Tifa swept a loose strand of hair out of her eyes and glared at the man facing her. Her eyes burned passionately with anger, and sadness.
"You can't play peoples emotions like this! I don't believe you!"
He moved closer to her and gently took up her soft-skinned hand, he clasped it in his and looked at her earnestly, with truth in his eyes. He bent over and whispered in her ear.
"It is true, you have to believe it's really me, Tifa."
She softened, she knew he couldn't lie to her like this, no one could be so convincing, he had to be telling the truth, joy swept her being as she turned to him and kissed him tenderly. She pulled back and spoke to him,
"I'm sorry, I just missed you so much, I couldn't believe it was really you, you were killed, but I have to tell you, I love you, I love you so much, Zack."
"How did you get back...WHEN did you get back?"
"I don't want to go into details, Tifa, all that matters is I love you and you love me and I'm here, now."
"No...I know, it's just..."
"Just, what?"
She sighed,
"It's just...Cloud."
He looked at her, fear in his eyes,
"No...no..."
She was confused, then she understood,
"No! No, not that! It's just, Cloud lost someone dear, too, and I just thought, if you could get back...Maybe...maybe..." she shook her head, "No, it doesn't matter."
He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her, "No, it DOESN'T matter. Whoever Cloud lost, I couldn't do anything to help her, it's OK, Tifa."
She pulled away from him,
"How did you know she was a woman?"
He shook his head at her,
"I never said it was a woman."
"No you did, you said you couldn't do anything to help HER. What aren't you telling me"
"I-Tifa, whatever you're thinking, I-"
"NO! I want to know what you're hiding from me!"
He looked reassuringly into her eyes,
"No, Tifa, bringing Aeris back would just...It would only complicate things."
"She's my friend, Zack! I-you still love her...Don't you?"
He grabbed her shoulders,
"No Tifa! I love you!"
She looked into his eyes, saw the fear, he didn't want to lose her, she could see it. She hugged him,
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Zack."
He stroked her hair,
"It's OK, Tifa, it's OK...I'll do my best."
"You mean?"
Her eyes shined with hope,
"I can't promise it will work for Aeris," he sighed, "But I'll try."
* * *
Cloud narrowed his eyes at the dark-haired man standing before him,
"I can see you here, and I don't know how you got here, and I don't believe you can bring Aeris back!"
Zack moved towards Cloud,
"I know it's hard, Cloud, Tifa couldn't believe at first, either but I-"
"Tifa?"
Cloud studied the other man carefully,
"...You love her."
"Does that scare you?"
"Not really."
"You have to believe me."
"I don't see why you can't just do it!"
"Don't you see Cloud? It has to be you! If I do it, it will be meaningless, but you...You love her, it has to be you!"
Cloud sighed,
"OK, what do I have to do?"
* * *
Cloud waded deep into the lake, he was ready, his breath quickened, could this really work? Could this spell really bring back Aeris?
Shivering he muttered the words of the spell:
"Nagaku tsuzuku kono michi no mukou ni
Shinji rareru mono ga kitto aru
Kaze no naka no tabibito no you ni
Kita no sora wo mezashi te ikeba
Kie kaketa atsui omoi
Mou ichido mune no naka de kagayaki yureru
Namida nante koboshitaku naino
Yowai jibun ni makenai tame ni
Kazaranai kokoro dake ga motteiru
Me ni wa mienai ookina tsubasa
Te wo hiroge utai nagara
Yuukyuu no toki ni dakare
Inochi wo tsunagu
Nagaku tsuzuku kono michi no mukou ni
Shinji rareru mono ga kitto aru"
The icy cold water began to bubble, warmth spread throught it and it glowed a pale green. Cloud found Aeris in his arms, just under the meniscus of the water, he slowly brought her up and she opened her eyes and drew in a sharp breath, he picked her up and carried her over to the edge of the water, and laid her down on the bank, he sat down next to her and took her in his arms. She moved, slowly and turned to face him, slowly she kissed him, he became drawn into the kiss as it became more passionate, when it ended, he whispered in her ear,
"I love you."
* * *
Tifa looked at Aeris, she was just as beautifull as the day she died, a tear sprang into her eye, she was so happy,
"Aeris, everyone missed you."
"I missed them."
"I hope you aren't upset that Zack and I..."
"No...I'm confused though...I always thought that you...Cloud-"
"No! Oh no...I always seemed sad when I saw you and Cloud together, I suppose, it reminded me of Zack, I missed him, I loved him...I still love him, Cloud always seemed so..."
"Like Zack?"
She smiled,
"Yeah..."
by Maz
DISCLAIMER: Uh basicly, all rights: over there at Squaresoft and, that 'spell' was Pure Hearts, from Final Fantasy X so again, Squaresoft.
AUTHORS NOTE: Um, half of this was mainly dialogue (bad bad Maz) and then it changed style about halfway through, sorry about that!
"You can't play peoples emotions like this! I don't believe you!"
He moved closer to her and gently took up her soft-skinned hand, he clasped it in his and looked at her earnestly, with truth in his eyes. He bent over and whispered in her ear.
"It is true, you have to believe it's really me, Tifa."
She softened, she knew he couldn't lie to her like this, no one could be so convincing, he had to be telling the truth, joy swept her being as she turned to him and kissed him tenderly. She pulled back and spoke to him,
"I'm sorry, I just missed you so much, I couldn't believe it was really you, you were killed, but I have to tell you, I love you, I love you so much, Zack."
"How did you get back...WHEN did you get back?"
"I don't want to go into details, Tifa, all that matters is I love you and you love me and I'm here, now."
"No...I know, it's just..."
"Just, what?"
She sighed,
"It's just...Cloud."
He looked at her, fear in his eyes,
"No...no..."
She was confused, then she understood,
"No! No, not that! It's just, Cloud lost someone dear, too, and I just thought, if you could get back...Maybe...maybe..." she shook her head, "No, it doesn't matter."
He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her, "No, it DOESN'T matter. Whoever Cloud lost, I couldn't do anything to help her, it's OK, Tifa."
She pulled away from him,
"How did you know she was a woman?"
He shook his head at her,
"I never said it was a woman."
"No you did, you said you couldn't do anything to help HER. What aren't you telling me"
"I-Tifa, whatever you're thinking, I-"
"NO! I want to know what you're hiding from me!"
He looked reassuringly into her eyes,
"No, Tifa, bringing Aeris back would just...It would only complicate things."
"She's my friend, Zack! I-you still love her...Don't you?"
He grabbed her shoulders,
"No Tifa! I love you!"
She looked into his eyes, saw the fear, he didn't want to lose her, she could see it. She hugged him,
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Zack."
He stroked her hair,
"It's OK, Tifa, it's OK...I'll do my best."
"You mean?"
Her eyes shined with hope,
"I can't promise it will work for Aeris," he sighed, "But I'll try."
* * *
Cloud narrowed his eyes at the dark-haired man standing before him,
"I can see you here, and I don't know how you got here, and I don't believe you can bring Aeris back!"
Zack moved towards Cloud,
"I know it's hard, Cloud, Tifa couldn't believe at first, either but I-"
"Tifa?"
Cloud studied the other man carefully,
"...You love her."
"Does that scare you?"
"Not really."
"You have to believe me."
"I don't see why you can't just do it!"
"Don't you see Cloud? It has to be you! If I do it, it will be meaningless, but you...You love her, it has to be you!"
Cloud sighed,
"OK, what do I have to do?"
* * *
Cloud waded deep into the lake, he was ready, his breath quickened, could this really work? Could this spell really bring back Aeris?
Shivering he muttered the words of the spell:
"Nagaku tsuzuku kono michi no mukou ni
Shinji rareru mono ga kitto aru
Kaze no naka no tabibito no you ni
Kita no sora wo mezashi te ikeba
Kie kaketa atsui omoi
Mou ichido mune no naka de kagayaki yureru
Namida nante koboshitaku naino
Yowai jibun ni makenai tame ni
Kazaranai kokoro dake ga motteiru
Me ni wa mienai ookina tsubasa
Te wo hiroge utai nagara
Yuukyuu no toki ni dakare
Inochi wo tsunagu
Nagaku tsuzuku kono michi no mukou ni
Shinji rareru mono ga kitto aru"
The icy cold water began to bubble, warmth spread throught it and it glowed a pale green. Cloud found Aeris in his arms, just under the meniscus of the water, he slowly brought her up and she opened her eyes and drew in a sharp breath, he picked her up and carried her over to the edge of the water, and laid her down on the bank, he sat down next to her and took her in his arms. She moved, slowly and turned to face him, slowly she kissed him, he became drawn into the kiss as it became more passionate, when it ended, he whispered in her ear,
"I love you."
* * *
Tifa looked at Aeris, she was just as beautifull as the day she died, a tear sprang into her eye, she was so happy,
"Aeris, everyone missed you."
"I missed them."
"I hope you aren't upset that Zack and I..."
"No...I'm confused though...I always thought that you...Cloud-"
"No! Oh no...I always seemed sad when I saw you and Cloud together, I suppose, it reminded me of Zack, I missed him, I loved him...I still love him, Cloud always seemed so..."
"Like Zack?"
She smiled,
"Yeah..."
by Maz
DISCLAIMER: Uh basicly, all rights: over there at Squaresoft and, that 'spell' was Pure Hearts, from Final Fantasy X so again, Squaresoft.
AUTHORS NOTE: Um, half of this was mainly dialogue (bad bad Maz) and then it changed style about halfway through, sorry about that!