Solace
She stood infront of the large church doors, as she had done for 4 years, waiting for her love to return to her. Listening for the sound of footsteps approaching the entrance, she dreamed of Zack walking through those doors, apologising for being late like he always did, before scooping her up in a huge hug.
She wanted that so much.
She was shaken from her daydreams by the sound of footsteps close to the door. Her heart almost stopped and she prepared herself. As the door creaked open slowly, a figure appeared in the doorway and she flung herself at him, like she had done so many times in her dreams.
"Zack!"
Her joy was interupted as she heard the gruff noise of a man coughing awkwardly. It was too deep to be Zack's voice, and as she looked up into the man's face, her heart shattered.
"Oh. Hello, Tseng..."
She withdrew from the Turk in front of her and looked down at the floor, trying to hide her embarrasement and despair.
"Aerith." was the only reply she got.
Trying to regain some dignity, she decided to explain her actions,
"I'm sorry about that, Tseng. I was just so certain it was him this time, so sure-"
She stopped short as tears began streaming down her face, her voice barely able to form words,
"I... I'm sorry Tsung, I just-"
Her face crumpled as she lost herself in her grief and continued rambling apologies at the Turk. She drew closer to Tseng, trying to locate any sign of solace, but finding none in his emotionless face.
"I just... I've been waiting so long! But he's not coming back, is he!?" She didn't need an answer, she already knew he had passed on, but she still wanted to hope that maybe there was still a chance he would come back...
But he was never coming back.
The realisation hit her like a punch in the stomach and she fell to her knees as she flung her arms around Tseng's waist tightly, sobbing into his waistcoat. He grit his teeth and looked away, not wanting to confirm her suspicion that the man she loved had indeed been Killed In Action. He listened silently, cursing himself internally, as the flower girl's heartbroken cries echoed painfully throughout the church and up into the sky towards the livestream.
"I'm sorry, Aerith..."