tifa,” he said, holding out his hand again for a shake. “But, I'm afraid I have some errands to do. Things to buy, people to see,” he explained airily, smiling as they shook hands again.

“Right. Thanks for your time.”

“No prob!” he called out, already having released her hand and pulling away into the crowd of people once again. She watched as his shock of black hair disappeared, then smiled to herself.

Easy as pie.

--

Flirting!? Cloud thought incredulously to himself. He had strolled into the slums, or rather stormed, as he was still angry from before, and was astonished to see that Tifa was there, actually flirting with that Zack guy! Cloud hadn't thought that she was really serious about that!

But there they were – unless his eyes were lying – smiling at each other. Tifa leaned in to whisper something to Zack, and Cloud fumed as he saw the excitement in Zack's eyes.

What the fuck? Cloud had the overwhelming urge to punch somebody.

Then the two of them pulled away, said a few more things, and Zack drifted away, the two of them still grinning.

God damnit! Unable to contain himself any longer, he pushed his way roughly through the crowd of people until he reached Tifa.

“What the hell was that?” he demanded, failing to keep the anger out of his voice.

“Jealous?” Tifa asked coolly, her ears slightly red as though embarrassed.

“Of course not,” Cloud snapped. “I didn't think you were seriously going to flirt with him. He's an ex-SOLDIER. He could have killed you for fuck's sake! He could have been...been...unstable! Fuck!” he swore again, grinding his teeth in frustration.

“Well, you're wrong. He was actually very nice, and at least he didn't go storming around, cussing up a storm and getting rip roaring drunk.” Tifa retorted icily, her fists clench, a sure sign of her growing anger. She had been the same way as a little girl, too, if Cloud recalled correctly. He was too enraged to care though.

“What were you two talking about? You looked pretty comfy to me,” he scowled darkly.

“I was doing my job, you idiot. The one you and Barret sent me on, remember?”

“So? Is he going to help or what?” Cloud demanded again, struggling to get the image of the two of them leaning so close together out of his head.

“He said he'd think about it. He's going to swing by later tonight, if he can.”

Cloud snorted. “So the flirting didn't work, huh?” he asked, feeling rather satisfied now. He ignored the fact that they had both been smiling at the end of their encounter.

Tifa's whole face was red now, and she glared at Cloud, an angry gleam in her crimson eyes. “Actually, he asked me out on a date! That's the other reason he's going to try to come by tonight.”

“What?” Cloud spluttered, the shock of her words nearly sending him staggering. “What do you mean? You can't go out on a date with that guy!”

“I can go out on a date with anyone I like, Cloud Strife!” she said dangerously, jabbing at his chest with a finger. He didn't flinch, but it rather hurt. “You are not the boss of me!” she shouted, then stormed away, long brown hair whipping behind her.

She's got a date? Cloud thought numbly, rubbing the sore spot on his chest where Tifa had jabbed him. ...Ow.

--

Okay, so technically, Zack hadn't asked her out on a date. But Cloud was so infuriating! Demanding to know what they were doing, like she had been acting particularly whore-like, or something. Really! So she had lied to him, and it gave her great satisfaction to see his face go from stony and angry to pale and shocked. She had reduced him to a spluttering, gibbering, incoherent boy! Ha!

In truth, though Zack was very gentlemanly – and she had to admit, handsome – she did not really want to go out on a date with him. For some stupid reason, she had her heart set on Cloud, despite how thick-headed he could be. She kept harboring the hope that Cloud would come to his senses and start acting like the Cloud she had known back in Nibelheim, before he had left for SOLDIER.

Still, that wouldn't keep her from putting up a good show tonight, provided Zack came. Cloud was still being a pig-headed jerk, and he deserved a taste of his own medicine once and for all. She'd show him.

 

Chapter 6: Oblivious​

“I don't think you're doing it right,” Aerith's voice drifted through the door as her mother walked past her room.

“Just...just a technical difficulty,” Zack grunted in response, and Elmyra paused curiously.

“I thought you said you knew what you were doing...” Aerith replied dubiously, giggling nervously.

“Yeah, well...it just won't go in. I think it's too big or too long or something.” Elmyra's eyes widened. What in the world were they doing?

Elmyra burst through the door without knocking, her eyes blazing. “What in the world are you...” she trailed off as the two stared at her with bewilderment.

“Mom...is something wrong?” Aerith asked, sharing a confused look with Zack. Though slightly embarrassed, Elmyra was immensely relieved. Aerith was sitting on her bed, instructions spread out before her, and Zack sat on the floor, surrounded by miscellaneous pieces of wood and tools. They were building her wagon.

“I just...” the older woman flushed, realizing that her daughter would never have sex with some strange boy off the streets, no matter how enamored she was with him. “Just checking up on you two,” she finished. “Would you like something to eat?”

Zack grinned at Elmyra, as though he had an inkling of what had been going on in her mind. “No thank you, ma'am.” he said politely. “In fact, I should get going here – I promised I'd meet someone at this bar. Business opportunity,” he explained, rubbing his hands together eagerly. He turned to Aerith, pointing at the rather unfinished wagon. “Sorry, but I think I'll have to take another crack at this later. Maybe a break will do me some good.”

“Oh, you're going?” Aerith asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “Are you sure you don't want something to eat?” she offered, a hopeful look in her eyes.

“Nah, that's okay,” Zack proclaimed, leaping up off the floor. “I'll just grab a bite there. It's a bar, I'm sure they'll have food.”

“Oh, well. Alright then.” Aerith finished lamely, and Elmyra felt her heart go out to her daughter. The poor boy was blind to Aerith's affections.

“I'll see you later Aerith. And then we'll get this wagon put together.” he grinned cheekily, causing a flush to rise in Aerith's face.

“See you later,” she replied fervently, eyes never leaving him as he walked out her bedroom door. Elmyra cleared her throat to catch her daughter's attention.

“So, how's the wagon coming?” The question seemed to shake Aerith out of her reverie, and she giggled.

“Not very well. I don't think he really knows what he's doing, even with these instructions,” she gestured at the paper on her bed, shrugging. “I can't make head or tails of them.”

“I guess we'll just wait for Zack to come back then...let's go eat, dear.”

--

Tifa was waiting anxiously outside the bar; Cloud was somewhere inside sulking. After several unending minutes inside the bar, she had decided to wait for Zack outside. She just needed to catch him before he walked in and Cloud confronted him and blew their cover. Not to mention she had to ask him to pretend to take her on a date. No biggie.

Cloud had been furiously avoiding her the rest of the day, throwing dirty looks her way when he thought she wasn't looking, and muttering under his breath viciously. His attitude toward her had come to an all time low, but Tifa felt strangely pleased by it all. Why would he be acting so jealous (though he denied it vehemently) if he didn't care?

She closed her eyes, an image of a younger, more innocent Cloud forming. What had happened to that sweet little boy? True, he had gotten into lots of fights, but it wasn't as though they were unprovoked. When he hadn't been fighting, Cloud had been painfully shy around her, and though he had made a few attempts to talk to her, sadly, she had ignored him. As they had gotten older, she had begun to notice him more, though he grew more distant and secluded. Very few of the other kids picked fights with him anymore – they said he fought like a wild animal, at times.

It came as a surprise to her when Cloud had asked her to meet him at the water tower; it was even more surprising to find out that he was leaving, although she thought she should have seen it coming. All the boys were leaving for Midgar, to be like the great Sephiroth...

Not that he turned out to be that great, Tifa thought bitterly, the sudden image of the burned ruins of her hometown flashing through her mind. She was torn out of her darkening thoughts as she heard the crunch of boots on gravel, and her crimson-brown eyes popped open.

“Have you been waiting for me?” Zack asked, grinning kindly at her.

“Oh,” Tifa felt a blush rising on her face at his sudden appearance, and was grateful that it was dark outside. “I, well...yes. I kind of have a favor to ask of you...”

“Already? How do you know I'm even going to do this job of yours?” he demanded, but she could tell he was only teasing her.

Tifa fidgeted, trying to build up her courage. “Actually, its not about AVALANCHE or the job we want to hire you for...you see, I was wondering if you could pretend to erm...” she stumbled, suddenly afraid of being rejected, even though she wasn't actually interested in Zack that way. She could feel her face growing hotter, regardless.

“Yes?” Zack said, nodding encouragingly.

“Could you possibly...pretend to take me on a date tonight?” she blurted out, her heart pounding unexpectedly hard. She lowered her eyes from his, unwilling to see his reaction.

“Err...I'm a bit confused as to why...but, sure. I guess.”

It took Tifa a long moment to register that he had actually agreed. No questions asked.

“If you don't mind me asking, though...” So much for no questions asked. “Why not a real date?” he grinned at her, and she finally forced herself to meet his eyes.

“Oh! Well, its not that you aren't attractive or anything,” she explained quickly, trying not to stumble on her words. “But, I actually...actually, I'm trying to make this other guy jealous,” she admitted, shrugging sheepishly.

“Ah. Well, then, it would be my pleasure to take you on a pretend date Miss...?” he trailed off, and Tifa realized he was looking for her last name.

“Lockhart,” she finished for him, laughing inwardly as he bowed and held out his arm for her. “But before that, we have to go inside and discuss our proposition for you.”

“As you wish,” he proclaimed grandly, and she laughed out loud this time. Quite the character.

--

“So, we're lookin' for this girl, this Ancient...Shinra's lookin' for her too, so you best be quick about it.”

Zack nodded thoughtfully, frowning slightly. “I thought the Ancients were extinct...you know. Or like, a myth or something.”

“That's what we all thought,” Tifa assured him. Zack wondered briefly where the guy she was trying to make jealous was at.

“Okay...how do you propose I find this 'Ancient' anyway?”

“I would suggest following Shinra's grunts.”

“The Turks?” Zack asked, a sense of unease growing, as though his brain were trying to tell him something.

“Anybody,” Tifa said, and she could have sworn that she gave Barret a warning look. He dismissed it as his imagination playing tricks on him.

“Alright...” Zack said slowly. “I'll accept.”

“What're you charging?” Barret said gruffly, though he seemed resigned to part with any of his gil.

“I don't take my pay until the job's done,” Zack shook his head. “Besides, this may very well help me get my own revenge on Shinra..in that case, no charge. I guess we'll see though,” he grinned cheekily, and Barret looked bewildered. “In any case, I think Tifa and I should be going on our date now,” he announced, shooting a glance at Tifa. Her cheeks were turning red again, and she kept glancing up at the stairs. Zack could only imagine that the mystery guy was hiding up there.

“Ready to go Tifa?”

“Yeah, ready,” she breathed, taking his arm as he walked her out the door.

Once they had stepped out of the stuffy bar and into the (slightly) cooler air of Midgar, Zack gave Tifa a teasing look. “So where do I plan on taking us for our 'date'?”

“I don't care honestly,” Tifa sighed, shifting uncomfortably. “I can't come back too early, or else he'll think I didn't have a good time and he'll get all smug again. If I stay out too late though, he'll think I really liked you, and maybe it'll drive him away even more and then I'll never get the chance...” she trailed off, catching Zack's befuddled look, and realized that she was rambling. “Sorry,” Tifa murmured, chuckling nervously.

“You girls worry about a lot,” Zack laughed with her, his trademark grin in place. “Don't worry, I'll keep you out on our date for just the right amount of time. Y'know, just like that nursery rhyme about the porridge?”

“Um...a nursery rhyme about porridge?”

“Yeah, you know! Porridge. That mushy stuff. Something about being too hot, too cold, just right. I think.”

“...Did SOLDIER brainwash you?” she asked teasingly, clearly having no idea what he was going on about. His face darkened at the thought of Shinra, and he glared off into the distance.

“They certainly tried,” he muttered bitterly, then shook his head fiercely, determined not to let Shinra and SOLDIER spoil his nice night. “Hey. Can I ask you a favor?” he asked, suddenly inspired.

“Well, I suppose you can since you're doing me a favor.”

“Can you build a wagon?”

--

Aerith had to keep herself from running down the stairs when she heard her front door open again. Zack was finally back! It had been strange how much she found herself missing him.

It isn't like I've known him for that long...she thought as she forced herself to take each step slowly down the stairs. The image of his beaming face rose up in her mind, and she felt herself blushing in spite of herself. Unable to contain her excitement any longer, she hurried down the last set of stairs, only to halt in shock.

“Aerith!” Zack exclaimed, behind him a pretty girl with long brown hair and nearly crimson eyes.

He went on a date? Aerith stood in place, a numb feeling sweeping through her.

“Aerith?” he asked, a concerned look crossing over his face when she didn't respond. He waved his gloved hand in front of her eyes quickly. “Are you alright?”

“Oh...yes, of course,” she mumbled, though it felt like somebody had just dragged her heart down to her stomach.

“Aerith, this is Tifa. She's part of this group, and they hired me for a job...anyway, the real reason we're here is because she thinks she can help us build the wagon!” he beamed at her, apparently unfazed at the fact that he couldn't do it himself. It didn't seem like a very manly thing to admit.

The wagon was supposed to be just for us...Aerith though forlornly, but smiled anyway.

“That's great Zack.” Turning her gaze to the young woman trailing behind Zack, she held out her hand in greeting. “Hi, I'm Aerith...as you must know by now, I guess. It's nice to meet you Tifa.”

A strange look passed over Tifa's face – Aerith thought it must have been shock or surprise, but the look was fleeting, and Aerith wasn't so sure she saw anything at all. Tifa shook her hand firmly, smiling back politely.

“I hear you have a wagon problem.”

“Yes, apparently Zack isn't as skilled as he claimed to be,” Aerith allowed herself a small giggle at Zack's dispense. He protested loudly, pushing her lightly.

“I didn't bring Tifa here so the two of you could gang up on me and make fun of my poor building skills! Give a guy a break, I was trained to fight, not build flower wagons.”

“Flower wagon?” Tifa asked, raising a brow in question.

“I grow flowers,” Aerith explained hurriedly. “Well, actually, they grow by themselves, over in the church in Sector 5. I just take care of them. Zack and I are going to sell them to spread them around Midgar. At least, once we build the wagon we are.”

“That sounds like a really nice idea,” Tifa gave a genuine smile this time. “Midgar really is quite gloomy.”

“Yeah,” Aerith agreed. “Plus, its the only way I can pay Zack back for being my bodyguard.” Aerith watched as Tifa shot Zack another questioning look, and he shrugged, almost sheepishly.

“You're her bodyguard?”

“He saved me,” Aerith blurted, blushing when she realized she had answered for Zack.

“There were some nasty Turks and some chocobo-haired guy in the church, ruining all her flowers. Not to mention, they were fighting. I'm not sure why they're after her, honestly...” Zack trailed off, apparently thinking about it for the first time. Aerith felt her heart quicken in panic. He didn't know she was an Ancient, and she didn't want him to know. She wanted him to think she was normal. “But, as long as I'm around, nobody's gonna bother her anymore!” he crowed confidently, slinging and arm around her casually.

The flower girl felt her face grow hot and she prayed that her blush wasn't as apparent as she thought it was.

“Let's go build that wagon, hmm?” she asked quickly, butterflies dancing around in her stomach. Tifa's eye caught her own, and Aerith could swear the other girl was smirking.

Why would she be smirking? Didn't she and Zack go on a date? Maybe it's not a smirk. Maybe she's jealous. Aerith thought all of this in rapid succession, and while she felt disheartened that Zack had gone on a date with Tifa, she also felt a strange sense of pleasure that Tifa could be jealous of her and Zack.

Anyway...he's perfectly entitled to date whomever he wants. Just because he's my bodyguard doesn't mean I have monopoly over who he sees. Still, Aerith couldn't help feel a little jealous herself.

--

Tifa couldn't believe she was in the Ancients' house. Helping Zack and her build a flower wagon. It was too unbelievable. When Aerith had introduced herself, Tifa had realized with a start that she was the girl Cloud had described as the Ancient. She was rather pretty, Tifa thought, and she could understand why Cloud had talked about her.

So here she was, in the house of the girl they planned on kidnapping, with the mercenary they had hired to kidnap her, and he had no idea that Aerith was the Ancient, and that it was his job to bring her to AVALANCHE. To make things even more complicated, he was her bodyguard. And, he liked her. Tifa could see it in his eyes. From Aerith's untimely blushes, Tifa was sure that she liked Zack as well.

Thumbing through the wagon instructions absentmindedly, she sighed inwardly to herself. Did things always have to be so complicated for her? Cloud had to be a huge, jealous, irritating, jerk that she couldn't help but be attracted to; the Ancient was just a naive girl who was perfectly nice, who had a perfectly nice guy that liked her. Could Tifa really be part of the plan that would ruin Aerith's life?

Would taking Aerith away from here really ruin her life? Zack said Turks were after her. At least she would be safe with us...who knows what Shinra would do to her if they got their hands on her.

But what would AVALANCHE do with Aerith? Just keep her locked up in the bar? It seemed ridiculous. It was ridiculous. Zack certainly wouldn't want any part of the plan once he figured out who the Ancient was. Although, he seemed intent on his revenge against Shinra. Tifa had no idea what had happened between the two, but it was clear that Zack had not left with good feelings.

That was another issue. Could AVALANCHE hope to go against Zack to capture the Ancient – Aerith – when he was an Ex-SOLDIER and a skilled mercenary? True, they had Cloud, but he had admitted that Zack was too skilled for even him.

This is certainly a dilemma.

“Hey, Teef, you gonna stare at those instructions all night or are you going to help us?” Zack demanded.

“Sorry, I was just watching you bumble around,” Tifa shot back with a grin, unable to help herself. He had such a cheerful demeanor. “And don't call me Teef,” she added as an afterthought.

“Whatever you say, Ms. Lockhart,” he amended quickly, bowing awkwardly where he sat.

“Right, lets put this thing together.” Tifa laughed, sliding over with the instructions at hand.

“See, we couldn't get this pole to go in,” Zack explained, looking hopelessly confused.

“That's because you put these two boards together wrong,” Tifa explained, glancing over at Aerith and rolling her eyes. Aerith smiled, giggling to herself.

“There you go, ganging up on me again,” Zack frowned, pouting.

“Oh hush. I think you can take it.”

“I think we've wounded his pride,” Aerith said to Tifa, laughing, and Tifa couldn't help but laugh with her. It was so strange for Tifa to be around people so cheerful. She spent most of her time, after all, with Cloud and Barret. Not the most cheerful bunch.

“Well, he was getting a swollen head. We've deflated it for him a bit.” Tifa assured Aerith, grinning. Despite the flower girl's earlier hesitance toward Tifa, she seemed to have warmed up to her and didn't mind her presence. Zack glared at them both, giving up his previous pout.

“Girls are cruel.”

“Oh, Zack,” Aerith said hurriedly. “You may not be good at building wagons,” her lip twitched as she tried to hold back another giggle. “But you really are good at being a bodyguard.”

“Damn straight...” Zack muttered as he went to work, pulling apart the two boards. “I'm good at what I do. I'm the best.”

“...I'm sure, Mr. Fair.” Tifa rolled her eyes again, laughing.

--

The managed to finish the wagon – although, at the expense of Zack's pride – just in time for Tifa to get going. Zack insisted on escorting Tifa back, explaining it would only be the right thing to do. Tifa agreed after a moment's hesitation.

“Besides,” Zack said as they walked out of Aerith's house. “If you came back alone, that wouldn't make a very good impression on this guy, right?”

“That's true...” Tifa agreed slowly, scuffing the dirt with her shoe as she walked. “I just wish that...I wish he wasn't such a jerk sometimes.”

“Then why do you like him?” Zack asked, sounding surprised and exasperated.

“I guess I like him more for who he used to be than who he is now. I grew up with him, back in Nibelheim.”

“Nibelheim...small town. Or it used to be, anyway. I heard about what Sephiroth did...I actually used to look up to that guy, before I left SOLDIER. I didn't realize that he was actually nuts.”

Tifa frowned at the mention of her hometown being burned down. She did not want to talk about Nibelheim or Sephiroth.

“What about you?” she asked quickly, trying to change the direction of the conversation. “Where'd you grow up?”

“In this place called Gongaga. Another backwater kind of place.”

“Gongaga?” Tifa laughed. “Are you making that up?”

“No!” he shook his head fiercely. “I swear, mercenary's honor, that it's a real place....why the heck would I make up my hometown anyway?”

“Because, you're a mercenary. Aren't you supposed to be like...I don't know, secretive or something? Shouldn't you say 'That information is confidential'?”

“Er...Well, I'm not the ordinary mercenary, trust me.” He turned to her as they stopped outside of Seventh Heaven. “Besides, I just have a feeling that I can trust you. Why shouldn't I tell you the truth?”

Tifa blinked, blushing at his bluntness. He was staring at her intently, though she wasn't sure why. Was he sizing her up?

“Uh, well...I guess I'd better get going inside. Thanks for everything tonight.”

“No problem,” he assured her, winking playfully. “Here's my number, so you can call me if there's some secret meeting or something,” he told her, chuckling. “I'll see you around, right Teef?”

“Yeah...but don't call me Teef!” she called out to him as he jogged away.

“Okay, Teef!” he called back, and she laughed softly to herself. He was really strange...but in a good way.

--

Cloud had had an agonizing night. He had hidden upstairs when the mercenary – Zack – had arrived at the bar, listening at the top of the stairs while he was being debriefed. It was almost too easy, honestly. The guy had accepted without a second thought. Cloud almost scoffed out loud when Zack had declined the money right away. What kind of mercenary was he anyway.

Cloud nearly stopped breathing when Zack called out that he was taking Tifa on a date. She wasn't just making that up? He thought furiously, clenching his fist. He wanted to leap down the stairs and pummel the guy, although he wasn't sure why.

I'm just looking after Tifa. That's all. Cloud was bewildered as to why he cared.

He had spent the night scowling, drinking, pacing, and staring at the bar entrance. He snapped at anyone who came near him and threatened to break a guy's arm for looking at him funny. Cloud was in a bad mood, to say the least.

Close to 11:30 or so, Tifa walked into the bar, laughing softly to herself, her face flushed pink. This did not improve Cloud's mood. She seemed surprised to see him up, sitting in the bar. He realized that it must look like he had been waiting for her. Shit.

“Oh, Cloud. What are you doing down here?” she asked softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. He frowned, muttering under his breath.

“What's that?” she asked, making her way over to the bar.

“Just thinking,” he said a little more loudly, though in reality he wanted to yell again. He wouldn't let her think that he was jealous again – I was never jealous before! - though. He had a perverse curiosity to know how her date went.

“How was it?” he asked gruffly, wondering why he was dreading the answer.

“I had fun,” she admitted, and she was grinning.

She really did have fun.

“Right. I'm going to bed.”

“Cloud...?” Tifa asked uncertainly, and she looked a bit hurt.

“Night.” Without another word, or even waiting for a reply, he stormed up the stairs.

I am not jealous. I'm not.

--

Aerith was feeling a bit morose when Zack left to escort Tifa home. It was like her heart was fighting with her head. She could admit it to herself: she liked Zack. But she couldn't make him like her. He could go out on a date with Tifa if he wanted to, and there was nothing she could do about it. There wasn't anything she should do about it, because it shouldn't have been a problem.

Aerith's heart disagreed, though. It was a problem! A huge problem! Something, anything, had to be done. Still, Tifa was nice enough, and Aerith couldn't blame Zack, not a bit.

If this is love, then it really is miserable.

She jumped, startled, as her bedroom door opened suddenly. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she had not even heard Zack come back. He plopped down on the floor in front of her bed, for all the world looking like an overgrown kindergartner.

“So, do you like the wagon?” he asked, looking a bit apprehensive.

“Yes, it's lovely,” she smiled, gazing at her completed flower wagon. It was simple, but it would be enough to push her flowers around. “How was your date with Tifa?” she asked suddenly, unable to stop herself. She fought down her blush of embarrassment.

“What? Oh, we weren't on a date. I was doing her a favor, actually. We were only pretending, to make another guy jealous.”

A wave of relief rushed through Aerith, and suddenly all her morose, negative thoughts flew out of her head, and she was filled with a tremendous joy.

“Oh,” she said, failing to keep the beaming smile off her face. “Well, that was nice of you.”

“What can I say? I'm a nice guy,” he shrugged modestly, though she knew that he was getting a swelled head again.

“Too bad you can't build wagons,” Aerith teased. “Tifa did most of the work for you!”

“Yeah well...” Zack shrugged, grinning at her cheerfully. “You can't win them all.”

He has such a nice smile...and beautiful eyes.

“Well, goodnight Aerith.” Zack said suddenly, leaping up from his spot. “I'm beat!” Aerith was snapped out of her reverie, disappointed that they couldn't have talked longer.

We have tomorrow, though.

“Goodnight, Zack. Thank you.”
He paused at the door, looking back at her with a tilted head, and Aerith was reminded forcibly of a puppy. He gave her another trademark smile, with a look of tenderness she hadn't seen on his face before.

“You're welcome, Aerith. Sweet dreams.” Zack closed the door softly behind him, and she fell back onto her bed with a loud sigh, her heart pounding in her chest, and her stomach fluttering wildly again.

If this is love, then I don't mind the misery.

 

Chapter 7: Jealousy​

Zack was suddenly aware that someone was watching him while he slept. Well, while he had been sleeping anyway. Now he was wide awake, every nerve in his body tingling, his muscles tensing, preparing for an attack.

Best to get the upper hand now.

He leapt up from his bed, arm reaching out instinctively for his sword, which never lay too far from his side – one never knew when a situation would arise. Zack tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade, swinging with one arm toward his attacker. It was lucky that he had quick reflexes; he stopped his attack just in time.

Aerith sat in front of him, eyes wide, her face turning rapidly paler by the second, his buster sword inches away from her throat.

“Aerith!” Zack exclaimed, pulling his sword away quickly, remorse filling him. “Aerith, I'm so sorry...I just...I felt someone watching me while I slept, and it was just like...” he trailed off, not looking to explain how his life was when he was on his own, never safe. “What are you doing in here?” he asked hoarsely.

“I-I...I'm sorry, I just came to see if you wanted breakfast,” she squeaked, the blood finally returning to her face. She still had a terrified look on her face. Zack recognized the look. She finally realized that he was dangerous.

“Aerith,” he said weakly, reaching toward her hesitantly. She backed away to the door quickly, her head hanging shamefully. “B-breakfast is downstairs, kay?”

“Yeah..thanks.” Zack finished lamely. As she left his room, shutting the door firmly behind her, he buried his head into his hands, sighing regretfully. He had frightened her, and all he was doing was acting on his instincts.

--

Aerith hurried down the stairs, her heart still pounding erratically. She had gone up in his room to wake him, but she had paused, watching him as he slept. He was completely different when he slept. He looked younger than he did when he was awake, and completely relaxed. Yes, he smiled all the time, and seemed carefree enough, but she could tell that he was always tense, always alert, eyes darting every which way, looking for danger.

She got so caught up in watching his peaceful form sleep, she didn't even realize that she was staring. Suddenly, Zack's body tensed up, making her wonder if he were dreaming, and the next second involved her life nearly ending as he grabbed his sword and swung at her.

In that moment, she saw a wild, dark look in his eyes, one that spoke volumes. He had woken up thinking he was in danger, and he could have killed her without a second thought. He had stopped himself only seconds before he had cut open her throat, and she watched, terrified, as the wild look disappeared, replaced first by recognition, and then remorse.

Zack really is a mercenary. He's probably really killed people. The thought was...disturbing to Aerith, who, despite having seen him fight, couldn't imagine him being that kind of person. He had always seemed so joyous, carefree, and charming. And now she realized that he was a killer.

It frightened her.

--

Breakfast was a tense affair. Zack sat across the table from Aerith, to give her as much room as possible. He could tell how uncomfortable she was with him in the room. He suddenly hated the fact that he kept his sword by him at all times. What kind of bodyguard would he have been if he killed the person he was guarding? For the first time in a long time, Zack wasn't that hungry, and he had trouble swallowing his food. In between them both, Aerith's mother sat there, watching them warily, unsure of what happened, but aware that something wasn't normal.

Zack finished his breakfast, though each bite tasted like cardboard in his mouth.

“Thank you for the meal ma'am,” he mumbled politely to Aerith's mom, pushing his chair back with a loud scraping noise. He shot a quick glance toward Aerith, hesitating. “I'm uh...gonna go meet Tifa for that thing...did you want to come Aerith?”

“Um...no thank you, Zack. I don't want to get in your way. I should really check on my flowers anyway.” Aerith wouldn't meet his eyes, instead talking pointedly to her plate.

“Right, I uh...understand. I'll swing by to check on you later, kay?” She nodded in response, still abnormally interested in her plate.

--

Tifa looked surprised to see Zack at the bar so early.

“Uh, Zack, what are you doing here? I didn't even call...”

“Oh, right, sorry...I just came for some information on my mission. I need to...focus. I came to Midgar for a reason after all.” He realized his face was devoid of his usual grin, but it was like his face wasn't working right. Tifa seemed to sense something was wrong (probably by the lack of a smile on his face) and she nodded thoughtfully.

“Okay...well, what is it that you want to know, exactly?”

“Look, can I come in? I need a drink, or something...”

“Um, I don't think that's the best idea...” Tifa said, her eyes darting to the door. Zack frowned, in no mood to be messed with.

“Alright...” Zack said, pretending to agree with her. Her shoulders dropped visibly in relief, and he took his chance to dart past her and into the bar. He stopped, surprised at the sight of a blond, spiky haired man.

“You!” Zack's head spun around so fast to look at Tifa, he almost got whiplash. “You know this guy?”

“Uh...” Tifa looked embarrassed, and she nodded lamely. Zack spun back to face the other man – the Ex-SOLDIER he had fought while protecting Aerith.

“You were at the church!” Zack exclaimed, feeling very confused.

“Obviously,” the other man said dryly, glaring back.

“Tifa, who is this guy?”

“Um, Zack...this is Cloud. My uh...friend...from back in Nibelheim.” Zack got the feeling that Tifa wasn't telling him everything, but was surprised nonetheless that this was the guy Tifa was trying to make jealous.

He sure looks jealous, though, so I guess that went well.

“So Cloud...why exactly were you at the church that day? And why were you trying to take Aerith?” Cloud looked like he was about to make an angry retort, but Tifa interrupted, stepping in between the two ex-SOLDIERS.

“Cloud happened to see the Turks go into the area that day. He was doing some work, trying to get information on Shinra, when he saw she was in danger. He was just trying to help.”

“Then what the hell did you fight me for?”

“You're the one who started the fight!” Cloud growled, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

“Yeah...I suppose you're right. Well...sorry about that. I guess I got carried away that day.” Zack stuck his hand out for Cloud to shake, and for the first time since Zack had seen him, the angry look was gone, replaced by obvious shock.

“What?” Cloud asked blankly, staring at Zack's extended hand as though it were a foreign object, something alien.

“I said I'm sorry. We can be friends, right? I mean, you work for AVALANCHE, obviously. You must be a mercenary as well, if you're no longer a SOLDIER. We're the same, in a way. And now we work together. The least we can do is get along.” Cloud just looked up at him, staring with disbelief. Zack couldn't help but laugh.

“C'mon Cloudy, don't leave me hanging all day.” Cloud reached forward weakly, taking Zack's hand and shaking it feebly. Zack had to stop himself from rolling his eyes; instead he put his other hand around Cloud's and shook it firmly.

“Great. Good to meet you Cloud.” It seemed like everything finally clicked in Cloud's brain – like the fact that he shaking a perfect stranger's hand – and he yanked away, the glare returning to his face.

“Yeah, wonderful,” he muttered with a dry sarcasm. Zack shrugged, turning toward Tifa.

“Sooo, Teef,” he said casually, slinging his arm over her shoulder, watching Cloud subtly out of the corner of his eye. He had to hide his smirk as he watched a jealous scowl pass over Cloud's face. “How about another date tonight?”

Tifa looked bemused at first, her face flushing slightly as Zack slung his arm over her shoulders; then it dawned on her what he was doing, and she smiled conspiratorially.

“She can't,” Cloud said roughly, standing up suddenly, causing the chair behind him to fall to the ground.

“Oh?” Zack drawled, though inside he was nearly bursting with laughter. “And why not?”

“We're going to be busy tonight.”

“We? Like, the two of you? Teef, you didn't tell me you were dating Cloud too!” Zack feigned shock, gaping at her. To his extreme amusement, they both turned bright red.

“What? N-no, it's not really like that, Zack...” Tifa started, and Cloud shook his head furiously off to the side.

“That's not what I meant!” Cloud proclaimed shrilly, sounding far less menacing than before. “What I meant is...I meant...AVALANCHE. We're going to search for the Ancient tonight.” Zack missed the warning look Tifa shot at Cloud, too busy feeling greatly amused.

“I see...so that means I should help. It's my mission, after all.” He grew more sober, removing his arm from around Tifa's shoulders and gazing at Cloud thoughtfully. “So, we have to find somebody to trail, right? I mean, we have to find information on the whereabouts of this Ancient.”

The pair both looked bewildered by Zack's sudden change in mood. Had he been feeling less serious, he would have found it funny.

“I say we set up a stakeout,” Zack continued, ignoring the looks Tifa and Cloud were sharing. “Somewhere close to Shinra – the Turks are always coming in and out of there, as I'm sure you know, right, Cloud?” Not waiting for an answer, Zack plowed on with his speech. “And the Turks are always well informed. I heard they get paid even better than SOLDIER, but I'm pretty sure its because they are their own organization...they just do anything for money, even if it means working with Shinra,” he growled, saying the name as though it were a filthy curse word. Then, he turned to face Tifa and Cloud once again, looking at the two expectantly.

“Sounds like a plan, right? Anyway...” he hesitated, looking at his cell phone to check the time. “I promised Aerith I'd go check on her while she's tending to her flowers...I gotta go, kay?”

“Wait!” Tifa said, grabbing his arm. “We'll go with you, right Cloud?” Cloud gave her an astounded look. “You can apologize to her for scaring her the other day, hmm?”

“Oh...yeah, I guess,” he muttered, shrugging noncommittally. Tifa sighed loudly, rolling her eyes and smiling grimly at Zack, as if to say, “See what I have to deal with?”

“Let's just go.” Tifa grabbed Cloud's arm and pulled him toward the door, shouting behind her as she went. “Barret! Cloud, Zack, and I are going out for a while! Important business! We'll be back later, take care of the bar!”

--

Aerith hadn't heard them come in, and she berated herself silently as she watched the group of Turks come in. There were four this time, though two of them looked as though they had taken a beating recently.

I should have been paying attention...and now no one's here to keep them from taking me. Oh, I should have been more careful!

She frowned at the group, hoping meekly (though not optimistically) that it would deter them.

“Aerith,” the lead Turk said, his blue suit neatly pressed, without a hint of dust or dirt on it.

“Tseng,” she said curtly. “Why are you here?”

“You know why, Aerith. The President is becoming very anxious. He wants his Promised Land, after all.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Aerith lied, trying to keep her heart from pounding in her chest. She glanced at the other three Turks. She knew vaguely who the two beat up ones were – the ones Zack had taken care of, but spared their lives. She was fairly certain their names were Reno and Rude, although she couldn't remember which one was which. The other Turk was one she hadn't seen before, a rather young looking girl with wavy, red hair, and another pristine blue suit. She would have seemed nice, if it weren't for the hard look in her eyes, suggesting that she had seen and done a lot of things that weren't very nice.

“In any case, you could make this much easier for us if you just cooperated.” Aerith bit her lip hard, shaking her head firmly, and taking a step backwards. If I can just make it to the back exit...

“Cissnei,” Tseng commanded sharply. The red head looked expectantly at her boss. “Cover the back exit,” he sighed, resigning himself to capturing Aerith the hard way. The girl in question paused, her muscles tense, her heart pounding erratically.

Why can't they ever just leave me alone? All I want to do is take care of the flowers...live a normal life...She thought morosely.

“Rude, Reno, please restrain her.” They both nodded, limping forward to grab her, and she felt hope flare up in her. They were still injured, maybe she could fight back...

Suddenly the church doors flew open, with Zack silhouetted by the sudden bright light entering the church, and Aerith felt her heart leap with relief.

“Zack!” she cried out, her morning fear of him forgotten in her moment of euphoria.

“Back off,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous, and her mind shot to that morning again, the fear suddenly rising in her like poison. She remembered the hard, dangerous, wild look in his eyes; the wildness was gone this time, replaced by a cool anger. He had the look of a man completely in control of the situation. Behind him, two figures moved, and became clear. One was Tifa...the other was the blond haired man who had fought with Zack in the church the same day he had beaten Reno and Rude.

Is that man working with Zack, too? But she didn't have any time to think about the question further, because Reno and Rude suddenly lunged at her, gripping her arms fiercely. She bit her lip harder to keep from crying out in pain. She didn't want to show any weakness to the Turks.

“Wrong move,” Zack snarled, and it seemed to Aerith that he moved in the blink of an eye, moving from one end of the church to where she and the Turks were. His sword was a blur as he attacked the two, and she flinched away, stumbling backwards when the two men released her arms. She was filled with horror at the idea of Zack killing the two, even if they had been planning on kidnapping her. She didn't think she could stand the sight of their blood. When she looked up again, both the Turks were moaning on the floor, covered in several more welts and bruises.

“I thought I taught you that lesson last time,” Zack muttered, turning his attention to Tseng and the female Turk, Cissnei. “Do I need to teach you the lesson as well?” While Zack faced the two remaining Turks, Aerith scooted away from Reno and Rude's nearly unconscious bodies. Tifa hurried over to her side, eyes flitting between her and Zack.

“Wow, he's fast...I'm glad I'm not on his bad side,” Tifa muttered, helping Aerith to her feet. The blond haired man followed Tifa over, and Aerith shrank back slightly, eyeing him warily.

“Sorry,” he mumbled abruptly.

“Pardon?”

“About last time. Sorry, for scaring you, I guess. I was only trying to help.” He glanced up at her quickly, but his eyes fell back to the floor. He couldn't seem to meet her eyes.

“Oh, right...umm, apology accepted.” Her attention was diverted once more as Tseng reached calmly into his jacket, pulling out his gun.

“I'm afraid this is a private matter,” Tseng explained calmly, strolling over to Zack. “If you could please remove yourself, we will kindly be on our way.”

“Not with Aerith, you're not!” Zack said fiercely, and despite her fear, she felt warmth flood through her for the mercenary.

He's risking his life to protect me. He really is a good bodyguard.

Tseng, however, chuckled, shaking his head. “I'm afraid I will have to eliminate you then.”

“Do you really think you stand a chance?” Zack taunted, sword held at ready. Tseng shot without warning, and Aerith cried out. Her cry was for nothing thought; Zack had deflected the bullet as easily as he grinned each day, and was glaring defiantly at Tseng.

“Is that the best you can do?” Tseng rose an eyebrow, though he remained unconcerned. He shot off several more bullets, each one causing Aerith to flinch. She was hardly aware of Tifa and the blond man next to her. Watching Zack fight for his life – and for mine – was monopolizing her attention. Each bullet was deflected though, and soon Tseng had run out of bullets. He was frowning now, looking disgruntled.

“Who are you?”

“I've already sent that message with your two other monkey's here, Turk,” Zack spat, looking at the two prone Turks viciously. “But I'll give you another message, for Shinra. Tell them they have an enemy.”

“They have several, trust me,” Tseng said, though he looked intrigued.

“Now they have one that actually stands a chance at bringing them down,” Zack shot back. “Take your men and get out of here.”

Tseng studied Zack for a long moment, then cast his gaze to Cissnei, who nodded shortly. Aerith watched as Zack subtly shifted his legs, looking just as prepared for battle as he had a moment ago when he was blocking bullets. However, Tseng nodded and motioned to Cissnei.

“Help me get these two out of here,” he turned to face Zack again, a calculating look in his eye. “We promise not to attack you as long as you promise not to attack us.

“Mercenary's honor,” Zack said, relaxing, though only slightly. He lowered his sword and stepped back, allowing the two other Turks to gather their fallen comrades.

“I don't want to see you around here again,” Zack warned as the Tseng and Cissnei began to life Reno and Rude up. “Next time, I won't hesitate to kill.” On that final note, the Turks left without another word.

--

“You should have killed them!” Cloud huffed, shaking his head at Zack. “I don't understand. You say you're a mercenary. You say you were in SOLDIER. Apparently you were 1st Class. But you're afraid to kill?”

“I thought I've explained this, Cloud,” Zack sighed, eyes still watching the church doors the Turks had left through. “I don't like killing. It's distasteful. Taking someone's life shouldn't be easy, regardless if you're trained for it or not. I'm not a killing machine. I refuse to be what Shinra tried to make me. I'd like it if you would respect that.”

Cloud looked taken aback at this, opening his mouth in what looked like a response, but the he shut it again, looking thoughtful.

“Aerith, are you okay?” Zack asked, stepping uncertainly toward her. He wasn't sure if she was still afraid from this morning; in fact, he wasn't sure if she was even more frightened now that he had thoroughly attacked those Turks and threatened to kill them.

She nodded fervently, though, and then threw herself at him, burying her face in his chest. He blinked, startled at her sudden lunge, then wrapped his arms around her feebly, patting her back in what he hoped was a reassuring way. She pulled away a moment later, blushing lightly, and looking embarrassed.

“Sorry...I just...thanks, for saving me...again.” She chuckled weakly. “I guess I have a knack for getting into trouble. I guess it's a good thing you're around now, hmm?”

“Yeah, I suppose. But from now on, I'm not going to be able to leave your side,” he laughed, relieved she was no longer flinching from him. “You seem to attract trouble only when I'm not around.”

Aerith gave him a funny smile, then nodded her head slowly in agreement. “Yes, I guess that is for the best, isn't it?”

“Why are those Turks always coming around and bothering you anyway? It seems strange that they would be bothering a flower girl from the slums.” Aerith ducked her head, shrugging as she stared at the ground. Zack missed the knowing look Tifa and Cloud shared with one another.

“I-I don't really know,” Aerith spoke softly, still not meeting his gaze. Zack wondered if he'd said something wrong. After a long moment, Aerith looked up again, meeting his eyes. He couldn't discern the look in hers, though. “I guess they just like to make trouble...they always come around.”

“They haven't...they haven't done anything to you, have they?” he asked, anger stirring in his guts. A wild possessiveness flared up in him, and he swore to himself he'd go after those bastards if they'd touched her or hurt her at all...

What? What am I thinking? I'm her bodyguard, not her boyfriend. Still, he couldn't squash the feeling of protectiveness he had.

“No, never. They haven't done anything,” she assured him, and he could tell from her eyes that she was telling the truth. Whatever mystery emotion had been there before was gone.

“Good,” he sighed, letting out a breath of relief. “Good. I'm glad to hear that.” He paused, just looking at her. She looked fine, though a little scared from her ordeal. He noticed how the sun beams shining down through the church roof caught her hair, subtly defining the different shades of brown, and how her eyes seemed brighter than before.

“Hem hem...” Tifa coughed, interrupting Zack's staring session. Flushing slightly, he grinned and faced the other two. “Oh, right. Aerith, this is Cloud. He apologized for the other day, right?”

“Yes,” Aerith nodded, sending Cloud a small smile. “It's nice to meet you, Cloud.” She held out her hand to him, and this time Cloud actually took it and shook.

“Yeah...I was just helping, or trying to, at least,” he shrugged lightly, then released her hand. “I'm uh...glad those Turks didn't get you. I wonder what Shinra wants with – Ow! Tifa!” he snapped, glaring at Tifa as she elbowed him hard in the ribs.

“Cloud, Aerith's just had a pretty rough ordeal, maybe we should let Zack take her home?”

“But-”

“Yeah, Tifa's right, Aerith. We should probably get you back. We don't want your mom to worry, right?” he placed his hand lightly on her arm, and was pleased with she smiled back up at him. “Alright, well, see you later Cloud. Bye, Teef!” Zack laughed as Tifa glared at him.

“I told you not to call me that!”

“Slipped my mind,” Zack waved nonchalantly as an apology. Aerith giggled, then waved to Cloud and Tifa.

“Bye Tifa. Goodbye, Cloud, it was nice meeting you.”

--

As Zack escorted Aerith out, Tifa watched Cloud stare pensively after them.

“Gil for your thoughts?”

He turned to her, looking startled. Then he frowned. “What the heck did you elbow me for?” he asked, rubbing his ribs grumpily.

“Jeez, Cloud, why don't you try dropping bigger hints? Look, Zack doesn't know that Aerith's the Ancient, obviously, and if he found out, I don't think he'd just turn her in to us. Did you see the way he fought to protect her?!”

“Of course I saw!” Cloud scoffed, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. “I fought the guy before, remember? I know what he fights like!”

“Right, well, then you should understand why Zack can't find out. Besides, I don't think she wants him to know either.”

“How do you know?” he demanded, raising his brow skeptically. “Are you suddenly best friends with her?”

Tifa sighed heavily. “It's a girl thing, Cloud. Besides, if she wanted him to know, she would have told him. She's got a huge crush on him, can't you tell?”

“What? I thought he was going out on dates with you, though.” At this, Cloud's scowl deepened, and his eyes seemed to get cloudier.

“No, he likes her, too. I can feel it. That date was all a ruse, anyway,” Tifa confessed, shrugging lightly. She began to walk toward the church doors, ready to return to her real day job at the bar.

“What do you mean a ruse? A ruse for what?”

“It was a plan, Cloud,” Tifa paused, turning her head to look at him. “And it worked,” she grinned smugly.

“What do you mean it worked?!” he demanded, standing there dumbly while she walked away. She didn't reply, but kept on walking. A few moments later, she heard him shout out the church doors,

“I WAS NOT JEALOUS!”

--

Lying in bed that night, Aerith went over the days events in her mind. She had started off the day terrified, to go to feeling sorry for herself, then back to being scared for her life, and finally to accepted Zack for who he was. Yes, he was a mercenary. Yes, he was a trained killer, and had likely killed people before. But he was her bodyguard, and he was doing everything he could to protect her. The morning had been an accident, merely a survival instinct.

It was partly my fault anyway. I shouldn't have been watching him sleep, she thought to herself, blushing lightly as she pulled the covers closer to her chin.

If he hadn't been trained to fight the way he had, he wouldn't have been able to save her – again – today, and she was almost certain that the Turks would have finally taken her to Shinra. Zack was dangerous, yes, but not to her. Just to everyone who wanted to hurt her. The thought gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling, something she didn't often associate with trained killers.

Zack's different though. What did he say? “Taking someone's life should never be easy...” I couldn't agree more. And he spared the Turks' lives again. He's very...noble. Heroic, even.

Not to mention, he was rather adorable, in a clueless sort of way. She was afraid for the day when he finally figure out what she was though.

Will he still like me then? Will he still want to be my bodyguard?

With mixed emotions flowing through her, she turned over in her bed, closing her eyes, hoping that her mind would be clearer after a good night's sleep.

 

Chapter 8: Blood Lust​

It took Zack a great deal of persuading to get Aerith to stay at home with her mother while he went on the stakeout with Tifa and Cloud.

“Aerith, it's a stakeout. It could be dangerous...we're going after Shinra's men...you know, trailing Turks and stuff. Seeing as you don't have the best track record with those guys, you should really stay here. And not leave.”

“Zack,” Aerith sighed, pouting. “You said you had to stay with me, to protect me, didn't you?”

“I didn't really mean all the time. Everyone needs their privacy, right? Besides, if you stay here, with your mom, you'll be safe. The Turks don't know where you live, do they?”

Aerith hesitated for a long moment, and Zack was afraid that he would have to cancel the stakeout (or, tell Cloud and Tifa to go on their own) so that he could stay behind and keep Aerith safe. It was so difficult having several jobs. Finally, she shook her head with a defeated look.

“No, they don't know. I guess I don't have any reason not to stay here, hmm?”

“Exactly,” Zack said, patting her shoulder sympathetically. “I won't be that long though, promise. Just...have a nice night with your mom, kay? Not everyone gets the leisure, you know.” A guilty look flashed across Aerith's face. She opened her mouth to say something, but Zack held his hand up, interrupting her.

“We can talk later, I really have to go, alright? I'll see you later! Bye!” Zack was already running off in a hurry to meet Tifa and Cloud before Aerith could say goodbye. He felt a bit badly for leaving her behind, but it couldn't be helped.

Zack met up with Tifa and Cloud at the bar, who were both glaring at each other.

“Eh, trouble in paradise?” Zack asked, causing the two to turn their glares onto him. “Sorry,” he said quickly, raising his hands in defense. “It was only a joke.”

“Someone's a jealous jerk, he just won't admit it.” Tifa huffed. Cloud clenched his jaw furiously, not saying a word. Zack grinned at the pair, feeling sympathy for Tifa.

“Well, jealous jerks come around eventually,” he assured Tifa. “Are we ready to go? Or are you two going to squabble the entire time? Stakeouts don't work particularly well when people are bickering...it kind of gives away the element of surprise, you know?”

Cloud merely glared at Zack and Tifa (a feat that involved a stony face and darting, angry eyes) and grunted. Zack took that as his agreement.

Tifa sighed heavily, nodding her head. “We'll be fine. No more bickering.”

“Great,” Zack enthused, bouncing eagerly on his toes. “Well, time's a wasting, so let's get going.” Zack placed a hand on both of their shoulders and started steering them away from the bar and into the slums, toward the center of the city where the massive Shinra building stood ominously in the middle.

In between each sector of the slum, Zack grew warier, alert for any monsters nearby. He knew that Shinra didn't patrol the slums like they patrolled the city above, and many monsters had made their home in the rubble down below. A few times, they ran into one of the said monsters, but Zack took care of them with ease. Cloud looked rather irritated that he wasn't needed to help, and by the fact that Tifa looked mildly impressed by Zack. Zack distinctly heard Cloud mumble, 'big deal'.

Zack grew quieter as they neared the Shinra building, his jaw clenching as they drew closer. Memories of his life there flashed in his mind. People he had considered as friends, who had been sent on missions, and had died. Behind him, Tifa and Cloud were whispering fiercely to one another; it sounded like a pipe had leaked and was hissing behind him. He whirled around, glaring at them with hard eyes, mentally screaming at them, “SHUT UP!”

Are they crazy? They're going to get us caught. This isn't some sort of game. Fortunately, they both hushed up. He ducked into a dark alleyway where they could sit and wait with the Shinra building still in sight. He sat down on the street, glancing at Tifa and Cloud who mimicked his movements.

“Now, we wait,” Zack said, returning his view to the building.

–

Zack knew he had never been the most patient person ever, but when it came to a stakeout, he could sit perfectly still, with only the slightest movement as he took shallow breaths. Behind him, Tifa fidgeted, though Cloud remained mostly still as well. Zack figured that Cloud's SOLDIER training must have come in handy a little. He, however, had been trained to meditate for hours at a time by his mentor, Angeal.

Zack suppressed a pang of grief for his deceased mentor and friend, focusing more intently on the building. He would avenge Angeal.

He stiffened as he watched a group of Turks – he could tell by their neatly pressed suits who they were – walk casually out of the building. Most of the group contained Turks he hadn't seen before, though two were familiar. Zack recognized the red haired female from the last Turk visit, and the leader of the group, who he had seen briefly during his time as a 1st Class SOLDIER, though they had never been formally introduced. His name was Tseng, and he was clearly still in charge of the Turks as he motioned with his hand, and the others followed. Zack looked back sharply at Cloud and Tifa, who had also been watching the Turks, and nodded subtly, signaling the others to be ready to move. As soon as the Turks turned the corner and were out of eyesight, Zack raised his hand up by his ear, then swiftly pointed it forward with two hands before lunging out of the alley, barely making a sound.

He, Cloud, and Tifa trailed the Turks carefully, being careful never to get close enough to alert them, but never far enough away to lose them. Zack began to grow uneasy at the Turk's route. He only hoped that they weren't going where he thought they were going.

“Aren't we heading for the church?” one of the Turks asked Tseng, who shook his head slightly.

“She won't be there,” Tseng replied, and Zack motioned for Cloud and Tifa to stop, as the Turks had stopped moving as well. Zack held his breath, listening intently.

“Then where is she?” the same Turk asked, looking slightly miffed.

“She'll be at her home, I'm sure of it...follow me.”

Zack's first instinct was to run out at them and stop the Turks – he was positive they were talking about Aerith.

She said they didn't know where she lived! He thought woefully, berating himself for leaving her. He restrained himself from blowing their cover, though. Maybe if we follow them just a bit longer, they'll reveal why they're so eager to get their hands on Aerith.

Tseng suddenly stopped again, raising a hand and signaling for quiet. Too late, Zack stopped Tifa and Cloud from ceasing their footsteps, and Zack cringed, realizing that the crunch of gravel had alerted the Turks.

“We're being followed,” Tseng said quietly, so quietly Zack almost didn't hear it. He missed the next part of what Tseng said, but he watched as two unknown Turks were sent back in his direction, while the rest plunged on ahead.

“Damnit,” Zack cursed under his breath, quickly turning to Cloud and Tifa. “They know we've followed them. They've sent back two to deal with us, and the rest have gone up ahead. I'll deal with these two, you both follow the rest, quickly. Make sure they don't take Aerith, got it?”

Tifa and Cloud nodded quickly, their bodies tensing visibly as they prepared themselves to run for it. Zack held up his hand, waiting until the two Turks drew in closer, holding his breath. As soon as the Turks were close enough, Zack nodded, then drew his blade with a sudden cry, hoping to startle the two. Tifa and Cloud broke for it, sweeping past the two bewildered Turks, who quickly regained focused and drew their guns. Zack went into action swiftly to prevent Tifa or Cloud getting shot. He brought the blunt end of his blade down quickly, hitting one of the Turk's hands, causing him to cry out in pain and drop his gun. This drew the attention of the other Turk, who whirled around the fire at Zack, but he brought his blade up with surprising speed and deflected the bullet, which ricocheted off the metal and into scrap metal on the side of the pathway.

Determined to finish the fight quickly and get to Aerith, he lowered his sword, holding on with one hand, pulled his right arm back and swiftly punched both of the unfortunate Turks in the face, causing them both to grab their noses in pain. Planting his sword firmly in the dirt (he was sure that Angeal must be rolling over in his grave), Zack gripped the handle, simultaneously leaping into the air and swinging his body around with as much force as he could muster, using his sword as a central point, delivering two successive kicks to the Turks' heads. They both crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Zack landed easily, looking down grimly at the two bodies, then pulled his sword out of the ground, glancing up at the sky.

“Sorry, Angeal.”

Zack leapt over the two bodies, strapping his sword onto his back as he went. As his feet hit the ground, he took off down the path, putting on an extra burst of speed, praying that Cloud and Tifa had stopped the Turks from getting Aerith.

It felt like the longest road of his life, but Aerith's house finally came into view' his heart sank. Cloud was surrounded by five of the Turks, holding his sword out, an angry look on his face. Tifa was struggling with another Turk, who was attempting to hold onto her and avoid getting punched at the same time. Zack thought his heart stopped for a moment when he saw Aerith struggling between Tseng and the female Turk. Aerith looked up from her struggle, her eyes meeting his own.

“Zack!” she cried out, only to have the female Turk clamp a hand over her mouth.

Zack felt the anger building inside of him, and he felt his body shudder in anticipation.
“I warned you before,” he said slowly...dangerously. He narrowed his eyes, raising his right arm up to his sword, lifting it with ease. Everyone had stopped; all eyes were on him. “I warned you that if you came back, I would kill you,” Zack continued, gritting his teeth. “Now, you've brought me to this. I really didn't want to do this, but you gave me no choice.”

Tseng snapped his fingers, and the Turks surrounding Cloud and the one holding Tifa suddenly stopped what they were doing, then rushed toward Zack. A dangerous smile grew on his lips, and he chuckled lowly. Then he let out a cry of rage, swinging his sword around violently, cutting the arm off the first Turk to reach him. The Turk fell to the ground, screaming with pain, and as the smell of coppery blood filled Zack's nose, his eyes dilated at an alarming rate, so that his eyes nearly looked black. He ignored the screaming man, already twisting his sword into the next move, slicing downward with vicious force, removing the legs from the next Turk. The man crumpled to the ground, eyes wide, mouth open in a silent scream.

The four other Turks hesitated; one let out an animal moan of terror, and Zack grinned maliciously.

“I did warn you,” he whispered, then lunged forward, his sword slipping into the chest of the next Turk like a knife through butter. A gurgling, bubbling noise emitted from the dying man's lips, and blood spilled from his mouth, trickling down his chin and onto his now open chest.

Zack felt it rising in him, taking control of his mind and his body, but he couldn't stop it now. The blood was everywhere, and the monster inside of him screamed for more. He let out an beast-like roar, so loud that his throat felt raw from the effort. Another swing of his giant blade, and a man lost his head; it bounced away, an expression of fear frozen on its face. Another downward slice, and the last Turk standing in his way was ripped in two, the top half of his body sliding off his lower half, while the rest crumpled downward.

The blood was everywhere, soaking the ground, permeating his senses. Zack's chest heaved, his breath ragged in his anger, in his uncontrollable thirst for more blood. His eyes focused on the two remaining Turks who held Aerith, and Zack growled lowly. He dropped his sword; he would tear them apart with his own hands.

With alarming speed, Zack lunged forward again, reaching out for the female Turk. He clamped one hand around her throat, lifting her from the ground effortlessly.

“Cissnei!” Tseng cried out, wrenching Aerith away from Zack. Aerith stumbled, falling to the ground, sitting forgotten as Tseng watched with horror as Zack tightened his grip around Cissnei. Then his face became a mask of calm again, and he stepped forward slowly.

“Well done...You've made your point. Now, put the girl down; I've called for backup, and you'll be no match against all of us,” Tseng informed Zack.

“Cut the crap,” Zack snarled, his hand still clenched around Cissnei's throat, who was gasping pitifully for air. There was so much blood around Zack...he inhaled deeply, trembling, his pupils dilating and contracting wildly. “Why are you after Aerith?”

“Excuse me, but this isn't the part where the 'bad guy',” here, Tseng made air quotes with his hands, “reveals all to the 'good guys'. We aren't stupid. If you don't know, then we're not telling,” Tseng finished, glancing at Cissnei, apparently without care, but Zack could practically smell the fear roiling from both of them.

“Fuck, do you know what you're dealing with?” Zack demanded, relaxing his grip on Cissnei as he tried to regain control of himself.

“A glorified mercenary, apparently.”

“No, a god damn fucking SOLDIER.”

“Honestly, I see no problem with that.”

“No, not one of your fucking SOLDIERS. They're pansies compared to me. I'm old school. Like Angeal, and Sephiroth old school.”

Tseng's eyes widened, and for the second time that day, his calm exterior faded. He tried to regain it, but Zack could tell he was freaked.

“That's right,” Zack spat, his body twitching again. “So you will leave and not come back, or you know what I'll do to you. I will kill you all, and you won't be able to stop me. You'll all die before I ever do.”

With great effort, Zack dropped Cissnei, who fell to the ground ungracefully, gasping loudly and massaging her bruised throat. Tseng leapt forward, pulling Cissnei to her feet. Without a backward glance, the two hurried off, away from Aerith's house. Zack was suddenly all too aware of Cloud, Tifa and Aerith, all staring at him in horror. He laughed horribly, twitching, trying to regain control of himself.

“You don't know what this is like, do you Cloud?” Zack grit out, squeezing his eyes shut.

“No,” Cloud replied gruffly, completely at a loss for what was happening to Zack.

“No, you wouldn't. They changed the program...their precious 1st Class SOLDIERS started to degrade...fall apart and die. They shot us up with so many drugs, so many different kinds of DNA from the very monsters we killed. We started to become like them, in a way,” Zack gasped, his muscles straining, crying out, and his every instinct screamed to kill the rest of them. He curled up, trying to breath through his mouth so he couldn't smell the blood around him. He needed to meditate, soon.

“Then why aren't you degrading, too?” Cloud asked hesitantly.

“They'd found a way to stop it by then, of course,” Zack said bitterly. “That didn't stop Angeal from degrading. It was too late for him. And Sephiroth...he disappeared, but he was on a completely different level from the rest of us. He didn't get shots like us...he just was.”

Cloud didn't know who Zack was talking about when he spoke of Angeal, but everyone in SOLDIER had heard of Sephiroth.

“You all need to go. Take Aerith. I need-” he gasped again, his breath coming out in ragged breaths. “Just go. GO!”

Cloud stepped toward Aerith, but she shook her head, instead, stepping toward Zack. Tifa's eyes widened, and she shook her head fiercely. Stupid girl, she was going to get herself killed! Didn't she just see Zack slaughter everyone?

“Zack?” Aerith spoke hesitantly, softly.

“Please, Aerith, go...” Zack moaned, gritting his teeth, sounding both pleading and completely dangerous. Aerith didn't heed him, though, and continued to walk forward, stepping over and around dead bodies, a sad, understanding look on her face. She came around to Zack's front, and knelt down in front of him, where he still sat, curled up, trembling from the effort of controlling himself, reigning in his impulses.

“Zack, look at me,” Aerith commanded softly, but he shook his head fiercely.

“No, you need to leave -”

“I need you to look at me, Zack,” she whispered, and she rested both hands on his face and lifted it slowly until she could see it again, his face still scrunched up, his eyes screwed shut. “Open your eyes.”

Zack clenched his jaw tightly, a vein pulsing in his temple as he ground his teeth together. Very slowly, he opened his eyes, which were still dilated.

“Just look me in the eyes, Zack,” Aerith instructed gently. Zack's mind screamed at him, KILL HER. Spill the blood from her neck... Zack shuddered visibly, closing his eyes again.

“No, look at me, Zack,” Aerith said again, and he opened his eyes, staring into the green depths. She smiled softly at him, her thumb brushing over his cheek soothingly. “See? It's not so bad.”

Zack felt his body begin to cease its shaking, and his breathing became less constricted. Then Aerith leaned forward and kissed his forehead gently, and he closed his eyes again, sighing in relief as he felt his terrible impulses melt away. Because he had his eyes closed, he didn't see the soft green light surrounding him and Aerith, but Cloud and Tifa watched with wide eyes. Aerith pulled away, and Zack's eyes fluttered open, and he stared at her, aghast.

“How did you do that?” he breathed.

“I didn't do anything,” she assured him, still smiling. “You did it yourself. You just needed some encouragement.”

“I could have hurt you, Aerith,” Zack said, anguished. He knew he would have killed them all and felt no remorse until he had regained control of himself. He didn't know what he would have done if he had killed them.

“No, Zack. You're my bodyguard, and I trust you. You saved me, again.”

“You don't hate me?” he shuddered, hanging his head. “I killed them...slaughtered them all. This is why I hate killing...once I start, I can't stop.”

“I don't blame you Zack...you were only doing your job. You've warned them before, haven't you? And besides, you did stop. You let them go.”

“I shouldn't...I know what I'm like...”

“Its okay,” Aerith said softly, wrapping her arms around him in the warmest hug he'd ever received.

“I'm different...” he whispered, hating Shinra, hating himself.

“I know...I understand,” she whispered back, rubbing his back soothingly. Zack didn't know how she could understand, but he believed her. He wrapped his arms around her and shuddered again, feeling hot tears spill out of his eyes. He sobbed, great, body wracking sobs, trying to forget about all the men he had just ended.

–

Cloud pulled Tifa away from the scene, and kept pulling her until they were far from Zack and Aerith.

“I told you he was dangerous. Did...I've never...” Cloud stopped, staring down at the ground, looking faintly sick. “Fuck!” he finally swore, apparently at a loss for what to say.

“We are so dead,” Tifa whispered, her face pale and drawn.

“What?” Cloud muttered, obviously still thinking about the destruction Zack had caused.

“When Zack finds out that Aerith's the Ancient and that we've betrayed him...he's just going to kill us.”

“Er...maybe we should tell him now, and just forget the whole thing,” Cloud said slowly. He had never been one to back down, but seeing the acts Zack had just committed made even his blood run cold.

“No...we need to give him space...after a few days, we'll call him and have him come to the bar...we'll explain everything...and...” Tifa stopped, rubbing a hand over her face. “Oh god,” she whispered, shaking. “There was so much blood,” she whispered, a nauseous feeling bubbling in her stomach and rising in her stomach. She thought she was going to be sick.

“Tifa...” Cloud said softly, and she looked up, her eyes blurry with tears, and was surprised to see Cloud looking at her with such concern.

“Cloud...” she whispered, her lip trembling against her will. “He seemed so nice, you know? So normal...” she swallowed heavily, sniffling. It was horrible to see all those men die, even if they did work for Shinra. The way they had died...she didn't think she'd ever be able to erase the memory of it from her mind.

But seeing Zack like that...eyes nearly black, and laughing dangerously, as though he had enjoyed it – it had been worse, when she knew what he was like normally.

Or maybe that's not how he is normally. Maybe its a mask. What if he's really that monster?

A strangled noise escaped her throat, and she covered her face again, not wanting to cry in front of Cloud. She was surprised when she suddenly felt his arms around her, pulling her in. He rubbed her back comfortingly, and she couldn't stop the tears from leaking out of her eyes as she buried her face in his chest, trying desperately to block the images from her mind.

–

Aerith held onto a sobbing Zack, focusing on him so she wouldn't have to see the bodies around her. She could smell the coppery scent of blood. It was invading her sense of smell, but she did her best to ignore it, did her best to ignore the Planet's protests at the blood that was slowly permeating the soil.

She was terrified. She was horrified at what she had seen Zack do, at the men who had crumpled beneath his sword. The screams...she thought she could still hear them, echoing in her ears. The screams of men who had been ready to kill Zack and kidnap her, but the screams of men nonetheless. In death, they had all sounded the same: scared.

But she continued to comfort Zack, despite what she had seen, despite the murderous look that had gleamed in his dilated eyes. His pupils had grown so big they nearly ate away the beautiful blue that usually resided in his eyes. She was shaking as he clung to her like a child, but she doubted that he could tell with his own trembling. He kept moaning, “I'm so sorry,” and she rubbed his back consolingly, whispering soothing words in his ear, his hair tickling her face.

She tried to focus on the feeling of him, instead of the blood of the men he had killed soaking her dress.

Aerith had known he was dangerous, but she hadn't realized he was like this. But she still comforted him, still consoled him and whispered that it was okay. He was different, and she saw that, had seen it happen before her eyes, and understood. She was different too.

So Aerith held onto Zack as his sobs began to cease, until he was only shaking in her arms, still murmuring under his breath, sniffling and sighing on her neck, because she understood what it was like to be different, and because she thought that she loved him, despite everything.

I could love him, even if he's different.

 

Chapter 9: Love​

When Zack finally stopped trembling and calmed down, Aerith led him gently inside, guiltily remembering that her mother was still upstairs, tied up. She hurried up the stairs, flinging open her mother's bedroom door and rushing over to her mother, fumbling with the knots in the rope. Eventually, she managed to removing the binds and the gag in her mother's mouth. Her mother cried out at the blood on Aerith's dress, quickly smothering her in a hug.

“Oh Aerith! Are you okay? Are you bleeding?”

“No, mom, I'm okay, Zack came...he's downstairs. They're all gone now.” Elmyra hugged Aerith tightly, and Aerith rubbed her back soothingly.

“What happened?” her mother asked, and Aerith hesitated. She couldn't explain it – she couldn't tell her mom that Zack had killed all those men. That those men's bodies were lying in their yard, in front of their house.

“Zack took care of it,” she finally said, vaguely, but her mother seemed to accept it.

“Let's go thank that young man. He's saved both our lives, I suspect.” Her mother hurried off downstairs, and Aerith followed after her nervously. Zack was a mess, her mother would see all the blood...

But when they reached the kitchen, Zack wasn't in sight.

“Zack?” she asked softly, warily. She'd only left him for a few minutes.

“He must have gone outside for some fresh air...I don't blame him, I think I need some myself,” Elmyra said.

“No!” Aerith cried out, grabbing her mother's arm.

“Aerith?”

“I just...let me go check first, okay? Zack was a little...shaken up, is all...” Aerith said slowly, and her mother nodded in agreement, though the confusion was evident on her face.

Aerith eased the front door slowly, slipping out and shutting the door behind her with hardly a sound. She paused, eyes resting on Zack's form.

He had piled the bodies of the Turks up on top of each other and was now holding a small, glowing orb in his hand. She had only ever seen one ball before like it and it was upstairs in her dresser drawer...she was sure that Zack was holding materia. Her suspicion was confirmed when a moment later, the bodies in front of him caught fire. His features were thrown into sharp relief as the flames flickered and grew, but he didn't step any further back. She was positive that the heat must have been intense, but he didn't seem bothered by it at all. His blue eyes were narrowed, and his lips were moving, though she couldn't hear what he was saying.

She hesitated briefly, before stepping forward cautiously. “Isn't it hot?” she asked loudly over the crackling of flames, stopping quite farther away from the flames than Zack was.

“A little,” Zack said, turning to face her. She felt her heart sink at the sadness she saw in his eyes, but the sad look faded away as he focused on her. “It burns a little, but I'll heal quickly,” he said, unconcerned. Aerith frowned at his response, wishing he'd step away from the growing flames.

“I think it must burn when they die,” he said, more softly. “Being cut like that, at first, you don't even feel it, the blade's so sharp, right? And, it takes a moment to even realize that you've been hurt,” he continued, his voice growing stronger. Aerith thought he sounded like he knew what he was talking about. “But then it starts to burn, and throb, and the ache doesn't go away until you either get healed or you die. The last thing these men felt was burning. And now they're being burned to remove evidence, a convenient way to remove the bodies...” Zack hung his head, but Aerith could still see him clearly as he glared at the ground. “I killed them, and they burned, and they're burning, so I should burn a little too. It seems like the least I can do.”

“My mother...she's trying to come outside,” Aerith said, changing the subject. She just didn't know what to say to him.

“And you don't want her to see this, right?” Zack asked wearily, and he looked much older than he was. She was relieved when he stepped away from the fire, which was now spewing black smoke into the air. Zack watched her as her eyes followed the smoke upward.

“I don't want her to see this...she's scared enough for me as it is. I...I didn't tell her what happened, only that you saved me.”

Zack sighed again, then gestured carelessly at her house. “Go distract her. I'll clear this up quickly...it'll be back to normal out here in no time.” She saw his mouth quirk up in a small attempt at a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. They remained blank and emotionless. She nodded uncertainly in response and hurried back to the house before her mother stepped out to see what was taking so long.

–

Zack watched Aerith's retreating form, a small frown adorning his usually cheerful face. When she closed the door behind her, he returned his attention to the burning bodies. His frown deepened into a scowl, and he cast Fiagra. The bodies disintegrated from the intensity of the flames, but he didn't step back as the heat wave washed over him. As the fire began to grow out of control, he quickly cast Blizzaga in succession. As the ice melted, the falling water began to put out the fire, until all that remained were ashes and smoke. His chest rising and falling from his exertion, Zack gratefully stumbled back toward the house. He would need a shower, he knew. He was covered in blood and filth. Luckily, the smoke had blackened his skin to cover the blood.

He crept warily through the front door, and he was relieved to see only Aerith waiting for him. She smiled gently at him, but he couldn't find it in him to smile back. He just nodded and rose his eyebrow quizzically.

“My mom was feeling tired and I convinced her to get some sleep. It'll do her good.”

“Everything's cleaned up, for the most part. I still need to get cleaned up, clearly,” he said wryly, gesturing to himself. He bit his lip, his brow furrowing. “Aerith...”

“What is it, Zack?” she asked encouragingly.

“I don't think I need to tell you this now, but, I'm dangerous. I....I could be a danger to you, too.”

“Are you saying that you're not going to be my bodyguard anymore?” she asked slowly, and Zack thought she looked a bit sad. Strangely, he felt a little pleased that she might be sad to see him go, yet at the same time, he knew no good could come from those kinds of feelings.

“No. I won't leave you now,” he said, and her glum look faded as she smiled brightly at him. “I'll be your bodyguard until you're safe again, or I finally get back at Shinra, in which case you will be safe, because there won't be anymore Turks to try and kidnap you. Whichever comes first, I suppose.”

Her mouth thinned and he thought he saw a flash of fear in her eyes before she set her chin determinedly.

“I see,” she said softly. “What then?”

“I don't know. I'll figure it out when I get there, I guess,” Zack sighed heavily. “I should really shower,” he continued after a moment.

“Of course,” Aerith acquiesced. Zack started for the stairs, but then paused.

“One last thing,” he said, clearing his throat. Aerith looked at him expectantly, and his words caught in his throat for a long minute as he stared into her green eyes. He finally tore his eyes away, the corners of his mouth turning down. “Don't fall in love with me. Nothing good will come from it. Not with a guy like me.” Zack was surprised at the bitterness in his voice, and he took the rest of the stairs two at a time so he didn't have to see her face. Maybe it was a lot to assume, but he could tell that she liked him. Heck, he could admit that he liked her. But now he knew that he couldn't let anything happen between them, not after what happened. He shut himself in the bathroom, locking the door and pulling his uniform off wearily. He'd have to wash that as well.

Zack turned on the hot water, letting it run until it was almost scorching before turning on the cold water to even the temperature out. Stepping in the shower, he sighed gratefully as the steamy water pounded onto his back and ran down his grimy body. He watched as the dirt slid down and pooled at his feet before swirling down the drain. He wished that the memories of what he did could follow, but he knew it was only wishful thinking. The best he could do was to take the memory and push them away, with the rest of his less honorable deeds. He would keep it there, under box and lock. He used to talk to Angeal about these things. Who better to understand than another SOLDIER, another...monster? But Angeal was gone, and he couldn't talk about it. So he had to lock it away. Perhaps it wasn't healthy, but he knew he couldn't live with the guilt everyday. Pushing it down and hiding the memories helped him get through the days.

He scrubbed his body thoroughly with soap, feeling over his muscled body perfunctorily, checking for any wounds that he may have gained in his fight, until his bar of soap was dirtier than he was. He let the water from the shower head cleanse the soap bar again before rinsing himself, then turned his attention to his hair. He massaged his scalp vigorously, lathering the shampoo and twisting his hair around his head. Once he was done, he stood under the water, his hair clinging wetly to his face and neck as it was plastered down. For once, his hair was lying down flat, and the thought caused a small grin to tug at his lips. He stood there, with his head under the water until the water began to run cold.

Stepping out, he wrapped himself in a towel, grabbing his filthy clothes and holding them away from his body gingerly, wrinkling his nose at the smell – coppery and smoky. He opened the bathroom door, the steam rushing out and cold air rushing in, and he was startled to see Aerith there, her hand raised in a knock.

“Oh!” she cried out, and he could practically feel her eyes traveling down his body. Involuntarily, he tightened the towel around his waist. Her eyes met his suddenly, and she was blushing spectacularly. “I'm sorry,” she said meekly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I was only checking to see if you were okay. You were in there a long time.”

“Sorry,” he muttered, his body feeling all too warm. I probably spent too much time in that hot water... “I was really...dirty.” His response felt lame, but he felt awkward, standing in front of Aerith, naked except for his towel, and water continuing to drip from his hair and down his body. A small puddle was forming on the ground under him.

“I'll let you get dressed,” Aerith squeaked hurriedly, darting out of the doorway and quickly disappearing into her room. Zack sighed, with relief or disappointment, he couldn't tell, and hurried to his own room to put on some clean clothes. He'd have to ask Aerith later where he could wash his dirty ones. As he was dressing, he eyed the bed wearily, wishing he could collapse on it and fall asleep, while his stomach protested loudly, crying out for food. He pulled on his reserve clothes, which looked much less impressive than his usual uniform, and decided that hunger won out to sleep, and headed quietly downstairs to scrounge around the cupboards for something to eat.

–

Aerith sat on her bed, feeling rather confused and embarrassed.

What am I going to do? She wondered woefully, laying back and spreading out, sighing heavily. “Don't fall in love with me.” What does that mean?

Aerith knew, obviously, that he didn't want her to fall in love with him, but she didn't know why. Was she undesirable? Did he find her revolting? A part of her thought maybe that was the problem, but on the other hand, he was always so nice to her. Was it pity?

Secondly, had she been so obvious? Did he know that she liked him that much? She often found she could be blunt about things in her naivety, but she had tried to conceal her affections, mortified at what he would have thought if he knew. But apparently, he could already tell. And now he told her not to fall in love with him.

Too late. Aerith frowned, her forehead wrinkling. He doesn't know I've already fallen. Maybe it was foolish, but ever since he had rushed in to save her that day in the church, she had felt an inexplicable attraction toward him. Even after seeing his more...dangerous side, she hadn't been deterred.

But then he said that it wouldn't work, not with a guy like him. So maybe this isn't about me at all. Aerith found the thought did little to comfort her. A guy like him? The kind who rushed to save young flower girls and protect them? What was wrong with that kind of guy? Yes, he had killed those men. But he had felt remorse. He wasn't a cold hearted killer, or a monster, but Aerith didn't think that Zack could see that.

Maybe it is for the best, though... Aerith thought, fingering the corner of her jacket. He doesn't know that I'm he Ancient. What will he think when he finds out? Aerith was the only one of her kind, and she would probably be the last. Maybe it was Fate. She looked normal, but she wasn't...and how could anyone have a relationship with a person like her?

Exhaling loudly, she thought guiltily about what had just occurred. She had gone to knock on the bathroom door, worried that Zack was trying to drown himself in the shower, when he had opened the door and she had nearly knocked right on his chest. Even more embarrassing, she couldn't stop herself from letting her eyes travel down his body, taking in every detail. Her eyes followed drops of water as they slid over his arms and chest, running down over his defined abdomen until they trailed down, disappearing behind the towel. She had blushed furiously, realizing what she was doing and quickly went to meet his eyes, focusing on the fact that his hair was still plastered to his hair and dripping wet, and trying not to think of where those water droplets were going.

Her heart raced and her face flushed at the mere memory. He had looked...perfect, to her, at least. Sadness crept up in her as she realized that there was nothing she could do about that. They couldn't be anything more than what they were right now. It was for the best.

Aerith heard the creak of stairs as Zack made his way to the kitchen. She could tell it was him, by the way he walked. The stairs groaned under his weight until he stepped off them, and a moment later she could hear muffled rummaging. He must be looking for food. She bit her lip, steeling herself, before rising from her bed and following him down the stairs. He looked up at her in surprise, and she was amused to see that his hair was starting to stick up as it was drying.

“How does your hair do that?” she asked impulsively, trying to shove the memory of his wonderful, wet torso from her mind.

“Oh, um...it just does. It always has,” he said, shrugging. He looked uncomfortable with her there, and she could feel her heart sinking. He didn't want her around.

“Looking for something?” she asked, unsticking her throat, ignoring the sinking sensation in her body.

“I was hungry,” Zack replied, gesturing to the cupboards.

“Sit down, I'll make you something,” Aerith said, and when he hesitated, she took his arm and led him to the table firmly. “I don't mind. It's the least I can do.”

“Er, alright...thanks.” Zack muttered, staring at the tablecloth. Aerith quickly busied herself, thankful that she had something to do with her hands. Anything to take her mind of the uncomfortable silence that was now growing between them.

“Look, Aerith,” Zack said so suddenly that Aerith dropped the spoon she was holding. She didn't bother to pick it up as she focused her attention on him, their eyes meeting. She couldn't define the look in his eyes, but her heart started racing in spite of herself.

“Yes?” she asked softly, her hands resting on the counter top.

“I'm sorry about what I said earlier, it's just that-”

“Zack, you don't have to explain,” Aerith said quickly, not wanting to hear his explanation. What if he really did find her repulsive?

“No,” he said forcefully, shaking his head. “It's not anything you've done, I promise. It's me. I'm dangerous. I could be dangerous to you...I won't put you in danger. I'd...I'd be a really shitty bodyguard if I did.”

Aerith bit her lip, feeling both relieved and saddened. She wanted with all her heart to reassure him, to tell him she didn't care, and that she knew he wouldn't hurt her...but...it was for the best that they didn't get involved.

“It's okay, Zack. I understand completely, and I agree. It's better if-” she paused, her throat sticking again. She cleared her throat and continued, “- if we're just friends. It's...for the best.”

“I-” Zack began, frowning. It clearly wasn't the response he was expecting. In fact, Aerith thought that he looked a little sad too, but maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part. “Yeah. I'm glad you understand, Aerith,” he finally managed to say, and he gave her one of his looks again. The one she only ever saw him give her – a tender look that seemed out of place for a mercenary, and better suited for someone in love.

But I can't love him. And he can't love me. We're only...friends.

“Just promise me something,” Aerith spoke softly, wringing her fingers.

“Sure,” Zack said, still staring at her intently. She felt like he was trying to look into her soul.

“Promise you won't fall in love with me,” she said, smiling a bit as though she were trying to make a joke, and she saw his own lips twitch a bit, into a sad sort of smile. He didn't say anything, but he looked away. He didn't actually make the promise, but she fed him anyway.

It's for the best, she repeated to herself, even though another part of her was disagreeing completely.

–

Cloud was drinking again. He sat at the bar, a disgruntled look on his face as he pondered once again why he had felt like such a...such a...scaredy cat when Zack had killed those Turks. He had wanted to run, to flee, and now he felt foolish and ashamed.

I was a SOLDIER! He thought fiercely, scowling outwardly. I've seen worse things. I've done worse things. But Cloud still couldn't explain away the terror he had felt. He had seen the same terror on the Turks' faces, and Tifa's face. Aerith had been the only one brave enough to approach Zack when it was all said and done.

I'm a coward. Cloud thought bitterly, tilting his head back as he took another long drink. It was stupid, but it was like Zack had radiated power, and that power had made everyone around him terrified. But, those things weren't possible, were they?

Maybe it was though. Zack had said he was 'old school.' That meant he was different from the other SOLDIERS. They had been experimented on, and perhaps radiating pure terror was some sort of monster ability that had been given to the 'old school' SOLDIERS. Cloud sighed heavily, beginning to think that the alcohol was going to his head and giving him crazy theories. He felt a warm hand slip onto his shoulder, and he glanced up at Tifa, who was gazing at him through concerned, crimson eyes.

His thoughts turned to when he had hugged her after the massacre, comforting her as she cried. It had felt...nice. She had felt nice in his arms, and he hadn't really wanted to let her go. Even though he had spent so much time convincing himself that Tifa had never been his friend, that she didn't care about him, he knew that he (grudgingly) cared about her, even after all that time. Being in SOLDIER had made him cold, he supposed. You saw a lot of things, fighting, killing, and he had learned to detach himself, to distance himself from others, and from caring. He'd disconnected his heart, and his head, because he didn't want to recognize when things went bad.

“Are you okay?” she asked him, and he shrugged, then nodded.

“I guess. I'm just thinking.”

“About what happened?”

“Yeah...” he grunted, then laughed darkly. “How could I not think about it? I ran scared.”

“So did I.”

“But I'm...I'm supposed to be fucking SOLDIER material. And I ran at the first sign of danger. And I don't understand it, but...”

“Zack's different,” Tifa finished for him, and Cloud just nodded again.

“I've never really seen anything like that...I mean, I've seen people just lose it, but Zack really lost it. It was like he was a different person, and it was disconcerting to see. But...gah! Fuck, why do I even care? I don't. I don't care. All that matters is...”

“What, Cloud?” Tifa asked, her mouth tight. “The money?”

“No,” Cloud spat, glaring at the counter top. “All that matters is that Shinra ends. They're manipulating people. They manipulated me.”

Tifa gave him a long, hard look, and it made Cloud feel like squirming, but he kept his body still.

“Well. Maybe you care because it seems like both you and Zack are after the same thing.”

“What?” Cloud scoffed, crossing his arms. He didn't want to care about what Zack did. He didn't want to care at all, because it just ended up fucking with his mind.

“Zack's out to stop Shinra too. You two aren't so different, you know. You're both ex-SOLDIERS, both mercenaries...you both even look similar.” Cloud's scowl deepened. But he fights better, he thought grudgingly. Why was Tifa comparing the two of them anyway?

“Are you sure you aren't long lost brothers?” Tifa asked, deadpan and it took Cloud a moment to realize that she was joking. His scowl merely deepened, and she stuck her tongue out playfully. It took him a bit by surprise. He hadn't seen her this playful in a long time, not since they were little kids. Lately it had all been seriousness and business. Sighing, he shook his head and pushed back from the bar.

“I doubt it, Tifa. So, what are we going to tell Barret?”

“What do you mean?” she asked him, brows knitting together.

“About Zack. You know, crazy psycho fit of killing just because someone tried to take the Ancient? What happens when he finds out that we're trying to get her too? And how do we break it to Barret?” Tifa bit her lip, and the action caught all of Cloud's attention, to his annoyance. Strangely, he thought he remembered kissing her once, but the memory was fuzzy. Perhaps this was another result from the excessive alcohol he had in his system.

“I'm not sure. He's set on nabbing the Ancient before Shinra does, and I don't think Shinra will give up, even after Zack's display. I think that as long as we don't tell Barret that Aerith is the Ancient, he'll never be any the wiser – and Zack won't be angry.”

“And how do we convince Barret that Zack is searching for he Ancient in the meantime?” Cloud demanded, raising a brow.

“Well, Zack doesn't know that Aerith's the Ancient either. So, he will be searching, technically. And he can tell Barret that for himself.” Tifa said, shrugging, though she was frowning, as though she didn't savor the idea of tricking everyone. Cloud had no qualms about it though – sometimes, unpleasant things needed to be done for the greater good.

“Sounds like a plan...for now. Although, I was almost looking forward to breaking the news.”

“You just want to piss Barret off.”

Cloud shrugged in response, holding back a small smile. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

–

She had smiled at him, looking at him with those bright green eyes, and repeated his very own words back at him, and even though she smiled, there was a hint of pain and seriousness in her eyes. And he found that he couldn't form any words to reply, to promise her that he wouldn't fall in love with her...and he didn't know why. But his thoughts kept going back to when she had calmed him from his murderous rage and comforted him when he'd cried afterward. He'd never had anybody do anything like that for him before. He'd never had anyone able to bring him out of his rage just by looking in his eyes and telling him that it was okay.

Zack wondered what he was going to do, or if he should even do anything about it at all.

You have a mission, Zack. He scolded himself, staring at the ceiling and scowling as he lay in bed. Remove Shinra...and find this Ancient, whoever she is. AVALANCHE told me to follow the Turks, but so far they've been too busy trying to kidnap Aerith to lead me anywhere. A sudden thrill of dread shot through Zack. Surely, Aerith wasn't the Ancient? No. I would know. I bet the Ancient looks...well, I don't know, different. Like another being. Surely not human? Surely not a flower girl from the slums?

Zack frowned deeply, closing his eyes. His head hurt too much, and he was far too tired to continue thinking about this. Besides, it wouldn't do to ponder about things that couldn't possibly be true. He rolled over, turning his thoughts over to plans to terminate Shinra, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

–

The next morning, Zack planned on going to AVALANCHE to find out more about this supposed Ancient. He had to know, now that he had those disturbing thoughts about Aerith being the Ancient. Preposterous, really. Zack snorted to himself, shaking his head. He must be getting paranoid.

“Good morning,” Aerith greeted cheerfully, and he smiled when his eyes met hers. No. Aerith is just a normal girl. An Ancient wouldn't need a bodyguard. They're incredible beings, aren't they?

“Morning, Aerith. I've got some business to attend to today,” he said, biting his lip uncertainly.

“Oh,” she said, her face falling a bit, but then she smiled again. “Alright. I promise I'll stay put.”

“Actually, I was thinking that you'd better come with me. After the other day...well, obviously, it's not safe to leave you here by yourself, when the Turks know where you live. You're safer with me, and I think you're mother will be fine as long as you aren't here. I don't think the Turks will be coming back anytime soon, but you never know.”

“I'm coming with you?” Aerith asked, clearly surprised. “Where? What do you have to do?”

“I have to go meet Tifa and Cloud. I need to ask them about the job they've hired me for. Nothing too dangerous today,” he said, flashing a small smile.

“Oh, it'll be nice to see them. They disappeared yesterday...I hope they're okay,” she said with a thoughtful frown.

“I'm sure they are. Cloud's tough, he can take care of himself and Tifa.”

“That's good,” Aerith said, the frown disappearing from her face. “So when do we leave?”

“Right now, if you're ready. I'm sure we can coax some breakfast out of Tifa at the bar, what do you think?”

“Alright,” she laughed. “Let me just go tell my mother where we're going. I don't want her to worry.” Aerith hurried up the stairs and out of sight.

Zack sighed, scratching his head absently. Bringing her with was really the best, but he had to be careful what he said around her. He didn't know what his mission was, and he preferred to keep it that way...especially now that he had some suspicions. Hopefully, Tifa could keep Aerith occupied when they got there so he could question Cloud and Barret. Zack had considered asking Aerith why the Turks were after her, too, but he didn't want to upset her, so he let it go.

Aerith came bounding down the stairs a moment later, grinning ruefully. “She's reluctant to let me go, but she agrees that I'm probably safer with you.”

Zack nodded, understanding why her mother wouldn't want to let her leave. Zack was a bit worried for Elmyra as well, but he hoped the Turks would leave her alone as long as Aerith wasn't around.

“Okay, let's get going. Just stay close, okay?” She nodded in agreement.

“Do you think afterward we could go to the church?” she asked, hands behind her back.

“Well...,” Zack said slowly, thinking that the Turks might be staked out there, waiting for Aerith. She gave him a sad, pouty sort of look, and he felt himself relenting. As long as I'm with her, she'll be safe. “I suppose,” he sighed, shrugging. She beamed at him, arms swinging away from her body as though to hug him, but then she stopped abruptly, her arms dropping back down to her sides. Don't fall in love with me.

“Thanks,” she said instead, folding her hands behind her once again.

The trip to the bar was uneventful. They hadn't spoken much; Zack was lost in his thoughts, and Aerith seemed the same. When they reached Sector 7, Aerith looked around with interest, but their silence continued, up until they got to the bar.

“Ladies first,” Zack said, holding the door open for her. She stepped inside, smiling at him gratefully.

“Aerith?” came Tifa's surprised voice as Zack followed Aerith inside. Cloud and Tifa were sitting around the bar, and they both looked shocked to see the two of them there, and slightly guilty looking. Zack suspected they had just been talking about him, no doubt to due with his actions the other day.

“Hello Tifa, Cloud,” Aerith replied softly.

“We uh, just came to check that you guys disappeared yesterday...” Zack explained. “Not that I blame you,” he muttered, mostly to himself, but he knew Aerith had heard him from the look she gave him.

“Oh, well, we're fine. You told us to leave, remember?” Tifa asked, a concerned look adorning her features.

“Right...sorry...a lot of what happened is really...hazy,” Zack said, and it was partly true. He had shoved most of the day away, back into the deepest corners of his mind. For a long moment, the four of them stood around awkwardly. Apparently no one had anything to say.

“Breakfast,” Aerith suddenly blurted.

“What?” Tifa asked, clearly lost.

“Oh, right...we were hoping that you'd make us breakfast.”

“What?” Cloud scoffed. “This is a bar, not a bed and breakfast...”

“Sure,” Tifa said simultaneously, shooting Cloud a dirty look at his inhospitality.

“I'll help,” Aerith offered, much to Zack's relief. If she was helping Tifa with breakfast, Zack would be able to talk with Cloud and Barret alone.

“I'll be right back,” Zack said quickly, reaching out and grabbing Cloud's arm, tugging him away despite his angry protests.

“What the fuck!?” Cloud demanded, trying to tug his arm out of Zack's grip, but failing. “Let go of me, you asshole.”

“We need to talk,” Zack said, his voice low, and Cloud seemed to pale a bit.

“Look, uh, Zack, the thing is-”

“Where's Barret?” Zack asked, frowning.

“Out,” Cloud muttered, glaring. “I'm not his babysitter, you know.”

Zack sighed heavily, releasing Cloud's arm, who began to rub at it absently, still glaring. “Fine, I'll just talk to you then. I wanted Barret to be here too, but you can fill him in I suppose.”

“What's this about, anyway?” Cloud asked hesitantly, which came off as strange to Zack. Cloud hardly seemed like the hesitant type. In fact, he was rather blunt, although he seemed rather blind to Tifa's affection for him. Maybe it was just a guy thing, though. Zack hadn't had enough experience with girls to know.

“About...about this Ancient,” Zack said in a low voice, his eyes darting over to Aerith. “What is the Ancient supposed to look like?”

Cloud gave Zack a hard look, his features indecipherable. Zack's stomach clenched nervously. “We told you, she's a girl.”

“Okay, but did you mean female or that she's an actual girl person?” Zack demanded, disregarding his awkward sentence.

“She's a girl. A person.” Cloud growled, rolling his eyes. “Why the sudden interest?” he asked, raising a brow.

“...Why are the Turks after Aerith?” Zack asked suddenly, watching Cloud's reaction carefully. He watched as Cloud's icy blue eyes widened slightly in surprise before becoming guarded once more. He shot a shifty look toward Aerith and Tifa. He looked guilty.

“I don't know,” Cloud said after a long moment, and Zack could tell he was lying. Gritting his teeth furiously, he grabbed both of Clouds shoulders and leaned in, scowling.

“What do you know, Cloud?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“Figure it out yourself,” Cloud spat, wrenching himself out of Zack's grip. Zack quickly grabbed the front of Cloud's shirt and pulled him in again.

“She's the one, isn't she? She's the Ancient.”

Cloud didn't answer, but Zack saw it in his eyes. A numb sort of shock spread throughout him, and he released Cloud's shirt, letting him fall away.

“You used me.” Zack said slowly, trying to suppress his anger. “You weren't helping Aerith that day. You were doing your job. Capturing the Ancient...but I came, and you failed.” Zack guessed, and he saw the confirmation on Cloud's face.

“So you had Tifa track me down, and offer me the job you couldn't do,” Zack continued, his voice rising. “How long were you going to wait? Were you going to wait until I figured it out, or were you going to gain my trust completely before you came along and snatched her?” Zack demanded loudly, and he felt Aerith and Tifa staring at him. Zack felt himself shaking with indignation. He had trusted them!

Aerith had appeared by his side, and she placed a gentle, concerned hand on his arm.

“Zack?” she asked uncertainly, but he shook his head roughly, his jaw clenched.

“Zack, it started out that way, but...it changed...we aren't like Shinra.” Tifa said slowly, approaching him cautiously. His head shot up, and he looked her straight in the eye.

“No. You're just like them. You get someone else to do all the dirty work for you. You planned on ruining someone's life, just to get back at Shinra.” Tifa flinched at his words, and Cloud stepped in front of her furiously.

“You agreed to the job. You were prepared to do the very same!” he shouted, fists clenched.

“NO! This is different,” Zack cried, waving his hands frantically. “I didn't know she was a person!”

“We told you it was a girl!” Cloud shot back. Aerith looked bewildered.

“I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS AERITH!” Zack roared back. The silence after his outburst was deafening. Aerith backed away from him, understanding on her face.

“You're job was to...capture me?” she asked softly, hurt on her face. Zack swallowed thickly.

“No, Aerith...”

“Don't lie,” she said, shaking her head, hair falling around her face. “You're supposed to capture me, just like the Turks, aren't you?”

“Yes, but, Aerith, I didn't know -”

“It doesn't matter that it's me,” she insisted. “Cloud's right. You were going to ruin someone's life, either way. It shouldn't matter that it's me.”

“I'm sorry,” Zack choked out. Aerith looked like she wanted to run.

“How long have you known?” she asked, her eyes closed. She stood far away from him, her fists clenched down at her sides.

“I just figured it out. I finally thought about why the Turks were after you. I knew Shinra was after the Ancient...er...you...I just finally put it together,” he admitted, his voice softening as he confessed. “I didn't want to believe it...I couldn't.”

“But now you understand,” she said, her eyes flashing as she opened them. “I'm not normal,” she whispered.

Suddenly, the bar door burst open and Barret barged in, eyeing the seen curiously.

“What's goin' on?” he asked gruffly, eyes finally landing on Aerith. “Is this her? Shit, good job, boy,” Barret said, grinning at Zack.

“What? No-”

“So, you're the Ancient. Not what I expected,” he admitted, scratching at his beard. Aerith regarded him with a guarded face. Biggs and Wedge strolled in behind Barret, gawking at Aerith.

“This is the Ancient, boys!” Barret whooped, and they both grinned. “Take her to the basement. We can't let Shinra get wind that we've captured her.” Biggs and Wedge strode forward, reaching out for her, but she stumbled back, running into Zack's chest. He steadied her gently, glaring at the two.

“Don't touch her. You can't just take her. She isn't some sort of...prize to be won by AVALANCHE or Shinra!” he exclaimed angrily, and he felt Aerith slip her hand into his own. In spite of the situation, he couldn't help realizing how nice it felt, her hand in his. It fit nicely, like the hilt to his blade, but warm and soft, and not made for battle.

Barret snorted derisively. “We're just doing what we need to to keep Shinra from getting the upper hand. I thought you understood.”

Zack was about to reply, but without warning, the ground started to rumble, followed by loud screams, and explosions. It sounded like all of Sector 7 was tumbling to the ground, as though it had been blown up. Aerith's eyes met his, and he saw fear there. Right then and there, he vowed to protect her, even if it meant his own life.

“Stay with me,” he said quickly, speaking to everyone, but looking only at Aerith. She nodded, squeezing his hand, and he squeezed back.

Zack didn't know if they would make it out alive, but he knew they had to try.

 

Chapter 10: Giving Up​

Zack grabbed Aerith, slinging her unceremoniously over his shoulder, ignoring her cry of protest.

“Run!” he shouted at the others, kicking the door open and rushing out. “What's the quickest route out of this sector?” he asked loudly, glancing uneasily at the plate above, which was groaning ominously. Large rafters were falling around them, and people were screaming as they ran. All of Sector 7 was in mass hysteria.

“Follow me!” Cloud shouted back over the growing rumble, grabbing Tifa's wrist and tugging her behind him. Barret was shouting something that Zack could no longer hear, beckoning for Biggs and Wedge. Zack put on a burst of speed and lunged after Cloud, trusting him to get them out of the sector safely, not because he thought Cloud was trustworthy, but because he knew Cloud would save his own skin, as well as Tifa's.

Above them, the plate cried out in protest, metal bending and tearing away from its constraints, support beams no longer able to hold the weight as gravity did its job. The hairs on the back of Zack's neck stood up, the adrenaline pouring through him, and he was aware that the plate would fall any second.

“GO! GO!” he shouted again, not knowing if anyone heard him, but shouting it nonetheless. His legs pumped, burning with the effort as he pushed himself to run faster, aware that Aerith was clinging to him. Cloud darted down a narrow pathway and Zack changed direction abruptly, trailing him.

“NOT MUCH FARTHER!” Cloud roared, Tifa panting beside him as they ran. Zack threw a quick look behind him to see Barret, Biggs, and Wedge lagging.

“COME ON!” Zack cried, leaping over a fallen beam and ducking out of the way as another swung toward him. He heard a sickening crunch and a shout of terror as Biggs and Wedge were hit by the beam, thrown backward toward the plate that was drawing ever closer to the ground. Barret hesitated, but Zack shouted at him again.

“IT'S TOO LATE! COME ON!” Zack regretted the lives that would be lost, but he had to save Aerith – that was more important than anything else, more important than all the lives that would be snuffed out under the gigantic plate, and if Zack had the time to think about it, he would have wondered why she was so important. But he didn't have time – he was running for both their lives.

Barret gave one last regretful look back, and then hurried forward, panting harshly. Zack returned his attention to Cloud, watching him carefully so he didn't lose him in all the chaos. Suddenly, Zack saw the entrance to the next sector over, and despite his burning muscles, he forced himself to run faster. Behind him, he could already feel the wind from the falling plate, and it gave him the extra push he needed, sending him flying to safety. All five of them dove to the ground, Zack using his body to shield Aerith as they fell. It felt like forever as they rolled away from Sector 7, and everything was a dusty blur. Finally, they all slowed to a stop, lying dirty and bruised on the ground, panting heavily.

The ground shuddered underneath them as the plate finally hit the ground, sending great clouds of dust and dirt billowing outward from the impact, and Zack squeezed his eyes shut as it blew their way. He held his breath as it whipped over them, until the air around them finally stilled. He heard the sounds of coughing around him, and he opened his eyes slowly, gazing down at Aerith, who's eyes were still clenched tight.

“Are you okay?” he finally managed to choke out, coughing in the dusty air. Aerith opened her eyes hesitantly, and she nodded uncertainly.

“I think so,” she said quietly, and Zack rose from his protective position over her, helping her stand. He looked over at Cloud, who was helping Tifa stand, but completely ignoring Barret, who was lying in the dirt wheezing.

“Fuck...runnin'.....holy....Biggs...Wedge...DAMNIT!”

“Alright there, Barret?” Zack asked wearily. He still felt the sting of betrayal, but he couldn't have very well left them all there to die.

Barret shook his head roughly, coughing. “Damnit, they're dead!” Tifa made her way over to Barret, placing a comforting hand on his back. “FUCKING SHINRA!” Barret shouted, and Tifa jumped. Cloud was staring back at the rubble, the muscles in his jaw tight.

Zack sighed. “You guys will be okay from here. This is where we leave.”

“What?” Barret demanded, scowling as he sat up. “You're just going to...walk away?”

“You used me. I don't see why I should hang around.”

“But what about Shinra? What about the Ancient?” he asked, gesturing toward Aerith.

“Aerith.” Zack grit out. “Her name's Aerith. And I'm not handing her over. Forget it.”

“Look at what Shinra just did! Biggs and Wedge died.”

“That's life!” Zack shouted, kicking out a piece of rubble violently. “People die, damn it!”

“They shouldn'ta died!” Barret growled, raising his gun arm and pointing it at Aerith. “I won't let them die in vain. Shinra's gonna get what's comin' to them, and she'll be the bait.”

Zack stepped forward, raising his arm out in front of her protectively, holding his sword in the other.

“You won't touch a hair on her head,” he snarled, but Tifa stepped between the two.

“Barret!” she cried out, shaking her head vehemently. “This isn't the way. We can't just take Aerith...” Barret's face fell, and he dropped his arm slowly.

“I...I know,” he muttered gruffly, sighing. “It's just...they shouldn'ta died....not like that...” The man slumped forward, running his hand over his head refretfully.

“Come one, Aerith,” Zack said, steering her away from the group.

“So you're really leavin', kid?” Barret asked. “What about Shinra?”

Zack didn't turn around to face him as he replied. “You deal with them your way, and I'll deal with them my way. But I don't agree with your methods.”

“Zack!” Tifa said, biting her lip uncertainly, looking as though she wanted to go after him, but Cloud grabbed her arm, holding her back.

“Let him go,” he said softly, watching Zack and Aerith's retreating figures. “We don't need them.”

–

Zack led Aerith away from the people he used to think he could trust, feeling incredibly stupid for falling for their plan.

“Aerith...I'm so sorry. I...I didn't know.” She didn't look at him, opting to keep on walking instead. He was worried she was too angry to answer, but she finally sighed, turning to meet his eyes.

“I know. I'm just sorry I kept secrets from you.”

“Everyone has secrets,” he said, knowing full well he had plenty of his own. Aerith was looking sadly at the rubble that was the remains of Sector 7.

“I hope my mother's okay...”

“She stayed in sector 5 though, right?”

“I think so...can we go check on her?”

“We'll have to take the long way around, I think. We're in Sector 8, so, we'll have to swing back around through all the other sectors...” Zack groaned suddenly, brushing off his dirty uniform uselessly. “I just. I can't believe them. It's my fault, really though...I should know better.”

“How could you have known?” Aerith asked, resting her small hand on his arm.

“There were signs...I was just being too stupid to see them. I just didn't want to see them,” he admitted. “I just wanted my life to have some semblance of normalcy.” He snorted, shaking his head. “Fat chance, right? There's only...revenge left. After that, I don't know what to do. I used to think that having dreams was important – but my dreams, they keep on getting crushed, and it's all Shinra's fault. Maybe it's better if...”

“If you stop being my bodyguard?” Aerith asked, and he sighed, realizing that they were back to that. “But then who will save me from Turks and AVALANCHE members?”

“I don't know. Who will save you from me, though?” he asked quietly, and the look she gave him...he couldn't describe it.

Finally she said, “I don't know. I think it's more important to know who's going to save you from yourself.”

“What?” he asked, gaping at her. She sighed, dropping her gaze to the ground.

“You don't always have to be so strong. You can ask for help.”

“...No one can help me,” he said slowly, narrowing his eyes.

“I helped you,” Aerith stated plainly, meeting his eyes again in a defiant stare. His memory flashed back to the warm feeling that had consumed him while she comforted him after his killing spree.

“I don't know what that was,” he admitted. “A fluke, or something. Or did you use some sort of Ancient powers on me?” he demanded.

She frowned at him, and he knew he'd said the wrong thing. “If I did, I didn't mean to. I was only trying to help, because I cared.”

“Well...just...don't waste that on me.”

“Don't waste what?”

“Any of your caring, or – affection, or whatever it is. I don't need it,” he said harshly, regretting the words as they poured out his mouth. Hurt flashed in her eyes, and she looked away from him again, her jaw clenched tightly.

“Can we go see my mother?” she asked flatly, crossing her arms over her chest. Zack groaned inwardly. Why did he have to be such a jerk? He was angry at Cloud and Tifa and Barret, but now he was taking it out on Aerith...he wanted to apologize, but kept it to himself. Maybe they needed some distance – Zack was afraid that he was getting too attached.

“Yeah,” he said gruffly, leading the way as she followed at a distance.

-

Tifa stared at the remains of Sector 7, unable to believe everything that had just happened.

“How could they do this?” she asked, mostly to herself.

“Shinra will stop at nothing,” Cloud responded, his brow furrowed, and his eyes glowing eerily. “I learned that the hard way.”

“What do you mean?” Tifa asked, gazing at his profile.

“...Nothing. I don't want to talk about it.” Cloud shook his head, closing his eyes. Tifa exhaled slowly, trying not to feel frustrated. Cloud would always have his secrets, she supposed.

“What now?” she asked to no one in particular.

“We get those fuckers back,” Barret said, loosing a few rounds into the wreckage.

“How do you propose we do that?” Cloud asked sharply, rolling his eyes. “You have all this talk of getting back at Shinra, but you don't do shit about it, and now they've blown up the fucking reactor and dropped the plate on us. They don't give a damn, either. You're all talk,” he said, his voice taunting. Tifa had to sigh again, her annoyance growing. Did Cloud always have to bait Barret?

“I'll show you all talk, Spike,” Barret growled, raising his gun arm again and taking aim at Cloud.

“Do it, you don't have the guts,” Cloud laughed darkly, pulling out his blade.

“Barret! Cloud!” Tifa snapped sharply, stepping between the two, yet again. “I'm sure killing each other off will make Shinra's job a lot easier!”

Barret glared at Cloud hard for a long minute before reluctantly lowering his arm. Cloud just shook his head, snorting.

“Fine. Here's my plan. We go in tonight.”

“What? Into Shinra?” Barret asked disbelievingly.

“Cloud,” Tifa exhaled heavily, “I don't think the three of us are exactly a force to be reckoned with.”

“I'm going with or without you. I'm going to force President Shinra to talk.”

Tifa held back another sigh, resigning herself to Cloud's impromptu plan. She couldn't very well let him go alone, could she?

“Fine. I'll come with,” she said, shaking her head. “This has got to be one of your dumbest ideas, though,” she added, and he rolled his eyes.

“It'll be fine. Trust me,” he said, a satisfied expression on his face. “Shinra will get what's coming to them.”

-

Aerith hadn't spoken to Zack the entire way back home. She did her best not to look at him, either, as she was fuming on the inside at what he'd said. She hadn't realized what a jerk he could be. Mostly, she didn't want him to see how hurt she had been by his words. After all, he already saw her as being weak and unable to take care of herself – or anyone else for that matter – and she hardly needed to add to that image. So, they had walked back in stony silence.

Her mother had been so relieved when she got home, and Aerith was thankful for the distraction of her mother. Zack hadn't come in, opting to sulk outside, she supposed. Aerith felt a twinge of guilt as her mother fussed over her – she always made her mother worry, it seemed. At the same time, she felt a bit...irritated. She was tired of being fussed over all the time.

Claiming exhaustion (she really was tired), she climbed up the stairs to her room, her thoughts swirling around in her brain. How could anyone, even Shinra, destroy an entire sector? More importantly, why? Was it because of those AVALANCHE people? Perhaps even more curious was Zack's thirst for revenge against Shinra. Shinra made Zack...angry. She didn't like it. She realized that most of the things Zack had said to her earlier were out of frustration, but that didn't stop them from hurting.

Aerith paused in front of her mirror, looking at herself critically. She was filthy. Dirt was smudged on her face and coated her clothing and hair. She decided she needed to clean up before she even considered sleeping.

As she stripped and stepped into the warmth of her shower, she pondered Zack some more. It seemed that the more Shinra did, the more Zack withdrew from her, opting to pull himself down a road of self-destruction. He didn't seem to care if he lived or died, and thoughts of getting revenge were consuming him.

How can you live life without dreams? She wondered, recalling Zack's words. He seemed so optimistic all the time, it seemed strange to think that he no longer believed in having dreams. But seeing him, looking so angry and defeated today...maybe he really had given up on hope for anything else.

Aerith frowned, washing her hair absentmindedly. What would Zack do once he got his revenge? Would he continue to spiral out of control, until he was only a ghost of what he once was? Would he even survive a face off with Shinra? Aerith prayed with all her might that he would – she couldn't imagine what it would feel like if he died, no matter how upset she was with him right now. But when it was all said and done, if he survived, would she be able to help him?

Not at this rate, she thought sadly.

-

“This is the stupidest idea you've ever had, Cloud!” Tifa hissed at him as they climbed through the vents.

“What kind of plan is this anyway?” Barret demanded, struggling to pull his bulk through the narrow pathways.

“The kind where we don't get caught and killed right as we enter the building,” Cloud shot back in a harsh whisper. “If you weren't so bulky you'd get through easier.”

“Fuck you,” Barret growled back. Cloud smiled to himself, pulling himself forward again, listening carefully as they passed over open vents, peering down into the rooms occasionally to get a bearing on their surroundings.

“I can't believe they don't even guard the vents,” Tifa muttered to herself. “Isn't that textbook?”

“Shinra would never expect anyone to try and break in through the vents,” Cloud chuckled darkly to himself. “They're so arrogant.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” Barret grumbled, and Cloud knew Barret was referring to him. He ignored the implied insult.

“Here,” he whispered, stopping suddenly. Behind him, Tifa and Barret shuffled to a stop. Cloud shifted, pulling his legs up in front of him so that he could kick the vent open, allowing himself and the others to leap out into the open room. Barret fumbled out, groaning gratefully as he stretched his legs.

“What the hell?” Barret asked, eyes surveying the room around them. “What's with all the stairs?” he asked, tilting his head backward to peer up at a nearly endless number of stairs.

“We can't take the elevators. They require special keys. We'll have to take the stairs the rest of the way, unless you prefer to do a vertical climb through the vents?”

“Stairs it is,” Barret replied.

Suddenly, the alarms blared angrily, and red bulbs in the stairway began to flash.

“Shit,” Cloud swore, his body tensing. He hadn't realized that Shinra had added cameras to the stairwells – they hadn't been there when he was here. “Run!” he hissed, launching himself up the stairs.

“What, we're still going up? They know we're here, Cloud!” Tifa shouted, hurrying after him.

“Of course, we didn't break in for nothing. I'm not giving up now!”

Barret cursed behind them, letting loose several expletives as he ran after them, with promises of shooting Cloud's ass full of holes if they got out of this alive.

-

Zack sat moodily in the flowers that Aerith had planted in the front of her house, the light breeze causing them to sway and brush lightly against his skin. The scent reminded him of Aerith – or maybe it was because Aerith always smelled like flowers. He was cursing himself for the words he'd said to her, hating that they had walked back together in silence.

Behind him, he heard the front door open. He listened to the footsteps, realizing after a moment that it was Elmyra and not Aerith. He didn't bother to turn around, wondering what she could possibly have to say to him. She stopped next to him, gazing out into the distance.

“I think you should leave,” she finally said, and Zack looked up at her in surprise. She continued to avoid his gaze as she went on. “Aerith's life has been in more danger since you showed up. I don't care how nice you are, I won't have her life be in danger anymore.”

Zack stood up hurriedly. “The Turks would have come after her with or without me being here.”

“Maybe so,” Elmyra replied, shrugging her shoulders. “But from what I've seen, she's been in more danger since you showed your face. I trusted you when you got here, but I'm not so sure anymore. Bad things started happening, and even though you've saved us, for all I know you're just trying to gain our trust. For all I know, you're actually working for the enemy, and you're waiting for the opportune time to take Aerith away. And don't play dumb with me, I know you know what she is.”

Zack could have laughed at the irony. Not that Elmyra really knew, but he had been working for people who had planned to kidnap Aerith all along.

“You're right...and you're wrong. I would never hurt Aerith, I swear that, but...I'm dangerous. Having me around probably isn't the best idea. So I'll leave. It's for the best, anyway.”

Elmyra looked at him, the surprise on her face apparent.

“I see you thought I'd put up a fight. No, I'll go. Just don't tell Aerith you told me to leave. I don't think she'd be happy, and I don't want anything to come between you two. No, just tell her I left and you don't know where I went. Hopefully, she'll forget about me.” With a grim smile, Zack hurried into the house to grab his few possessions. He found a piece of paper and hurriedly scrawled a note on it, leaving it on the table, then slid out the front door, ignoring Elmyra's look as he strode away, pausing to take one last look at Aerith's house as he got to the gate.

“....Bye,” he whispered, his heart feeling uncharacteristically heavy. This felt harder than watching his mentor die before him, and he didn't understand why. The thought of not seeing Aerith again, of not apologizing for the things he said and didn't mean...it was like he was being stabbed, several times over, like someone was clenching his heart with an unforgiving fist. Zack swallowed heavily, then forced his legs to walk away, forced himself to ignore the ache in his chest.

Nothing could ever become of them. Not while Shinra was out there. Zack's eyes rose as he sped away, gazing up at the plate. Shinra was up there, and they needed to be stopped. He was finally free from his other duties. It was time to attend to Shinra, to figure out how to end this once and for all.

-

Tifa panted, her chest heaving as they raced up the stairs. Cloud didn't seem out of breath at all, but Barret was lagging behind her, and her legs were burning and crying out for rest.

“Cloud!” she gasped, clutching at a stitch in her side. “Slow....down!”

“We can't!” he shouted, whirling around on them. “Come on!” But Barret had collapsed on the stairs, sweating profusely and gasping for air. Tifa felt herself slowing, and she had to stop on the next landing, leaning over, her hands on her knees as she too gasped for air.

“Come on!” Cloud cried out in frustration, running back down the stairs to where they both were. From above and below them, they could hear the clang of the metal stairs as several feet ran along them. “They're coming,” Cloud grit out, reaching for his sword. Tifa wanted to fall on the ground and never move again. How did he expect them to fight?

“Halt!” one of the Shinra guards shouted, and Cloud glared at him.

“We're not even moving, dumbass!” More guards appeared behind the first guard, and several more climbed up the stairs behind Tifa and Barret. They were surrounded.

“No!” Cloud spat out, slashing out with his sword violently, eyes glowing in the darkened stairwell. One of the guards fell, holding his chest, blood gurgling in his mouth.

“Get them!” the other guards shouted, the click of gun's echoing loudly around them.

“Come on guys, fight!” Cloud urged Tifa and Barret, but Tifa could only shake her head weakly. Her efforts to stand were futile – her muscles were shaking wearily from their trip up the stairs.

“Lower your weapon!” one of the guards warned Cloud, his gun aimed at Cloud's head. Cloud glared petulantly back, raising his sword higher.

Tifa felt one of the guards inching toward her, and even though she felt shaky and weak, she spun around and threw a kick at him. As she did this, she felt the muzzle of a cold, hard gun being pressed into her back, and she froze.

“Wait!” Cloud cried out, and Tifa thought she heard a bit of panic in his voice. “Stop. Your fight is with me, not her.”

The guard only responded by pressing the gun harder into her back, and she winced, but kept her mouth shut.

I'm going to die.

“Fine,” Cloud said weakly, and she heard his sword clatter to the ground. She snapped her head around, looking at him incredulously. Cloud had just given in? He just gave up?

“What are you doing?” she demanded, but he shook his head weakly at her.

“I got you two into this. I won't let them kill you.”

“Ah, well, I would have rather seen you go out with a fight, Mr. Strife,” a voice filled with glee said. A man in a white lab coat stepped through the mass of guards, grinning maliciously. Cloud's eyes widened, then narrowed in hatred. “Your friends will die here, regardless, but on my terms instead.”

“Hojo!” Cloud hissed, lunging forward, but was stopped as three tall men in blue uniforms restrained him. Tifa saw that their eyes were glowing, just like Cloud's, and she realized they must be SOLDIER too. She saw Cloud's muscles straining against their hold, but to no avail.

“Mr. Strife, it's been too long. Glad to see you aren't any less hostile,” the man called Hojo grinned, eyes traveling to Barret who was now also being restrained, and then resting on her. She shivered at the look in his eyes. It made her feel dirty. “Look at this specimen,” Hojo cooed, raising his hand toward her face. She flinched backwards, grimacing in disgust, only to have the gun at her back dig in painfully. “Feisty,” Hojo chuckled, eyes gleaming madly. “She's quite attractive, wouldn't you say, Mr. Strife?”

“Don't touch her!” Cloud spat, swearing under his breath and trying to tug his arms free. Hojo ignored Cloud, sighing happily to himself.

“How foolish of you to come here. But all the better for me. Soon we will have the Ancient, and now I have three more experiments to conduct. I am so looking forward to continuing your tests, Mr. Strife. You were quite the specimen before you left.”

“NO! I WON'T LET YOU!” Cloud roared, shaking fiercely with barely restrained anger.

“Sedate him,” Hojo said, and Tifa watched horrified as one of the SOLDIERS pulled out a syringe, inserting it carelessly into Cloud's neck. Cloud hissed with pain, still lunging uselessly as he tried to escape their grip, heaving and panting like a wild animal.

“No!” Cloud cried again, his movements becoming weaker as the tranquilizer began to take effect, his eyelids dropping heavily. “No, Tifa...” Cloud suddenly slumped forward limply, bu the SOLDIERs held him, keeping him from hitting the ground.

“Take him to the lab. Escort the other two to their cells.”

“Cloud!” Tifa shouted, struggling uselessly against the strong hands that gripped her now, watching as they led him away in the opposite direction.

This was the stupidest plan you ever had Cloud! She thought, filled with despair. They hadn't done anything except get themselves captured.

-

Aerith had slept shortly, her growling stomach rousing her from sleep. She made her way drowsily down the stairs, to find her mother sitting at the kitchen table quietly, looking pale and drawn.

“Are you okay?” Aerith asked, worry filling her. Elmyra seemed surprised to see her.

“Oh, you're awake...good...I'm afraid I have some bad news...”

“What?” Aerith asked, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest as dread filled her. Had something happened to Zack? “Where's Zack?”

“That's what I wanted to talk to you about actually, dear...he's left. I don't know where he went, but he's gone. He...he left this note.”

Aerith took the note shakily, gazing at the messy scrawl on it in disbelief.

I had to leave...I'm sorry. Don't worry about me.

Zack

Aerith just stared at the hastily scribbled note, a numb feeling spreading through her. He just left? After everything he had said? After everything he'd promised?

“I...I have to...I'm going to the church,” Aerith whispered, her hunger forgotten. She felt decidedly sick now.

“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Elmyra asked, her brows drawn together in concern.

“Yes...I just need to...I'll be back later.” Aerith mumbled, hurrying out of her house and toward the church.

When she stepped into the sad little church, she walked slowly over to her flowers, slumping down next to them with a confused sigh. She didn't understand. She reached out and brushed the velvet petals of her flowers gently, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

The Planet made soothing noises in her head, in an attempt to soothe her aching heart. Aerith appreciated the effort, but didn't feel any more cheered for it.
“How could he just leave? How am I not supposed to worry?” she asked her flowers, gazing up at the hole in the church. That was the hole Cloud had made when he fell through. She realized now that he had really been there to kidnap her. Just like everyone else.

Zack's the only person who wasn't here to take me from my life. He was the only one who thought I was just a normal girl...at least, he did, anyway, she thought mournfully. She didn't want to sit here and pity herself, but she couldn't seem to help it.

“I'm surprised you came back here,” a deep voice said, and Aerith whirled around, her heart racing. Tseng walked out from the shadows, his face blank, followed by the red-headed Turk – what was her name? Cissnei, that was it.

“I thought Zack told you to stay away,” Aerith said defiantly, drawing her hand in close to her chest, as though to protect herself, or fight.

“Yes, but he's not here anymore, is he? He left.”

“You were watching,” Aerith accused, and Tseng nodded humorlessly.

“Of course. I have a job to do. Did you really expect that I would obey Zack's orders? He's not my superior.”

Aerith wished more than ever that Zack was with her. “So you're here to take me away, aren't you?”

Tseng nodded again. “Those are my orders. President Shinra wants some words with you.”

“I have no doubt that I will suffer more than words, Tseng,” Aerith shot back. She knew in her heart that Shinra wouldn't just let her go after asking a few questions. “What does he want from me?”

“I'm not privy to that information, I'm afraid. You'll just have to find out, won't you?”

Cissnei strode forward silently, placing a gloved hand on Aerith's arm. Aerith didn't resist. What could she do? All she had were flowers.

“Come along, Aerith, and you won't get hurt,” Tseng said as Cissnei led her over to him, though Aerith highly doubted that. Maybe the ride would be peaceful enough, but she had a feeling of foreboding about Shinra itself. But she kept her mouth shut, following along obediently.

Where did you go, Zack?

-

Zack stood before the Shinra building, a slight breeze blowing dirty air across the street beneath him. There the building stood, all metal and ominous power. Zack found his thoughts straying to Aerith, though. His heart wasn't in revenge. All he could think of were those sad green eyes.

I have to do this. I need to eliminate them. It's the only way I can be happy again.

Zack had no idea that he was going to be in the right place at the right time. He had no idea that as he stood there, Aerith was being led to President Shinra by the Turks, or that Cloud was being prepared to experiment on once more, or that Tifa and Barret had been thrown into bare, metal cells. But he could feel that something was wrong. His whole body tingled, and it felt like there were several eyes on him, watching him. He slid into the shadows, waiting for the opportune moment to enter the Shinra building, formulating a plan as he did. President Shinra had to be stopped.

 

Chapter 11: Shinra​

Zack plopped the limp body in the back alley, propping him up against the dirty brick wall. It hadn't been difficult to sneak up on the poor infantryman and knock him out. Zack stripped the soldier of his uniform, then carefully placed his own clothing in his bag, pulling on the infantryman uniform, completing the look with the face concealing helmet. He slid his hand into his pocket, his hand closing around the elevator key card. Shinra was on the top floor, so he'd have to collect more key cards along the way. He gazed at his sword for a long, hesitant moment. There was no way he'd be able to bring it inside without drawing attention to himself. With a resigned sigh, he hid his sword along with the rest of his clothes in the alley.

No one questioned Zack as he steadily made his way up the floors; no alarm was raised, not even as he incapacitated several other soldiers to steal their key cards. I no time, Zack had made his way to the top of the building – though there were several more flaccid bodies lying in shadows along the way. He took a deep breath as he stood outside of President Shinra's office. This was the moment he had been preparing for. He would confront the corrupt leader of Shinra and teach him a lesson once and for all.

Still concealed beneath the helmet, he opened the door to Shinra's office, and was immediately greeted with a large, luxurious room, a cold metallic desk at the end of the office, overlooking the entire city of Midgar. At the desk sat President Shinra, his exceptional girth filling his chair, his blood red suit stretched tightly at his belly. His blonde hair was receding, and he was sporting a ridiculous mustache above his upper lip. He looked remarkably dissimilar to his two sons, both of whom had high positions within the Shinra corporation.

Zack was familiar with Director Lazard, who had supported Project G, and Rufus Shinra, the Vice-President, whom he was less familiar with. Zack knew the beginnings of Project G, and that it had involved Angeal. Now, he was facing the man who would give him the answers.

“Excuse me, what are you doing here?” President Shinra demanded while Zack assessed his surroundings. It seemed the foolish man was alone. Locking the door behind him, Zack made his way confidently toward the desk.

“Are you deaf?” the man asked, looking surly. “I asked you what you were doing here.” Zack stopped a few feet from the man's desk, pulling off his helmet, his blue eyes narrowed in disgust.

“I should ask you the same thing. What are you doing here, pretending that you are some king of Midgar?” he asked, leaning on the table and staring the man down.

“Who are you?” Shinra demanded.

“A disgruntled employee,” Zack scoffed.

“I'll call security,” Shinra threatened, and Zack laughed in response.

“Try. Just try. I'll kill you if you so much as twitch your finger toward that alarm button.” Shinra stared into Zack's eyes, perspiration beading on his fat head. The man took a hesitant breath, and seemed to decide that Zack was serious. Zack attributed it to the mako glow – Shinra knew exactly what that glow meant, after all.

“What do you want?”

“Answers.”

“To what questions?”

“Your experiments killed Angeal Hewley, ex-First Class SOLDIER. What gives you the right to experiment on people?”

“The right?” the man asked coolly, reclining in his chair. “Why, they certainly gave us full permission. You did so yourself, did you not, Mr...?”

“Fair.”

“Yes, Mr. Fair...you show clear signs of exposure to mako. Surely, we did not force these changes upon you, did we?”

Zack gritted his teeth. This was true – he had given them permission. He had wanted to be in SOLDIER.

“I see you have no response,” the man laughed, infuriating Zack further. “You see that I am right.”

“You didn't make us aware of the results!” Zack retorted, shaking his head furiously.

“That is why they were experiments, Mr. Fair. We weren't aware of the results ourselves. Now, is that all?”

“No!” Zack shouted, his frustration growing with the stupid, arrogant man. “You ended lives. You lied about their disappearances! Angeal never died in battle. I have my doubts about Genesis, too. And Sephiroth, was he really crazy? Those were the rumors, before I left. But they've all degraded away, haven't they?”

“Worried for your own sake?” Shinra smirked. “I wouldn't worry if I were you. Those three were...special projects,” he said vaguely, leaving Zack with more questions than answers.

“What do you mean?” Zack demanded again, his fingers itching to reach out and strangle the man.

“I'm afraid that's all the time we have to talk,” the President said smoothly, and Zack realized that he had made a mistake somewhere along the way, because a gun was being pressed to his head firmly.

“Zack Fair, isn't it?” A calm voice asked, and out of the corner of his eye Zack could see Tseng, the Turk from the church. Zack clenched his jaw and kept his comments to himself. How could he have been so careless?

“Please escort Mr. Fair to a cell, Tseng,” President Shinra said calmly, waving his hand dismissively. “I'm sure Professor Hojo will be pleased to have another one of his...experiments.”

Zack's body tightened convulsively, but he had no choice but to go with Tseng – he was good, but he certainly couldn't block or dodge a bullet coming from a gun that was right at his head.

“Good day, Zack Fair,” the President chuckled. “You were foolish to come here.”

–

“You killed some of my men,” Tseng said as he led Zack through winding corridors and down elevators, drawing closer to the holding blocks.

“They got in my way,” Zack replied calmly, though his eyes were scanning all the hallways, an escape plan forming in his mind.

“You knew Angeal Hewley?” Tseng asked after a long moment of silence.

“Yes,” Zack said tersely. “He...I knew him.”

“And now you're looking for answers as to why he's dead.”

“Yes. I need to know. I need...” he trailed off again. The Turk didn't need to know. It wasn't any of his business.

“I knew Angeal as well. He was...a very proud SOLDIER.”

“He was a tool,” Zack spat angrily.

“Yes...” Tseng nodded in understanding. “Most of us here are, are we not?”

“Huh?” Zack was surprised by the Turk's response.

“As far as anyone is concerned, you overpowered me on the way to the cell and escaped,” Tseng said, withdrawing his gun from Zack's head. “You stole my key card, knowing it had full access to any room in this building, and you happened upon a room with confidential files in room 64B, ones that could perhaps answer your questions.”

“Excuse me?” Zack asked, bewildered at the sudden change.

“You should knock me out, to make it look convincing.”

“I...thank you,” he said slowly, realizing the opportunity the Turk was giving him.

“This never happened. I have no idea what you're thanking me for,” the man replied, though there was a small smile on his face. Zack shrugged apologetically and then hit the man firmly upside the head, watching as he crumpled to the ground. He'd wake up in a few hours.

Zack knelt down by Tseng's limp form and searched his pockets until he came across the Turk's key card. With the room 64B in mind, he hurried to the elevator, swiping the card and tapping his leg impatiently as the elevator rose back up to the 60th floor. His eyes darted anxiously as he stepped out onto the 64th floor, searching for room 64B, as well as anyone who would raise the alarm at the sight of him. It seemed, though, that the entire floor was deserted.

His eyes landed on the sign indicating the room he was looking for, and he slid Tseng's card again, the small light turning from red to green as he was granted access. He slid into the room silently, only to be met with a tidy, cramped room, filled with filing cabinets and a small monitor.

He quickly opened the first cabinet drawer, sliding it out toward himself, quickly fingering through the files. Cetra – The Ancients. Project G. Jenova. Project S. SOLDIERS. Clearly, these were the files on all of Shinra's projects. He yanked the files out. He wasn't concerned if Shinra found them missing later. He didn't give a damn about stealing them. It wasn't as if he wasn't already going to be searched for, in any case. He closed the first cabinet drawer and hastily opened the next one.

1st Class SOLDIERS – Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos, Sephiroth...Zack Fair. Zack paused. He was surprised, although he knew he shouldn't have been. Of course they'd have a file on him. He grabbed the files, ready to close the drawer again, but another name made him pause. Cloud Strife. Failed Experiment.

“What?” Zack whispered softly to himself. He snatched the file from the drawer, flipping it open, a picture of Cloud staring back at him. The picture showed a younger, less angry man than the one he already knew. He closed the file again – he'd have time to read through these later. He opened the next drawer, this time to be met by names he was only vaguely familiar with – Dr. Gast, Professor Hojo, Dr. Hollander. Scientists.

He skipped over the scientists names, going to the next drawer. He grabbed another couple of files, these ones labeled 'Materia', 'Lifestream - Mako', and a curious one labeled only 'Shinra – Spira'.

He closed the drawer, his interest waning. He didn't have a lot of time. He needed to get out of here. Suddenly, the door opened, and Zack froze, staring at the door guiltily. A man dressed similarly to him (clearly another foot soldier) exclaimed, “Hey!”

The shout shot Zack into action, and he elbowed the man hard in the head, causing him to crumple to the ground and flop on the floor with a thud. Zack removed the file the man was clutching loosely in his hand and opened it, only to feel his heart stop momentarily.

Aerith Gainsborough. Ancient. Experiment Day 1 -

The rest was left blank. Why would she have an experiment file? They wouldn't need one for her unless...

“Fuck. They have her.” He cursed, clenching his fist angrily. It was his own fault, for leaving. He had thought that she would be safe, and they captured her anyway. Damn Tseng. I should have hit him harder.

Tucking all the files into his uniform, he hurried out of the room, heading toward the Weaponry floor of Shinra. He would be needing a very large sword...

–

Cloud woke slowly, groaning at the pain in his head. Where was he? He tried to move his hand to rub his aching head, but found his wrists bound.

“What?” He mumbled, his eyes opening, his vision painfully blurry. A thrill of panic shot through him. This felt too much like then...when they...

His eyes finally came back into focus, and he saw that he jerked his head to the side. His hands were tied down, as were his feet and midsection. He began to breathe rapidly, despite his attempts to calm himself. He was back in this damned lab.

“No...” he tried to remember how he had gotten here, but his mind was reacting slowly. He could only remember what it was like, back then, when Hojo had experimented on him. He hadn't been right ever since...

“I see you're awake, Mr. Strife,” said the voice of a man he hated, beyond reason.

“Let me go!” he roared, struggling against his restraints.

“Now, now, be still,” the scientist chided, coming into Cloud's vision. “We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.”

“NO!” Cloud spat, lunging forward uselessly. The doctor just chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he reviewed his clipboard.

“Clearly you are still a failed experiment. You should have his strength, you know...but apparently your body fails to adapt to the cells. No, the only man who ever came close disappeared long ago...” Hojo mused to himself. “Well,” he said, finally looking up at Cloud. “We'll have to see how your little friends react to some of my experiments, won't we?”

Tifa! Cloud thought, alarm shooting through him.

“Leave her alone!” Cloud yelled, his body burning angrily. “Let her go!”

“Mr. Strife, yelling will get you nowhere,” the evil professor smirked. “Sedate him,” he said to some unknown person. “Then we'll administer more of the serum.”

–

Enraged yelling caught Zack's attention as he strode purposefully through the medical floor of Shinra. He made a sharp turn, heading in the direction of the shouting. He didn't hesitate to burst into the room, his stolen sword flashing under the bright lights. A spiky-haired man was strapped to a table, with a very familiar man looking over him, another assistant to the side, holding a syringe in his hand, a surprised look on his face.

“Well, well, well,” Professor Hojo said, a look of utmost satisfaction spreading across his features. “Mr. Zack Fair. And I thought you'd died.”

“Shinra's corporate heads aren't very trustworthy then, are they?”

The man, however, seemed to ignore this and continued talking. “I would have never imagined at all of these old faces would conveniently pop back into my lab. First, Mr. Strife -”

At this, Zack shot a look at Cloud, his hand twitching. What the hell was he doing here?

“ - then the Ancient, and now you...Today's turning out to be very pleasant indeed.”

“It's about to get much worse,” Zack shot back, and without waiting for another self-satisfied reply, he lunged forward, using the palm of his hand to thrust upward into Hojo's nose. The sound of the bone breaking was unnaturally loud in the large room, and warm blood spurted violently from his face. The man let out a strangled cry and dropped his clipboard, grabbing at his face and moaning. The assistant with the syringe dropped the needle with a panicked look and tore from the room.

“How dare you-!” Hojo spluttered wetly, but Zack swung his sword around, holding the tip at the man's neck.

“I should kill you. You're a monster, and everyone here knows it. But it'd be a shame, to waste my energy on the likes of you.” Zack, fighting against every instinct, screaming out at him to finish the pathetic man, swung his empty hand around swiftly and caught Hojo between his neck and his shoulder, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

“What are you doing here?” Zack demanded quickly, turning his attention's to Cloud.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Cloud grunted, glaring angrily from his position on the table. “Get me out, will you?”

Zack acquiesced and flipped the switch, allowing the bonds holding Cloud down to release with a hiss.

“You should have killed him,” Cloud said, kicking Hojo violently. “Son of a bitch.”

“We don't have time. They have Aerith. And they know I'm here...they've probably found Tseng's body by now.”

“They have Tifa and Barret, too,” Cloud scowled, scanning the room with his icy blue eyes.

“They'll be in the holding cells on floor -”
“I know. I used to work here, remember?” Cloud interrupted, his eyes finally resting on his weapon, which was resting against the far wall.

“A rescue mission, then,” Zack concluded, and Cloud nodded shortly.

“Let's go,” he confirmed, strapping his sword onto his back. The two ex-SOLDIERS hurried out of the room, leaving behind the bleeding, unconscious professor on the floor.

“We have to find Tifa,” Cloud said, while Zack simultaneously suggested they find Aerith. The two men stared at each other for a long, hard moment, their jaws set stubbornly.

“Aerith...needs to be found first,” Zack grit out, his irritation rising further at Cloud's stubborn, yet nonverbal, refusal.

“Why's she any more important than Tifa?” Cloud demanded.

“Aerith is the Ancient. Shinra's been waiting for years to get their hands on her, and I doubt they'll waste much more time -”

“I don't give a damn about the Ancient!” Cloud spat, which Zack thought a bit harsh. Aerith wasn't just an Ancient. She was a person, too. “I can't let them hurt Tifa.”

“Tifa can take care of herself,” Zack insisted, his voice rising in his anger. “Aerith can't defend herself! And if you care so god damn much about Tifa, why the FUCK did you drag her into Shinra? What kind of FUCKING BRIGHT IDEA WAS THAT?” Zack punched the wall in frustration, chest rising and falling sharply. Cloud opened his mouth angrily to retort, but Zack held up a hand to stop him.

“Forget it. There's no use arguing, it'll get us no where. We'll find all of them. We should stick together, though. We'll be...stronger together, than apart.”

“Fine,” Cloud agreed stiffly, and the two men continued on their way.

–

Aerith sat quietly in her small, bare cell, staring at the frayed edges of her jacket. She felt angry. Angry at Zack for leaving. Angry at herself for just...giving in. Angry at Shinra for chasing her for years. Angry at her mother, the one she'd barely known, for dying and leaving, and never explaining...any of this.

But at the same time, she felt sad. Sad because she knew she shouldn't be angry. Sad, because she didn't know what was going to happen to her...so she supposed, that made her a little bit scared, as well. Scared and sad that she'd never see Zack again, never say exactly how she felt, even though she really couldn't make head nor tails of it.

The Turks had thrown her unceremoniously into a tiny cell and she'd been sitting on the small, rough bed for...well, she didn't know how long exactly. She had no way to tell the time.

She felt a tiredness sweep over here. All the worry and the stress...it was exhausting. She sighed softly and fell back onto the itchy covers on her tiny bed, closing her eyes. Maybe she could fall asleep, and she'd wake up to find this was all a nightmare. Perhaps, Zack would be there, smiling as always, their stupid bicker forgotten...

A loud noise cause Aerith to jerk awake. She had fallen asleep without realizing it. She watched with growing dread as her cell door opened. Had they come to take her away? To experiment on her? To kill her?

“Aerith!”

“Z-Zack?” she stuttered, hardly able to believe the sight in front of her.

“Are you okay?” he demanded, sweeping toward her, his gaze serious.

“I...what are you doing here?” she asked, shaking her head.

“Saving you, of course.”

Aerith didn't understand. He had left. But now he was here again.

“How did you know I was gone?” she asked softly, gazing down at the ground. “You left.”

She watched as Zack grimaced at the sharp accusation in her voice. She was beginning to feel angry again. He had left, when he had promised to stay. Very suddenly, she hit him on the arm with a closed fist. He looked up at her in surprise.

“What was that for?”

“You promised to stay! But you left!”

“I know...I know. I'm sorry, Aerith. I shouldn't...I left to take care of Shinra. I didn't want to ruin your life. I only found out you were here after I got here...look. You can hate me later,” he said, his face sad, but resolute. “Right now we have to go. Cloud's looking for Tifa and Barret. Meanwhile, the rest of Shinra is probably searching for me.”

“What? Why are they here?” she asked in surprise.

“Hell if I know. Some stupid idea to sneak into Shinra, I suppose. Can we please go now?”

“Fine,” she said, unsure why she was feeling so stubborn. It wasn't as though she would rather stay in a prison cell than get out of there – she was just...so irritated with Zack. He reached out and took her arm to lead her out of the cell, but she yanked her arm away, scowling at him.

“I can walk by myself, thanks.”

“Apparently not without getting kidnapped,” he retorted sullenly.

“I wouldn't have been kidnapped if my bodyguard hadn't left!” she hissed. Suddenly Cloud appeared between them, his eyebrows drawn together.

“Could you two argue later? Help me find them.”

“They can't be that far, Cloud,” Zack muttered, looking away from Aerith. Part of her felt like she'd won that small skirmish, but it also left her feeling like she wanted to cry. She held back her tears and followed Zack and Cloud as Cloud methodically checked through the cells.

“How did you get a key?” she asked Cloud, resolutely avoiding Zack's gaze.

“Stole it,” he grunted, opening another door to find another empty cell.

“What are you doing?” Zack demanded suddenly.

“What the hell do you mean?” Cloud asked, glaring at Zack.

“Holding cells have a light on the outside. It lights up when someone is being held inside,” he said, pointing the the nearest door with the light. “Didn't you learn anything when you worked here?”

“I didn't...I didn't remember that,” Cloud muttered, rubbing the side of his head, as though trying to work the memories to the surface.

“It doesn't matter. Let's hurry up,” Zack insisted, swiping the key card from Cloud's hand and opening the next cell. Barret came stumbling out, blinking blearily in the harsh lights.

“'Bout damn time,” he muttered incoherently, rubbing at this eyes.

“He's been drugged,” Zack said in a low voice. “We'd better find Tifa.”

Cloud seemed wholly unconcerned with Barret's well being now that they'd found him, and his eyes were scanning all of the doors fervently for Tifa's cell.

“Tifa?!” he called out suddenly, and loudly.

“You idiot!” Zack hissed. “Do you want to alert everyone in the building?” Cloud didn't appear to care, though, and he continued to call her name until a muffled reply came back through one of the metal cell doors.

“Cloud?” the voice asked, and he ran forward, stealing the key card back from Zack as he passed, swiping the card hastily through the lock. The door lock turned green and it hissed open, and Tifa threw herself out, clinging to Cloud.

“Cloud!” she cried, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug, displaying a range of emotions that Aerith hadn't seen from the usually stoic man.

“Are you okay?” Cloud asked in a hushed voice, and Tifa nodded against him. “Did they do anything to you?” he asked seriously, pulling away and looking her seriously in the eye.

“No. I've been waiting in this cell for hours...did they do anything to you?” Cloud's jaw clenched, but he shook his head firmly.

“Zack came.”

Tifa finally seemed to become aware that there were other people in the room. She let go of Cloud, rushing over to Barret.

“Barret, are you okay?” she asked, and the man grumbled sleepily.

“They've given him something to sedate him, it looks like,” Zack explained, and Tifa shot him a questioning look.

“What are you doing here?” Her eyes turned to Aerith. “And why are you here?”

“It's a long story,” Zack interrupted before Aerith could get out her angry reply. “Let's just hurry out of here, okay?”

–

Zack led the group through back ways that Aerith would have never been able to find on her own. Shinra was like a labyrinth, in the way that all of the floors appeared identical (at least to her). By herself, she would have been hopelessly lost. She continued to give Zack the cold shoulder, but he was so busy leading them to safety that it hardly mattered.

She felt a little better once they were back in the safety of the slums – at least she knew her away around the dark alleyways and the rubble. The main parts of the city above had been swarming with people, Shinra's guards, all on the lookout. Zack had successfully avoided them, though, and in turn, so did the rest of their ragtag group. He led them further and further away from the center of Midgar. Tifa and Barret (who was finally waking up) grimaced painfully when they passed the remains of Sector 7. Zack finally came to a stop at the park, where pieces of rafters and other debris were littered, but it was mainly untouched.

“Well, that was a waste of fucking time,” Barret complained, kicking at the ground angrily.

“Not necessarily,” Zack shook his head, pulling out several folded papers from his pocket. He set down his bag of extra clothes (he had grabbed them from the alley as they had escaped) and unfolded the files. “I got these before we left.”

He splayed the papers out, and Aerith saw several titles, a few with names she didn't recognize, but two with Zack and Cloud's names on the top. As he shifted the papers, she saw another labeled 'Jenova' and another as 'SOLDIER', but her heart froze when she saw the word 'Cetra'.

“What do they say?” she asked, her cold shoulder toward Zack forgotten as she stared at the files.

“I don't know yet,” he admitted. “I just grabbed the ones I thought would be most useful.”

“Who are these other people?” Tifa asked, pointing to the files that said 'Angeal Hewley' and 'Genesis Rhapsodos'.

“Angeal was my mentor. Genesis was another First Class SOLDIER. All of these people are, including me. Except for Cloud here...apparently he's a Failed Experiment.”

Cloud huffed and stormed over, snatching the file from out of Zack's fingers.

“This is none of your business,” he snapped, crumpling the papers in his fist.

“I just saved your asses back there,” Zack retorted, but he didn't attempt to pry the papers back. “Look at these...” he muttered, flipping through the files. “Project G? Project Jenova...Angeal, Sephiroth, Genesis...they're all related to Jenova.” Zack frowned as he read silently to himself.

“What does it say?” Aerith prodded, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“Apparently a scientist name Professor Gast who worked for Shinra uncovered this creature called Jenova. They claim here that it's a Cetra...”

Aerith leaned over, peering above Zack's shoulder and down at the file. A picture was attached to the papers, and a thrill of horror shot through her as she saw the image. If that was Jenova, then that was definitely not a Cetra. It looked more like an alien than anything else, and she could hear the Planet whispering frantically in the back of her head.

“I don't think that's a Cetra...”

“No. Neither do I,” Zack agreed, his fingers trailing along the information. “In any case, they found Jenova while they were searching for Ancient remains.” He paused, shuffling the papers until he pulled out three folders, labeled Materia, Lifestream- Mako, and Shinra. “Maybe these can tell us a little more about what's going on,” he muttered, opening the file about Shinra. Zack began to read.

“Shinra Electric Power Company started out as a mere weapons manufacturer, known as Shinra Manufacturing Works, up until the discovery of Mako energy. They used this energy (energy from the Lifestream [see Lifestream – Mako file]) as an electrical energy source, and since then Shinra's power has expanded rapidly. Eventually, with their ever-increasing finances, Shinra began studies into such departments as space exploration and weapon development.

“Shinra began making it's own private army, using Mako energy to create the elite SOLDIER class [see SOLDIER files] and funded an undercover corps called the Turks. Eventually, experiments to create supersoliders were started“Shinra constructed the metropolis, Midgar, to house their headquarters.” Zack's voice lulled as he paused to pull out the next folder, this time the one labeled Lifestream – Mako.

“Mako is the liquid form of the Planet's Lifestream, and the primary source of energy for all human beings on the planet. The Lifestream can also be condensed into Materia or Mako Stones [See Materia files].

“The Lifestream is considered to be the Planet's “life blood.” Some have also speculated that it is a river of spiritual energy, or a swell of souls, a river of the dead's memories. Mako Reactors are used to remove the Mako from the Planet until that source is depleted of its energy. Some have speculated that the continued use of the Lifestream will eventually lead to the Planet's ultimate death.

“Mako is thought to be similar to radioactive materials, and prolonged exposure or use could lead to genetic mutation. It can also lead to poisoning, and ultimately death. SOLDIERs [See SOLDIERS files] can be identified by the “Mako Eyes” - eyes that glow, due to their exposure to the Mako they are injected with.

“Exposure to Mako can be dangerous to humans and typically result in psychological disorders, one known as 'Mako Poisoning' or 'Mako Addiction'. “ Zack sighed heavily, ruffling his hair.

“Mako Addiction is dangerous,” Cloud said, his eyes flashing. “I..I would know.” Zack shot him a sharp look, but pulled out his next folder.

“SOLDIERs. Let's see what secrets we have here,” he stated, opening the folder slowly. “SOLDIER is the elite fighting force of Shinra. Genetically altered to be advanced super-soldiers, they have super-human strength, speed, and agility. They are far stronger than the Shinra Peacekeeping Troops, and less delicate than the Turks. Shinra uses them for special missions that require the greatest use of strength.

“The Jenova Project was initiated to make a human-Cetra hybrid, using cells taken from Jenova and Mako energy from the planet. The first successful result was the child Sephiroth. Shinra recognized the great potential of such a powerful warrior and implemented a method to mass produce more fighters of his type. Subjects were exposed to raw Mako, and they were injected with Jenova cells. Only the most physically ad mentally fit humans could survive the process, and SOLDIER became an exclusive unit.

“Lazard Deuserious was the former head of the SOLDIER Union Executive. During his time, many Second and Third Class SOLDIERS began to disappear, along with the First Class SOLDIER, Genesis Rhapsodos. Angeal Hewley soon left the organization as well. Lazard later defected.

“The rest just goes on about uniform and weapon regulations,” Zack grunted, closing the folder and reaching for the next. “Let's see what Project Jenova is all about.”

Aerith shuddered as Zack opened the folder again, quickly looking away to avoid the creepy picture of Jenova staring out at her. It gave her the chills.

“The Jenova Project included a series of experiments in an attempt to make a human hybrid with the Cetra, Jenova. Of all the test subjects, only a select few were considered successes. Professor Hojo, along with Shinra scientist Lucrecia Crescent, and his colleagues Professor Gast and Dr. Hollander were responsible for the experiments. Professor Gast was responsible for the discovery of Jenova, and for bringing it back to Shinra to begin experimentation. He later defected from Shinra, and Professor Hojo and Dr. Hollander took Project Jenova and started separate projects with similar desired goals. Of this project, subjects Sephiroth, Genesis Rhapsodos, and Angeal Hewley were born. Professor Hojo started Project S, while Hollander started Project G [See files Project S and Project G].

“Jenova's remains are kept in the mountains of Nibelheim for Shinra's further research.”

Zack hastily closed the Jenova file and opened up the files Project G and S, his eyes scanning over the files greedily.

“Project G, also known as Project Gillian, was started by Dr. Hollander. Project G had less support from Shinra, compared to Project S, however, and was deemed a failure by the time its offspring were children.

“Dr. Hollander injected Gillian Hewley with Jenova cells. Her son, Angeal Hewley, was exposed to the cells while in the womb. Genesis Rhapsodos, another creation of the experiment, grew up with Angeal in the small town of Banora, with little sign of mutation. They later joined SOLDIER.

“Both SOLDIERS appeared to be normal, though eventually the effects of Project G began to manifest. Genesis, who had been injected with Gillian's cells to begin with, began to degrade slowly, and cells from Project S were required for his survival. It became clear that Genesis was a failure. Angeal, who had been born directly from Gillian's cells degraded far more slowly.

“It was discovered that both Angeal and Genesis had the ability to create copies of themselves, though they were not perfect copies, rather mindless slaves born from exposure to Angeal's and Genesis's genes. Genesis was able to create human copies; Angeal's copies took on the form of monsters. Both subjects later disappeared, and are believed dead.”

Zack closed the file, rubbing his eyes. “That explains the degradation...and he always said that he was...a monster,” he whispered to himself, gripping the files tightly in his hand.

“What does Project S say?” Cloud asked, taking the files from Zack. Cloud seemed far more interested in that than the other files. He began to read, just as Zack had done before.

“Project S was the much more successful experiment run by Professor Hojo,” Cloud's eyes narrowed with distaste, gritting his teeth. “The experiment was held in the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim. Professor Hojo used much more direct methods than his counterpart, Dr. Hollander. Instead of giving the Jenova Cells to a person like Gillian, he directly injected the cells into a human fetus in its mother's womb. This fetus later became known as Sephiroth. SOLDIER became the by product of Project S. Sephiroth became a hero to the world. After the disappearances of both Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos, friends of Sephiroth, the man disappeared without a trace. His whereabouts are unknown.”

Cloud closed the file resolutely, tossing it back at Zack.

“What do the other ones say?” he asked, gesturing toward the individual files.

“They're just more in depth biographies. Shinra doesn't seem to know much after they disappeared. They seem to think I'm dead. Well, at least they did before just recently,” he chuckled to himself. "Their file on me is useless. Other things though...they make more sense," Zack mused, but Aerith just gazed at him, confused.

“I don't understand anything,” Aerith confessed, and she saw Tifa and Barret, who had been strangely quiet, nodding in agreement. Only Zack and Cloud seemed to have any clue about what was going on.

“It just means that Shinra took what they thought was an Ancient and injected its cells into people to create super soldiers for their own devices,” Zack explained. “It means that I've been injected with some of the monsters cells here, and I've been pumped full of Mako, just like Cloud here. We agreed to the Mako, but not to this...this monster's DNA.”

“But you won't degrade like the others did?”

“No,” Zack shook his head. “According to these files, Dr. Hollander's project was considered a failure. No...they used Sephiroth's cells to make us stronger.”

“Are you as strong as Sephiroth?” Tifa asked, gazing at both Zack and Cloud.

“No. He's much stronger. He's the ultimate First Class SOLDIER, in a way. We're strong, yes. But I've seen him fight in battle...he can bring monsters down with one swipe of his sword. I don't have that kind of power. I just...I don't understand...Cloud, were you injected with Sephiroth's cells?”

Cloud's gaze was sharp as he looked at Zack, his jaw working silently. He rubbed the back of his neck for a long moment, and then shook his head.

“Truthfully...” he paused, sighing heavily. “Just read this,” he said, tossing his crumpled file at Zack. Zack unfolded it carefully, and Aerith read over his shoulder.

Cloud Strife. Failed experiment. Failure to retain ego through vigorous Mako sessions. The beginnings of Mako Addiction are showing. Admission to SOLDIER is rejected.

“I thought you were in SOLDIER,” Aerith said, watching Cloud carefully. She supposed that his eyes only glowed due to his exposure to Mako, not because he was SOLDIER.

“I am,” Cloud insisted. “They're lying.”

“Why would they lie in official files?”

“Don't ask me,” Cloud spat, pulling away from the group angrily. “They're fucking Shinra. But I made it. I remember...” he paused, frowning and rubbing at his temples. “I think,” he added more quietly.

Aerith sat down suddenly, not even caring that she was sitting the dirt. All of this information...it was too much to take in. She reached over and tugged the Cetra folder out from the pile, and opened it. It only had a brief paragraph about her race, the race she knew so little about.

“The migrations of the Cetra were a Planet-reverent pursuit of the fabled Promised Land, one conducted by traveling from one area to another and cultivating life as they went. The Cetra had the unique ability to commune with the Planet, an ability which regular humans lost once they gave up their close relationship with the Planet in favor of leisure and convenience. Cetra also had the ability to guide the flow of the Planet's spiritual energy, this being the means by which they were able to cultivate life on the Planet's surface.”

“What now?” she asked quietly, to no one in particular, but all heads turned toward her.

“We find Sephiroth,” Cloud finally said, and Tifa threw him an incredulous look.

“What?”

“Sephiroth,” he insisted, and Aerith swore for a moment that his eyes flashed green. It made her feel...uneasy. “They said he disappeared, but not that he was dead. Maybe he'll have some answers.”

“He's supposed to be crazy, remember? He burned Nibelheim down.” At this, Cloud shot her a clearly confused look, like he had no idea what she was talking about.

“I think...Cloud's right.” Zack agreed, gathering the files slowly. “This has answered some of my questions, but not all of them. I still don't know how to control my...episodes...maybe it's a result of having Jenova's cells in me...maybe Sephiroth will know how to control it, if he really was made from Jenova's cells in the first place. Where do we look?” he asked everyone.

“Nibelheim, of course,” Cloud stated seriously. He ignored Tifa's outcry that Nibelheim didn't exist anymore. “They said he was born there. If I was going to disappear, I think that a backwater place like Nibelheim would be the best place.”

“You haven't seen Gongaga yet,” Zack commented, and Aerith saw a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. She hadn't seen him smile for a while now, and she hadn't realized how much she missed it. Then she remembered that she was supposed to be angry with him still, and quickly looked away. “I suppose you're right again, Cloud,” Zack continued. “And even if Sephiroth isn't there, Jenova is supposed to be. We might find answers either way.”

“We'll have to leave town quickly. No doubt Shinra is out looking for us by now,” Cloud said, his eyes scanning the surrounding rubble.

“Wait, wait, wait a fucking minute!” Barret interrupted, waving his arms around. “Who is we? I've got a daughter to take care of. I can't just leave.”

“So stay,” Cloud shot back.

“Where is Marlene?” Zack asked suddenly, and Aerith realized that she had no idea who they were talking about.

“She was in another sector with some people I know,” Barret grunted. “I don't like to have her around while I'm holding meetings with AVALANCHE...” he trailed off, clearly remembering the death of his friends.

“Barret, you can stay here,” Tifa said softly. “We understand.”

“I just can't go...this is all beyond me. But when you lot find what you're looking for, come back and find me when you're ready to take down Shinra...in the meantime I suppose...” he paused. “I guess we'll just lay low for the time being.” It looked like it pained him to even say the words, 'lay low'.

“Okay,” Zack jumped up, pacing around anxiously. “So, Cloud and I will go and figure this thing out. We'll figure out what's going on with us...and Shinra...and how to get rid of them.”

“Wait a second,” Tifa objected. “I'm not staying. I'm going.”

“I thought you said Nibelheim was gone,” Zack cut in.

“It is,” she insisted. “I want to be there when you get there to see the looks on your faces when you see I'm right.” Zack laughed at this.

“Fine, you can come. I have no doubt you can take care of yourself. So us three will go.”

“What?” Aerith asked. Three. As in not including her. “I'm going, too.”

“It's too dangerous,” Zack said dismissively.

“It's no safer here! I thought you at least felt remorse for leaving me behind before, but now you want to do it again!”

“Aerith,” Zack sighed, turning to look at her.

“No! You're not the only person here trying to figure things out about themselves. I have as much to learn as you do. I'm coming!”

Zack stared hard at her for several long moments, but she held his gaze. She was determined to come along. She stepped closer to him, lowering her voice.

“Who else can help you if you lose control again?” she whispered, and his eyes widened briefly before narrowing.

“I won't lose control, so I won't need help,” he insisted.

“I'm coming, Zack. You're not in charge of me.”

“I'm supposed to keep you safe.”

“No,” she said sadly, shaking her head. “When you were my bodyguard, you were supposed to keep me safe. But you're not my bodyguard anymore, remember? You left.” Zack flinched as thought she'd slapped him hard across the face, and he took a step back. He turned away quickly, clearing his throat.

“Okay. You can come.”

Aerith had won another battle, but she still felt as lonely as before. She'd never felt more isolated in her life. She wanted to comfort Zack, to help him find out who he was, to show him that he wasn't a monster...but he was pushing her away and trying to keep her in the dark. Not anymore, though. She would find her answers, with or without Zack's help. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tifa giving her a sad look, but Aerith smiled bravely, even though her bottom lip trembled slightly.

She would have never imagined that the man she had felt so in love with only days before would now be the cause of all her miseries.

 

Chapter 12: Undone​

I remember every look upon your face

The way you roll your eyes, the way you taste

You make it hard for breathing

Zack had never traveled with a more subdued group before. Granted, he rarely traveled in groups to begin with. Aerith had barely spoken a word to him since they had left. They had made their way discreetly down to Junon, where they were able to pay for and board a ship to take them across to Corel. Zack had plenty of experience traveling incognito, and he helped the others disguise themselves. He was certain that Shinra would have their eyes out for them since they had escaped.

The trip on the boat was already a few days along, so now the group was left aboard the ship, waiting until they hit land again so they could pick up where they left on in their search for Sephiroth. It wouldn't be much longer now. Tifa was pacing on the deck, fingering her now dramatically shorter hair. She'd been convinced to cut it to keep her identity hidden, but she hadn't been pleased about it. Her hair was now a little longer than shoulder length, long enough that she could still pull it back and keep it out of the way.

Cloud's hair had also been changed; they'd dyed it, and now it was dark like Zack's. They looked similar enough to be brothers. Because their eyes and hairstyles were so distinctive and recognizable, they had also picked up hats and shades to cover themselves with. Zack and Cloud had also shed their clothing to go for something more subtle. They looked like everyday people now. Tifa continued to wear her regular clothes, as they were inconspicuous enough to blend in.

Aerith, perhaps, looked the most dramatic. She had also cut her hair, but willingly. It was severe, so short that it barely curled anymore, except for a few strands around her face that twisted like spiraling columns. The rest of her hair had been sliced off, barely reaching her shoulders. Aerith had changed out of her dress, opting for clothes far more suited for a man than a young woman. From a distance, she looked boyish, but her features were too soft, her hands too feminine and uncalloused. She had also removed her bow, the one Zack had gotten for her. Aerith had isolated herself from everyone, far enough that she didn't have to speak with them, but not far enough to stray out of sight.

Zack had never seen anyone look so lonely.

It made his heart ache. He had never thought that his actions would have caused such discord between them.

On the other hand, Cloud and Tifa were getting along better than ever. Cloud was much less agitated with Barret gone, and he no longer seemed hostile toward Zack – possibly because he knew Zack had no real romantic interest in Tifa, though he would never admit that was the reason.

However, the very idea of returning to Nibelheim seemed to make Tifa anxious and cranky, and Zack could tell that she was only returning because of Cloud. Zack didn't know what to think about Cloud's idea of Nibelheim, having been away from the town for many years himself. He couldn't rightly say if Nibelheim had ever been burned down, though Tifa seemed strong in her convictions. But, both Cloud and Tifa seemed sure in their own stories, and Zack wondered which one was confused, and why.

So, it was one topic the two never brought up, because it seemed to rub them both the wrong way. They avoided the subject, just like Aerith was avoiding the rest of them. Zack sighed heavily and continued to sharpen his blade to keep it in good repair. That was one thing Angeal had taught him well, until the lesson was ingrained in his mind. Of all the things the group had with them, their weapons were the most conspicuous, but still far from alarming – these parts could get dangerous, and a person would be a fool to venture into such wild lands without protection. Even Aerith had acquired a weapon, a heavy staff that she wielded somewhat clumsily, but it got the job done.

Zack grunted in irritation. No matter where his thoughts took him, he kept returning to Aerith. The fact that she was ignoring him so diligently was festering at his soul, an itch he just couldn't scratch. It was annoying, but most of all, it hurt. Every time he had tried to talk to her, she had found some excuse to get away. She wouldn't let him apologize. She preferred the company of roguish sailors, who once they got past her new appearance, would whistle and eye her appreciatively, making hot blood course thick through Zack's veins, anger clouding his vision. He had to restrain himself from hurting the men.

Cloud, on the other hand, had no such scruples, and made it very clear that Tifa was off limits. He hadn't gotten into any fights – he chose instead to stare at the offending sailor until the man quailed under Cloud's frigid gaze and got the message. Zack sorely wished he could vent his frustrations on something, though. His energy continued to build, and now he was restless with it. He needed an outlet.

Instead, all he could do was watch. He carefully watched Cloud and Tifa, and their now somewhat playful banter, sided with their own anxieties about the upcoming journey through Nibelheim. He watched the sailors at work, using their well muscled arms to haul things up and below deck. Mostly, he watched Aerith, his eyes becoming familiar with the way she stood, her hand folded behind her or on the rail of the ship, how her stance belied her femininity despite her masculine clothes – Zack had never seen anyone make guy's clothes look so appealing. Her right hand often went up to her hair, combing through the shortened length, only to let her fingers trail down her cheek and drop off at her jawline. Her lips sometimes moved softly, as though she were having a whispered conversation with someone, but no one was around.

Zack shifted again, aware that he was staring again without meaning to. She was looking silently out to sea, one leg bent and curled around the other, her hands gripping the railing firmly. Even without doing anything, she demanded his attention. He cursed under his breath and tried to concentrate on sharpening his sword.

-

He was watching her again. She could feel his eyes on her, a feeling so familiar now that it was almost second nature. The day hadn't truly started until she felt him watching her. It was a ritual he took part in daily. She had been annoyed with the staring at first, irritated that he had to watch her. But she grew accustomed to his watching, and it became more of a comforting presence as the sailors aboard began to look at her a little too appreciatively. The fact that it comforted her, his apparent looking out for her, also annoyed her, because she wanted to stay angry with him, for reasons she didn't quite understand.

Perhaps it was just a stubborn streak showing, but she wanted to prove to him that she could take care of herself. When it had come time to disguise themselves, she had willingly parted with her hair and usual attire in a desperate attempt to discard her image of innocence and naivety. She didn't want to look helpless; she didn't want to feel helpless either, and so she'd also gotten a staff to defend herself with.

A part of her regretted her hasty decision – it had taken a long time to grow her out so long, and now it was gone. Presently, instead of curling, it lay mostly flat against her head, except for a few pathetic waves where her hair tried – and failed – to capture its previous magnificence.

But it had done the job – she felt far removed from that girl in the slums, who had been pretty and mostly happy. Now she felt lonely and isolated, though in part, a lot of that was her own fault. She couldn't fully trust them – Cloud, Tifa, or Zack. Cloud and Tifa had been part of a group just as intent to get their hands on her as Shinra had been, and even though they had let her go, in a sense, she couldn't be certain they didn't have ulterior motives.

As for Zack...she wanted so badly to trust him, to believe he wouldn't leave again. She had fallen too hard, too fast over those beautiful eyes and his charming personality, and it was clouding her judgment. She felt so confused. She didn't know what to do, so she kept herself away from him, away from temptation. It had already been established that bad things could happen if they were together, even as friends, because he was dangerous, and she...she didn't even understand who she was.

Even knowing these things, though, he kept looking at her, and she kept waiting for him to. She never looked his way when he did it, pretending she didn't notice, instead, conversing quietly with the planet. Out on the ocean, the planet's responses seemed moodier, and somewhat far away. The actual soil and earth was many miles away, and the waters were the only part of the planet to talk to. The voices of the planet were far more fickle here, cheerful one moment and raging the next. Aerith didn't mind. It was someone to talk to.

“Who are you talking to out here?” Zack asked her suddenly, making her jump, startled. He had sneaked up on her.

“No one,” she said quickly and evasively, stepping away from him. She fervently wished he would leave. Fortune wasn't smiling on her, though, because he stayed.

“Huh,” he said, turning to look out at the ocean. “Some Ancient secret?” he mused, scratching at his chin. “I suppose you could be talking to the Planet. I read about that in the file,” he added needlessly. She didn't reply, keeping her lips closed tight.

“...are you going to stay mad at me forever?” he sighed, finally breaking the silence. “I was only doing what I thought was best.”

“I don't think so,” she answered honestly. “Maybe. We'll have to see.”

“Are you serious?” he asked incredulously. Aerith nodded. “Come on!”

“How is running away the right thing?” she finally demanded.

“I wasn't running away,” he said defensively.

“You were. I don't think you were protecting me at all. You were protecting yourself.”

Zack turned to face her, lifting the shades he had taken to wearing ever so slightly, so he could look at her clearly.

“Is that so?”

“Yes,” she declared, not daring to meet his eyes. He sighed and dropped his shades back down.

“Maybe you're right,” he agreed, and Aerith looked over at him finally, in shock. “I don't see the point in denying it – something about you scares me. I don't know what to think about you...or...how to feel about you. And I'm afraid I'll hurt you.”

Aerith opened and closed her mouth wordlessly. Zack pulled off his shades completely and looked her directly in the eyes, that brilliant blue making her heart contract and quicken.

“I'm attracted to you, and you're attracted to me,” he stated. Aerith opened her mouth again to protest, to try and deny what was already obvious, but he held up his hand.

“I know why you're angry with me. I betrayed you and I also know exactly what that feels like. It was wrong of me to do that to you. And I've been trying...” he trailed off, slapping the metal railing with the palm of his hand. “I've been trying to give you your space. I've been trying to stay away from you as much as you've been staying away from me. But its hard.”

“...I know,” Aerith said softly, her heart pounding in her chest erratically.

“I've been fighting with myself about you for a long time. Maybe I should stop fighting. I don't know. Fighting is all I really know. But I also know that you – you're different, and not just because you're the Ancient. I knew it when I saw you. So...I guess what I'm trying to say is, please, don't stay mad at me. I was wrong, but we all make mistakes.”

Zack gave her one last, long look, and then walked away, leaving Aerith with a lot to think about.

-

Zack walked quietly up next to Cloud, who was looking out intently at the waters, his now dark hair ruffled in the wind. His brow was drawn together in concentration, as though he were trying to remember something. Zack stared at him critically for the hundredth time, still unsure what to make of the stoic man.

“I used to get motion sickness,” Cloud finally said, breaking the silence. “Especially in helicopters. But here I am, out at sea, and I'm fine.”

“Maybe you got used to it,” Zack suggested, rolling his shoulders in a shrug.

“I suppose.”

Silence fell between the two of them again, and Zack shook his head in amusement. For two people who seemed to have a lot in common, they had little to talk about. Maybe it was just because neither of them were willing to talk about it, though.

“Why'd you leave Shinra?” Zack broke the silence, his curiosity getting the better of him. Cloud didn't do anything at first, keeping his eyes locked onto the blue waters, but then he turned and stared hard at Zack. Zack just stared back.

“I used to know,” Cloud answered finally, averting his gaze. “I can't remember now. Just that they did something wrong to me. I think it was the experiments Hojo did back then...now my head's all fuzzy.”

“Hm,” Zack grunted, licking at his chapped lips. “You left Shinra for a reason you can't remember. And you still think Nibelheim's standing, while Tifa's insisting that it was burned to the ground.”

“So?” Cloud said flatly, his face going blank.

“So, a 1st Class SOLDIER doesn't leave Shinra for something small. I should know,” he added. “In any case, I think something is wrong with your head.”

“I'm no mental case,” Cloud defended.

“I didn't say mental. If you can't remember things, I think someone's messed with your memories. Shinra wants you to forget something, no doubt.” Zack scratched at his chin, frowning. “Shinra has no qualms about killing people, though, so I wonder why they haven't yet.”

“I killed them,” Cloud said simply. “I killed everyone they sent after me.”

“Oh. Makes sense, I guess.” Zack wasn't perturbed by Cloud's nonchalance. A lot of SOLDIERS started to get that way; they killed a lot. “Do you really think Nibelheim is still there?”

Cloud's eyes flashed behind his sunglasses, unknown to Zack, before he replied. “Of course I do.”

“What about Tifa?”

“She's wrong. Or confused. I don't know,” Cloud replied, turning away from Zack. “Why are we talking about this?”

“...I'm just trying to figure things out, Cloud. Nothing is meeting up, and one of you is wrong.”

Cloud turned sharply, scowling fiercely, but their ensuing fight was interrupted.

“What are you two up to?” Tifa asked, watching them both carefully. Zack kept his smile to himself. Tifa was babysitting them – making sure they didn't brawl like children on the playground.

“Zack was just going,” Cloud replied slowly through gritted teeth.

“Yeah. I was just on my way,” Zack agreed, smiling thinly. He paused as he heard soft footsteps behind him, accompanied by the flowery smell that was Aerith.

“Zack?” she asked softly, and he turned, looking at her seriously. She was uncertain, her eyes darting back and forth between Cloud and Tifa. “Can we, um, talk?”

“Of course,” he agreed with one last look at Cloud and Tifa. He followed Aerith to a more secluded spot on the ship.

“What is it?” he asked, feeling a little apprehensive. He still felt foolish after his rather uncalled for outburst earlier.

“I'm sorry for ignoring you. And for being mad with you.”

“So...you forgive me then?”

“Yes,” she nodded, smiling uncertainly.

“Good,” Zack stated, sighing. “What about the other thing?”

“The other thing?”

“Yeah, you know,” he said, leaning closer to her. Her cheeks flushed prettily at his proximity.

“Oh,” she squeaked as she caught on. “That.” He raised his eyebrows in a silent question, smiling. She shrugged, her own lips curving upward.

“What do you want me to say? You've already told me that I'm attracted to you.”

“You are,” Zack pointed out, chuckling. He couldn't help it. He couldn't distance himself anymore. Loneliness, while it had never bothered him unduly before, was now intolerable, and it was the worst when he was away from Aerith.

“I thought you said not to fall in love with you.”

“You said the same thing to me,” he argued.

“I thought this was a bad idea,” she continued feebly, her voice hardly a whisper.

“Did I say that?” he asked genuinely, staring into her bright green eyes, his head spinning. He felt lightheaded.

“Maybe, I can't remember.”

“It seems like a good idea now,” he said, reaching forward and cupping her cheek softly. “It seems like a good idea to kiss you right now.”

“Yeah,” she breathed, her eyelids fluttering closed as he leaned all the way in, capturing his lips with his own chapped ones. Had he been more aware, he might have been more self conscious of his dry lips – but he couldn't think. He could hardly breathe. As his lips moved over hers slowly, his world seemed to spin while his head exploded. He had kissed very few girls before – he'd never had time, so he wasn't exactly experienced. But kissing Aerith was as natural as breathing. In fact, it was like kissing her had taken the place of breathing, because he couldn't remember how to at the moment, and his lungs were burning in protest, but his heart was pounding euphorically. He was hypersensitive to every nerve in his body burning, his blood coursing through him hot and thick, his every appendage alive with sensation.

Aerith made a small noise in his mouth, and her slender fingers slipped up and curled into his hair as she pulled herself closer. A thrill coursed through his body. She was better than mako, his whole body buzzing like he was on a high. A feeling he couldn't name swelled up inside of him, followed by one he was more familiar with. Like the beginnings of his episodes, he could feel his mind begin to shut down and give in to its desires. He felt unsteady and shaky, panic shooting through him. He tried to pull away, but he couldn't, his hands and lips already moving with a mind of their own. He waited for the blood lusty urge to take over, for his mind to scream at him to rip her apart, but instead he was obliged to pull her closer so that she was pressed firmly against him, her every soft curve making his skin burn.

This was familiar, but different. It wasn't blood lust. It was just...lust. A low growl escaped him, and he remembered how to breathe. He pulled away, sucking I breathe, before he dived back in, trailing hot kisses along her neck as she gasped, whether in surprise or pleasure, he didn't know. His nimble fingers found their way to the hem of her shirt, tugging at it insistently.

Too many clothes.

“Zack,” Aerith gasped, her hands grasping his as he pulled upward. “Zack,” she repeated, pulling away from him. He saw her, but he didn't. His mind was still buzzing, and it was telling him to continue. He smiled lazily before crushing his lips to hers again. She stumbled backwards until she hit a solid wall, and he pressed up against her urgently.

“Aerith,” his whispered haggardly, his lips leaving soft kisses under her ear. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her heady scent.

“Zack,” she repeated more firmly, pushing him away so that she was looking him in the eyes. Her figure flickered hazily in front of him as his brain tried to make sense of what was going on, fighting his urge to surge back into her.

Too many clothes, he thought again.

–

“Zack?” Aerith asked with concern as she looked him in the eyes. His pupils were dilated, and he was giving her a smoldering look, one that made her knees weak and shaky, one that almost made her reconsider her reluctance...but she could tell he wasn't himself, that he wasn't thinking straight. Still, her eyes fell back to his lips, which were red and swollen, and completely inviting, and she almost let him kiss her again as he leaned in once more, but she quickly snapped out of it and tenderly grabbed his face, rubbing a thumb over his cheek.

“Zack,” she said quietly, and he focused slightly, his pupils contracting momentarily. “Zack, look at me. Look in my eyes,” she instructed, and he slowly let his eyes roam from her lips upward until their eyes met again. “Good,” she smiled, stroking his cheek. “That wasn't so hard, was it?” she asked, remembering how she had calmed him after his blood lust. It seemed to be working, this time, too. She leaned in and kissed right above his mouth, then again just below his ear, and finally right above his right eye. Each time her lips made contact, his skin glowed green briefly. When she pulled away, his eyes were back to normal, and he seemed aware again.

“Aerith?” he asked uncertainly, his hands dropping to his sides. She continued to cup his face, mostly to keep him from running away. She was afraid he'd be upset. “What happened? I lost control, didn't I?”

“A little,” she said with a smile, still trying to catch her breath. “But you're okay now.”

“I don't understand,” he admitted, looking downcast. “I didn't think – I didn't know that would happen. I never felt anything like...it was familiar, but different, you know? I thought I was having one of my episodes, and I started to panic, but I couldn't stop...” he shook his head slowly, her hands still holding his face. “But I didn't want to kill you, I wanted to...” he trailed off, his face growing warm as he left the statement unfinished. She didn't need him to finish though, because she had an idea of exactly what he had wanted. She had been feeling a bit of it herself, and now she felt a bit foolish – it had only been their first kiss, after all. Surely things were happening too fast?

But the way she had felt when he kissed her. Like hot butter on toast. Or maybe the way peanut butter and jelly must feel when they meet on a sandwich. The perfect combination. Or like a cookie, good by itself, being dipped into cold, crisp milk, to make it even better. Like an old favorite, except that it was brand new. She didn't know why she was making so many food analogies, except that food and flowers had been some of the small joys she'd experienced, and she had little else to compare the sensation to.

His lips had been slightly chapped, but it wasn't like she had known better anyway. She hadn't minded. The very planet seemed to rejoice, and it hummed merrily, vibrating deep in her soul. Or perhaps that had been her, humming. She couldn't recall clearly, but she thought she had made a noise at some point, and then he had pulled her closer, and she had been enveloped in his warmth. The want – no, the need for him had risen up in her, stretching up like a flower does for sunlight and then blossoming in her chest, until her heart felt like it would swell and burst.

She could understand exactly what he had wanted, because for a moment, she had wanted it, too.

“I'm sorry,” he apologized. “For getting out of control.”

“Everyone loses control, sometimes,” she said simply, finally letting his face go, reluctantly. She loved the feel of his face, slightly rough from the stubble beginning to grow in. He hadn't shaved for a few days, but she figured that was to keep in disguise. She thought he looked handsome either way.

“But I should know better,” he sighed. “I should have guessed.”

“You couldn't have known. Fighting and kissing, well, they're two very different things, aren't they?” she asked, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.

“Still...”
“Don't be sorry. It's okay to lose control sometimes. It's no good to bottle things up. And if you lose control, I'll be here to help you back down.”

He stared at her hard, but she kept his gaze, staring right back into his beautiful eyes, so hard with determination and regret. Then his features softened, and he sighed lightly. “You're wonderful.”

Despite the fact that they had just kissed very intimately, his compliment made her blush and look down. He lifted her chin up with his finger and kissed her lightly on the lips, and her body tingled.

“I miss my hair,” she said, for lack of something better to say.

“It'll grow back,” Zack comforted, smoothing her hair down.

“Um, excuse me, but we're nearing Corel now, sir,” a sailor interrupted, and Aerith was suddenly very aware of how public they had been. She blushed fiercely and turned away.

“Right, thank you,” Zack said calmly, regaining his composure like the expert he was. “Shall we go find Cloud and Tifa?”

“Alright,” Aerith agreed, and Zack took her hand gently, pulling her along. She smiled to herself, and squeezed his hand lightly, only to get a squeeze back.

-

“What were you two talking about?” Tifa asked Cloud, who was staring angrily out at the sea.

“He's so nosy. Thinks he needs to know everything. It's none of his business,” Cloud muttered, hitting the railing restlessly.

“Doesn't need to know what?”

“Any of it!” Cloud snapped, glaring at Tifa.

“No need to take my head off, Cloud,” Tifa replied scathingly, narrowing her eyes at him. He was so moody lately. Back and forth, his moods would swing from completely fine to irritable in a split second.

“God...” he groaned, rubbing at his head and pulling at his dyed hair. “I'm sorry, Tifa. He just bugs me, you know?”

“No, not really. I think Zack's nice. Most of the time, any way. Nicer than you most of the time,” she added, feeling disgruntled.

Cloud shook his head in disgust. “If you like him so much, why are you hanging around me? Go find wherever he flounced off to. Probably to stare at Aerith again. What a creeper.”

“Cloud,” Tifa said firmly, grabbing his wrists and forcing him to look up at her. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. It's pathetic.”

“I do not-” Cloud began hotly, but Tifa didn't let him continue.

“I didn't follow Zack because I want to be around you, but apparently you're too stupid to figure that out. Why do you keep trying to pick fights with everyone?”

Even with his sunglasses on, she could tell his face was hard and tense, and that he was close to exploding. But then his entire body sagged and he relaxed, a whoosh of air expelling from his lungs.

“I don't know. I'm kind of confused lately. My head hurts a lot, too. I think I'm still a little motion sick, and this headache is the side effect. At least I'm not throwing up overboard.” Tifa dropped his wrists and took a step back.

“Don't throw up on me,” she warned, smiling a little. He chuckled lightly, his darkened locks dancing about on his head.

“I won't. I'm sorry, Tifa.”

“I know you are. You're still stupid, though.” He grunted at her assessment, but shrugged.
“I guess I am.”

“Hey, you two, we're nearing Corel now,” Zack's voice carried over the ship as he pulled Aerith along behind him.

“Looks like they made up,” Cloud said, looking sour at the sight of Zack.

“It looks like they made out, more like,” Tifa noted, observing their mussed hair and flushed faces.

“Figures,” Cloud snorted. As Zack neared, Cloud straightened up, his cold facade slipping over again. “About fucking time,” he said loudly.

“Jeez, Cloud, you'd think you were anxious to get off the ship, or something,” Zack joked, much more lighthearted than Tifa remembered seeing him for days.

“Fuck off,” Cloud swore.

“And such a foul mouth, too. You're going to offend the ladies, Cloud.” Cloud deigned not to reply after that. Tifa watched Cloud closely, the way his muscles in his face were tight and tense, his eyes scanning the bustle aboard the ship as they neared land. She wondered what it was about Zack that set Cloud off so much. Was it the competition? Or maybe it was because Zack was just so much more personable. She sighed to herself, feeling absently at her short hair. The missing weight left her feeling a bit lost and nonplussed. There was nothing she could do about it now, though.

The ship was navigated expertly into the dock, and the sailors set to work dropping the anchor and getting the plank ready for the passengers. As Tifa left the ship and set her feet on solid ground, she swayed ominously, a rush of nausea coursing through her. The ground felt like it was swaying, and she might be pitched to the side at any second. A pair of hands grasped her arms as she lurched forward, keeping her from falling flat on her face.

“Steady there,” Cloud's voice whispered in her ear, sounding much less angry than he had moments ago. “Just give it a second.” Tifa craned her neck to look back at him, and he gave her a warm smile. “It used to happen to me, too. You get used to it once you travel between land and sea enough.”

“It's been a long time since I traveled,” Tifa agreed, remembering that it had happened the first time she had traveled, from her ruined home to Midgar. “I just forgot about it.”

“You okay?” he asked, his hands still resting on her arms, though no longer holding her up. She noticed how warm they were.

“Yeah,” she said, casting a glance over in Zack and Aerith's direction. Aerith was actually sitting on the ground, Zack kneeling next to her, speaking in hushed tones. “Looks like Aerith has had some trouble, too.”

“I doubt that girl has ever traveled in her life,” Cloud said. “Or if she has, it's been even longer than you.” Tifa nodded in agreement. They waited until Aerith was steady on her feet again before moving away from the dock.

“So, what now?” Tifa asked the group, looking between Cloud and Zack. They were the ones familiar with the territory.

“We won't stay here long,” Zack informed her, readjusting the sword on his back. “We'll have to keep up with the disguises for a while longer. Shinra will no doubt continue to search for us. We should separate once we get on a train. They'll probably be looking for all of us together, not for two couples.”

“We're taking a train to Nibelheim?” Aerith asked.

“Yes. It's much faster than walking – that would take weeks. However, security aboard the train will be much tighter than on the ship, another reason we should separate.”

Tifa watched Cloud to see his reaction, but his face was as blank as ever.

“We'll meet up again once we reach Nibelheim, right?” Cloud blurted suddenly, earning him bemused looks.

“Yeah. Why, are you going to miss me, Cloudy?” Zack teased, and Cloud scowled, but held his tongue. Tifa had to agree, it was rather strange for Cloud to worry about meeting up again – she thought he'd be rather relieved to be rid of Zack, based on his moodiness surrounding the other ex-SOLDIER. Then again, maybe he would feel better facing Sephiroth with another man who could fight as well as he could.

“Nice blade you got there,” a man on the dock said to Zack, his eyes wide with greed. “You ever think 'bout fighting up at the Golden Saucer?”

Zack shrugged, one hand on the hilt of his sword. “Never really thought about it,” he replied evasively, and Tifa wondered if he was playing it down because of his...episodes.

“There are some great prizes for people who do well,” the man continued, his eyes darting to Cloud. “I reckon you two could both do well in the Battle Square. Some say there's rare materia for the best.”

“We're actually on our -” Zack began, but was interrupted.

“Really? Rare materia?” Cloud asked eagerly, a strange, hungry look in his eye.

“That's what they say,” the man grunted, scratching at his stomach. “It ain't too far, though, the Golden Saucer. Just right over that way,” he said, pointing.

“I guess it isn't that far off course,” Zack muttered, mostly to himself.

“We should go,” Cloud said firmly, his eyes staring off into the distance, where the Golden Saucer would be.

“I've never been there,” Tifa said ponderously.

“What's the Golden Saucer?” Aerith asked Zack quietly, gazing out at the empty horizon with everyone else.

“It's kind of like an amusement park, I suppose,” Zack said. “There are prizes and activities...it's about the only tourist attraction around.”

“Sounds fun,” Aerith said wistfully. Tifa guessed Aerith hadn't had much fun in the slums.

“It's not much of a detour,” Tifa said, echoing Zack's earlier sentiment. “We should go.”

“Especially if there's materia involved,” Cloud put in, bouncing on his toes eagerly. Tifa watched him, narrowing her eyes. Sometimes, at times like these, she almost saw the old boy she knew back in Nibelheim. When he saw she was watching, though, his face fell blank again, like a slate wiped clean, and that boy was gone in an instant.

“Fine,” Zack relented, though a grin was tugging at his lips, as if he couldn't resist the allure of the Golden Saucer either. “But we're still separating on the train. We want to draw the least attention as possible.”

–

Zack was almost regretting his decision to separate into two groups. Cloud and Tifa had gone on their way, and were riding on a different, unknown part of the train. Now, Zack was alone with Aerith, and without the distraction of something to do, his mind kept wandering back to their kiss on the ship. Granted, it had almost become more than a kiss, and he had lost control of himself. That's why now, he was sitting firmly in his own seat, sharpening his sword methodically.

Aerith was sitting across from him, her gaze shifting from the sparks on his sword to the view outside, drinking in all the sights. Her flowery scent invaded his senses, twice as alluring in the confined train compartment. He tried to ignore that, focusing on his blade instead, which in truth, was already sharpened to perfection.

Perfection. Zack glanced back up at Aerith again, and this time her eyes caught his, and she smiled shyly. His heart forgot how to beat, and then started again with a loud thump, pounding away at a runner's pace to make up for the beat it missed. He swallowed and set his sword aside, realizing that he wasn't focused enough to be messing around with sharp objects at the moment. He could feel Aerith watch him, and he met her eyes again as he settled back into his seat. She stretched one foot out – granted, it wasn't a great distance to cross – and wrapped it around his, smiling to herself.

“It's like holding hands, but with your feet,” she said, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Zack smiled. She was so wonderfully innocent, even when she was being so forward. It was extremely attractive, in Zack's opinion.

“Feet holding,” he said, and she nodded in agreement. He bit back a groan. She made it so hard for him.

“Do you want to kiss me again?” She asked boldly, but Zack detected a hint of nervousness in her words, as if he would reject her. How could she think that? Hadn't his wild abandon earlier been proof enough?

“Of course I do,” Zack said slowly, taking his free foot and mimicking Aerith's actions, hooking his foot around her own.

“Then why aren't you?”

“Because I need to stay focused, that's why,” he grinned.

“Are you saying I'm a distraction?” she asked, laughing softly in a way that sounded wonderful to his ears.

“Of course. Very distracting,” he added, nudging her with one of his feet.

“Shoot,” she sighed and leaned back, staring out the window again. Then, “Was I always very distracting?”

“Yes,” Zack laughed. She rubbed absently at her cheeks, thinking.

“What exactly do you need to stay focused on again?” Aerith demanded, frowning slightly.

“I've created a monster, apparently,” Zack mused aloud, earning him a sharp kick from Aerith. “Ow,” he muttered, rubbing his shin.
“Answer me,” Aerith said firmly, but she was smiling.

“I need to stay focused on a lot of things,” he said slowly, glancing out the compartment window. “Shinra could do a mandatory train check at any moment, and then we'd be sitting here...caught unawares.”

“So what are you focused on right now?”

Zack paused, listening to the train wheels clack on the tracks, then closing his eyes and breathing deeply before answering. “There's a man two compartments over, sleeping. I can hear him snoring, and his breathing is slow and deep. Four compartments away, a family is traveling together. Two kids. The mother and father are talking softly. Another man, one with a slight limp, he's walking up and down the corridor. His heart rate is accelerated. He's nervous. He's probably conspiring.”

Aerith looked at him, surprised, but also smiling triumphantly. “That doesn't sound so dangerous. A sleeping man, a family.”

“What about the nervous guy? What if he's planning something?”

“Or what if trains just make him nervous? There are a lot of what if's, Zack. Just because someone's nervous doesn't mean they're plotting to blow up the train, or something.”

“Where I come from, they usually are,” Zack defended. Aerith didn't answer, opting instead to look out the widow again.

“It's quiet out here, you know?”

“It is the desert,” Zack noted. “Not a lot going on. Except for the Golden Saucer.”

“Even the Planet's kind of quiet,” she said, a sad expression crossing her face – like a girl who'd just lost her puppy. But then the look vanished and she changed the subject, which Zack was glad for, because he didn't know what to say to her. “So what's the Golden Saucer like?”

“Honestly, I don't know,” Zack admitted. “I've only heard things about it – I've never gone myself. I've been too busy...no luxury time. I used to get paid vacations from Shinra, but the Golden Saucer was only an idea then. I went to Costa De Sol.”

“What have you heard about the Golden Saucer, then?”

“Oh, plenty of things. Drunks gambling their money away, the poor getting lucky and winning – and then losing it all again.”

“That doesn't sound like much fun,” Aerith said.

“I guess that's a kind of negative outlook. There are some fun things, I suppose. Chocobo races. The Battle Square. Gondola rides and theater.” Aerith's eyes lit up as he described what little he knew.

“It sounds wonderful.”

“I bet you haven't gotten out much, have you?” Zack said, feeling a little bad that he'd seen most of the known world, while Aerith had probably spent most, if not all, of her life in Midgar.

“No...my mother and I came to Midgar when I was very young. She...she died.”
“Er...Elmyra?” Zack asked uncertainly, confused.

“She adopted me. She's my mom, don't get me wrong...just not my real mother. Elmyra, she's not a Cetra...not even a part Cetra like me. She's just a regular human being. That's why Shinra has no interest in her. Just me.”

“...I'm sorry,” Zack said, reaching forward and taking her small hand, curling his fingers around into her palm. “My parents don't even know I'm alive,” he said. “They live in Gongaga, you know? It's not actually that far from here. Down south of the Golden Saucer. But...I can't go see them. Not yet. Not until my work is done, and I figure out what's going on with me. I can't put them in danger.”

Aerith squeezed his hand sympathetically. “We'll figure things out.” She reached up with her other free hand, tracing the scar on his cheek lightly. “How'd you get this?”

He shivered lightly at her gentle touch, but he didn't pull away. “Just a little sparring duel with Angeal. He was my mentor, before he died.”

She smiled. “I'm sure you did very well.”

“I got my ass kicked,” Zack laughed, and Aerith let her hand drop. They fell into a comfortable silence. Zack focused his mind again, listening to everything around him. The nervous man had stopped pacing. Presumably, he was seated I his own compartment.

“So,” Aerith interrupted his focus. “I can't get even one kiss?”

Zack burst into laughter, leaning forward and cupping her face with his hands. “You're persistent, aren't you?”

“It's the voices in my head – they tell me it's a good idea,” she insisted.

“Ah,” Zack said. “Then I'd better not disappoint,” he said, and he kissed her gently, first above her mouth, then again right below her ear, and on her brow, and finally a soft one on the lips.

“That was four,” she said when he pulled away.

“Well, you deserved them.” She beamed at him, unwrapping her ankles from his and moving herself so she was more comfortable in her seat. She yawned slightly, resting her head against the headrest.

“What, you're going to go to sleep?” Zack asked, laughing in disbelief. “You get me to kiss you just so you can take a nap?”

Aerith laughed, closing her eyes. “I thought you needed to focus, Zack. I'm trying to be...un-distracting.”

“Sprawling out in a train compartment will help,” he said, but she missed the sarcasm, nodding sleepily.

“Exactly,” she murmured. “Wake me when we're...” she yawned widely, then stopped talking.

“Aerith?” Zack asked gently. No response. She had fallen asleep! He smirked to himself, shaking his head. Normally, he might have been a little miffed or put out that someone had just fallen asleep on him, but, with Aerith, it was rather cute. He closed his eyes again, allowing himself to fall into a meditative state, letting his surroundings wash over him.

–

Sometimes Cloud felt out of place, like he'd just woken up and didn't know where he was. He felt a bit like that now. He knew he was on a train, but not why; he knew he was with Tifa, but he wasn't sure where Zack and Aerith had gone, or exactly why they were traveling together. Sometimes, his thoughts slowly fell back into place, and he remembered all of the why's, so he didn't ask questions right away, hoping that he'd remember everything.

He had suddenly been aware that he was rocking back and forth lightly as the train rocked on the tracks, and he was staring out the window absently. He waited, and slowly he remembered that he – no, they – were headed to the Golden Saucer. Something about materia. Prizes. His head remained stubbornly fuzzy on all of the other details. Zack and Aerith were somewhere on the train while they all traveled incognito, under the radar of Shinra.

He tore his eyes away from the window and glanced at Tifa, swelling happily with his good fortune to be riding with her. He remember with a guilty lurch how Hojo had taken her away. How it had been his fault. Cloud had no idea what had caused him to act so rashly. In fact, he couldn't explain a lot of things, lately. He was confused. But anytime he thought too hard about it, he would disappear again, and then seemingly wake up, with no idea what was going on, again.

So, he didn't think too hard about it.

“Hey,” he murmured to Tifa, who's eyes were closed as she rest her head against the back of the seat. As he spoke, her eyes popped open, and he smiled as her crimson brown eyes met his.

“Yes?” she asked – she seemed a little irritated.

“Er. Sorry. Just thought I'd make some small talk.”

“You? Make small talk?” Tifa laughed lightly. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Better than I have for a while,” he admitted truthfully. “And what's that supposed to mean? I can't make small talk?”

“I'm sure you can, but from what I've seen lately, you aren't inclined to.” Cloud frowned, rubbing at his head. Why wouldn't he want to talk to Tifa?

“Oh. Well, I'm sorry then. Something must have been on my mind. I'd like to talk now.”

Tifa eyed him warily, lowering the brochure onto her lap. “Oookay...about what?”

“What'd you do after I left Nibelheim?”

Tifa laughed again, shaking her head. “Talk about bringing up the past. I didn't think you liked to talk about Nibelheim.”

“I'm not talking about Nibelheim, I'm talking about you,” he pointed out. “So tell me.”

“After you left...well, I continued my training with Zangan. I became a tour guide for a while, too, showing tourists around. My father...my father was killed when Sephiroth came to town. I don't know how it happened. Things got a little crazy...the town was burned to the ground. Sephiroth, he disappeared. There was nothing left for me there. I left. I went to Midgar, and I started working in a bar. And then you showed up.”

An image flashed in Cloud's head, and for a brief second, he could see Nibelheim, burning. How could he know though? He wasn't there. He had been...he couldn't remember where, now. Why couldn't he remember?

“Are you okay, Cloud?”

“Sorry. I'm fine. And, I'm sorry about your father.” Tifa shrugged, clenching her fists.

“So, what did you do once you left Nibelheim? Besides join SOLDIER?” she asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“I...” he took a deep breath. “Just like you said. I joined SOLDIER. And I fought. But Shinra's full of liars...full of webs of deceit. I don't...I couldn't take it. I left.” The words came easily to his mouth, sprouting form his tongue, when only hours earlier, he had been telling Zack that he couldn't remember why he'd left SOLDIER. What was happening to him?

“And you became a mercenary bent on destroying Shinra?” she asked, her brow raised – attractively, Cloud noted.

“Well, yes.”

She stared at him seriously, and then she burst out into laughter. Cloud couldn't stop himself from laughing too. When they both ceased their riotous laughter, wiping weakly at their eyes, Tifa spoke again between gasps of air.

“I haven't...laughed like that...for a long time.”

“Me neither,” Cloud admitted. “I'm glad I did.” Tifa sighed, her smile fading away.

“What happened to you? You're acting like...well, like the Cloud I used to know. Why were you acting so...so cold before?”

“I...” he stopped, his throat stuck. “I'm sorry, Tifa. I can't really explain.” She just shrugged again, tucking her shortened hair behind her ear. “I liked your hair longer,” Cloud said after a moment, missing the length.

“Me too. And I liked your hair better blond, chocobo head,” she teased. He laughed dryly, rubbing at his dyed hair.

“We're incognito, remember?”

“You look like Zack, now,” she said, reaching across and ruffling his hair, pausing and pulling away slowly when she realized what she was doing.

“I suppose there's nothing wrong with that,” he said at length. “He's cheerful looking. I'm rather serious.”

“I don't mind serious,” Tifa said, looking pointedly out the window. Cloud smiled and reached over, taking her hand. The last time he'd felt so nervous was when he was back in Nibelheim, just barely sixteen.

“I also missed you, while I was gone.”

“I missed you, too, Cloud,” Tifa said, drawing her eyes away from the window to look back at him again, smiling beatifically. And then Cloud was gone and everything went dark in his head.

–

Zack watched Aerith take in the grand sight of the Golden Saucer. He had to admit, it did look rather awe-inspiring, towering in front of them, lights flashing invitingly. Cloud looked almost as eager as her, but it was all in his eyes – his posture gave none of his excitement away. As Aerith and Cloud wandered closer to the Golden Saucer, Tifa came up behind him, placing a hand on his arm.

“What's up?” he asked, shooting her a look. She was staring at Cloud, a frown pulling at her lips.

“Something's wrong with Cloud.”

“I don't have to make him jealous again, do I? Because I don't think I can make that kid see sense,” he said lightly, smiling in jest, but his smile trailed away when he saw that she was serious. “What's wrong with him?”

“I don't know,” she answered truthfully. “On the train...he was acting like himself again, for a little bit. He took my hand, and then...nothing. It was like he went blank. He pulled away and stopped answering me after that. I don't know what's happening to him. Do you think that Hojo did something when we were back in Midgar?”

“It's possible...” Zack said, rubbing his chin slowly. “When I got there, it hadn't looked like Hojo had done anything yet, but perhaps he was just starting round two. I think the best thing we can do for now is keep a close eye on Cloud. You can handle that, can't you?”

“Of course,” Tifa said, nodding. “What else can we do?”

“We wait until we find Sephiroth, I suppose. Maybe he'll have all the answers. I hope somebody has the answers.”

“Come on, Zack!” Aerith called cheerfully, looking back at him expectantly, her eyes shining exuberantly.

“Coming!” he called back, turning back to Tifa quickly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It'll be okay, Tifa. I promise.”

“You can't promise that,” she said, smiling weakly. “Besides, that's hardly a promise you could keep. Trust me. I know about promises.”

Zack sighed, patting her shoulder and pulling away. Despite all that had happened, with Avalanches betrayal, he still liked Tifa, and it bothered him to see her so distraught.

“Come on, Aerith looks ready to explode from excitement. And Cloud...well, I suppose he's excited, in his own special way.”

“Right,” Tifa laughed lightly, letting Zack pull her toward the others.

“It's so big,” Aerith said breathlessly, looping her arm through Zack's. “I've never seen anything like it.”

“It's quite the sight,” Zack agreed, smiling at her wonder.

“Where's the Battle Square?” Cloud asked aloud, to no one in particular it seemed. “I suppose it's up to me to win the materia.”

“What makes you say that?” Zack demanded, raising a questioning eyebrow in Cloud's direction. Cloud had a smug look on his face.

“How can you fight in the Battle Square? You'll go nuts and lose control at the sight of blood.” Zack scowled.

“I don't have to kill anyone to win,” Zack retorted.

“Want to bet?” Cloud asked haughtily, an almost feral smile creeping onto his features.

“What?” Zack asked, folding his arms over his chest.

“I bet you can't make it through the Battle Square just fighting with the blunt side of your sword. And even if you could, I bet that I could finish more quickly than you. In fact, lets make it a competition. Whoever makes it through the Battle Square first gets the ultimate prize. Let's see who's better.”

“So, you want me to fight my way, while you fight your way, to see who's a better fighter?”

“Yes,” Cloud declared, grinning triumphantly. “What, are you scared to lose?”

“Hardly,” Zack shot back. “I was just making sure you knew your terms, because you're going to protest when you lose.”

“You're on,” Cloud challenged.

“See you at the finish line,” Zack finished, hurrying inside. He'd had the final word – that gave him the power, psychologically. A competitive thrill coursed through him, and he grinned in excitement. Finally, a challenge! In the back of his head, a part of him realized that Cloud wasn't acting himself, at least according to Tifa – but he could hardly deny a challenge!

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Zack?” Aerith asked beside him, her feet moving swiftly to keep up with him.

“Why not? I'm not going to kill anyone or any beast. I'll prove that my way of fighting is just as efficient, without the loss of life.”

“It's probably dangerous,” she pointed out.

“I was in SOLDIER. I can handle danger,” he assured her.

“What if you have to kill to compete? Do you think knocking out your enemies is good enough?”

“Sure it is,” he said, glancing around the large building and wondering where to go. “The point is to defeat your enemy, not kill them. It's not a show of who can murder. It's a test of strength and daring, and whatnot.”

“If you say so,” she said, her eyes spanning over the flashing lights. “Oh, look, a gondola! We should go on a ride!” Zack stopped his hurried pace to look at the ride.

“Yeah, sure,” he agreed, even though his competitive side was urging him to rush to the Battle Square and show Cloud what was what. The other part of him, though, the part that was far fonder of Aerith than Cloud – no, not that part of his body, though it certainly reacted to her – made him stop, made him want to please her. “Want to go right now?”

“What about your battle thing?” she asked sweetly, and Zack shrugged, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“It can wait. Cloud's hardly more important than you.” Aerith flushed beautifully, but she smiled at his reply.

“Okay. Let's go now, then.” She slipped her small hand into his, tugging him gently toward the gondola. Zack paid for the ride, letting Aerith through first, proclaiming “Ladies first,” before trailing after her. Instead of sitting across from her in the empty seat, he slid next to her, slipping his arm around her. She sighed contently and rest her head against his chest. After a moment, the carriage lurched, and they were tugged slowly upward.

“What do you think?” he asked, gesturing lazily out the window, the view of the Golden Saucer filled the window.

“It's very pretty,” she noted, pulling away form him to lean toward the window. “I feel like a bird up here.” She glanced up at the night sky, the stars twinkling back at her. “And the sky's not so scary,” she murmured to herself.

“What was that?” Zack asked, but she turned her head back to him and smiled.

“Nothing,” she said. She jumped as a loud firework went off outside, startled by the sudden noise and light, but then she relaxed, laughing at her own jumpiness.

“Nice show,” Zack said admiringly, enjoying the firework display. “Don't see many fireworks in Midgar.”

“No. Midgar's not very pretty,” Aerith concurred.

“Nonsense,” Zack said, and she gave him a questioning look. “Okay, well, Midgar's not pretty. But your church is. Your flowers are. You definitely are.” He delighted in making her blush again, though it was only apparent when the fireworks' flashes lit up her features through the window, casting reds, greens, and yellows on her face. “Definitely beautiful,” he repeated.

“My eyes aren't as nice as yours.”

“They only look this way because of Mako,” he retorted. “Your eyes glow without Mako. They're much better.”

“They glow?” she asked in wonder, and Zack nodded.

“Positively.” And then she flashed him one of her enchanting smiles, and his heart fluttered in his ribcage madly.

“You're just saying that,” she protested.

“I'm not!” Zack said, slapping a hand over his chest. “You wound me with your words.”

She laughed loudly at his antics, then sobered almost immediately. “Sorry,” she apologized. “Do you need a kiss to make it better?”

“Again with the kissing,” Zack teased, poking her nose lightly with his finger.

“Kisses make everything better, didn't you know? That's why mom's always kiss owies.”

“Owies?” Zack asked incredulously.

“Yes,” Aerith said firmly, without a hint of embarrassment. “Owies.”

“Okay. I guess a kiss wouldn't hurt.”
“Of course not, kisses don't hurt,” Aerith said, and then she kissed him lightly on the lips as the fireworks continued to shoot off around them. Zack almost laughed. When Aerith kissed him, it was like he had his own personal fireworks going off inside his head, and now there were real ones going on outside of it. It was weird how things worked out that way. She started to pull away from him, but he pulled her close again, kissing her firmly and soundly on the lips. He lost track of time, letting his lips slide along with hers, inhaling her heady scent as he breathed in, and suddenly the ride was coming to a halt. He finally pulled away, opening his eyes lazily, a stupid smile adorning his features.
Aerith looked a bit dazed as well, her lips swollen, her cheeks flushed. Then she laughed again.

“I told you. Kisses don't hurt.”
“Definitely not,” Zack agreed. “But now, I believe I have a point to prove,” he said, taking her hand and helping her out of the gondola.

“Ah, right, a battle,” Aerith grinned, stepping out in front of him. “Try not to get hurt, okay?”

“I'll be careful,” he promised as they walked away from the gondola ride.

“Good. If you get hurt, how can you protect me from all the trouble I'm sure to get in?” she asked mischievously, giggling lightly.

“What, it's my job to protect you again?” he teased.

“Of course. You're my bodyguard, aren't you?” She halted in her tracks, looking up at him, her smile lingering, but he could see the question in her eyes. She had forgiven him, but did he forgive her?

“I'll always be your bodyguard, Aerith.”

–

And you've already got me coming undone

I'm thinking two is better than one