"0207"
by: rorudesu-chan
DISCLAIMER: Zack, Aerith, the Lifestream and all related characters are owned by SquareEnix...
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Chapter 1: Walking Within the Lifestream
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I am Zack. SOLDIER First Class, Zack.
And although I died a long time ago, there are few things I could never forget. Even if I was already partially engulfed within the Lifestream's eternal abode, somehow the memories that seemed to be very important to my character never left its place.
One of these important memories is my beloved Aerith's birthday. Today is the seventh of February. She is 23 now. It's been a year since I last saw her angelic face. Even though the Lifestream and all those in it never had to care nor worry about time, somehow I just feel the days go by in the Planet, as if I was still alive and linked to its daily activities.
I know, I know. I'm dead now. And there isn't any materia or some limit break that could change that horrid fact. I'm here now. In the Lifestream. Sleeping every now then. Walking aimlessly within its forever flowing streams of Mako energy.
Sometimes I hate being here. True, it does feel good that I no longer have to suffer the painful torments of ShinRa's lie-infested plots. But still, I'd give anything, anything at all just to see Aerith and be with her again. Yet, like I said, there isn't anything in this whole Lifestream that could grant a desperate SOLDIER's wish.
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I continue to walk on the shapeless path of the Lifestream. I placed both of my hands behind my head and stared at the surroundings above me, hoping that the vast scene of the clear blue skies would greet me. But it was just Mako again. Pure blue slash green, Mako.
"Boy, I bet ShinRa would've loved this view!" Ripples of Mako vibrated around me as I said my thoughts out loud.
But I definitely wouldn't love this kind of scene. I was sick of staring at mako all the time. But this was the very least of my heavenly problems.
I almost forgot that today was Aerith's special day, the day that an Ancient was brought to this Planet. Heck, the term 'Ancient' is an unworthy description of Aerith. It should've been 'goddess'. For she was the most beautiful of all the girls I've gotten along with. Not to mention, the kindest, the most caring and the sweetest of them all.
But… I don't think 'goddess' is a good term either, because it disgustingly reminds me of that Genesis and his poetic obsession with Loveless.
I scratched the back of my head as I walked around in circles and did a couple of sit-ups as I frantically tried to think of a way how to err… send my greetings to her from the Lifestream. Finally, I cracked. It was just plain impossible. She's still alive and I wasn't anymore. This was like one of those long distance relationships where the distance itself is the hindrance between the two lovers' communication. I lied down on the Lifestream's solid-like ground, in despair.
"Im-po-si-ble…" The syllables that I spoke aloud, also spoke for the way my heart felt. I closed my eyes, hoping that somehow, in this hollow space of the Promised Land, I could still find a way to let Aerith know that I never forgot about this day.
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I didn't know how long I let myself lie down there. But ever since I began living the rest of my eternity in the Promised Land, I knew I didn't have to think about the moments that were going by. As I lied down, my eyes were closed but I surely wasn't sleeping. I couldn't actually. I guess you could say that I was quite troubled.
I felt a figure looming over my head. I didn't know what it was but I didn't feel like it was my obligation right now to care. I kept my eyes closed but then suddenly, a deep, nostalgic voice boomed the atmosphere, causing the green streams around me to ripple.
"You look as if you've given up on something!" Because the voice held strings of memories in its place, I opened my eyes to see if it really was him. It was. Thank the Ancients, it was him.
"Angeal!" I quickly stood up on my feet and turned around to face him. I wanted to give him a sort of 'formal' SOLDIER-like greeting that we used to practice but it couldn't be done.
As I looked at him, his image wasn't as strong as mine. His figure was merely a shadow. I barely recognized him except for his signature hairstyle that I copied for the sake of his memory. I was guessing that most of Angeal was now infused with the Lifestream. It was only a short matter of time before he becomes totally merged in it. But still, figureless or not, I was filled with joy that my cherished mentor was gracing me with his presence in this place.
"What happened to you, Zack?" His stern authority governed over me just like before. "You call yourself a First Class? Why, you sound like you're still halfway from being an infrantry man!"
And just like before, I was a bit stubborn to listen to his complains about any of my unacceptable behavior. "Well, you know…" I turned around as I wrapped my hands around my head. But then, something struck me. "Wait! How'd you know about my problem?" I faced him again as I asked, confused.
"This is the Lifestream, Zack. All those in it have become one… one in memories, one in history, one in words. This is the case… whether you like it or not." Angeal smirked because he knew he was always right.
"I see… Anyways," I stumbled to find the right words. I didn't want Angeal to think any less of what I've become. "I need your help, Angeal…"
"My help…?" He half-heartedly scoffed.
"Yeah. You see, it's my girl's birthday, and—" Just as I thought things were about to ride smoothly, Angeal cut me off.
"W-wait… Your personal business is none of mine."
"But I thought you were here to—" Again, he cut me off.
"Yes, Zack, I'm here. Here to tell you that there's always a way out of everything."
"How? Are you telling me that there's a secret exit door somewhere in the Lifestream, where I could just walk out and then come to the Planet and finally be with Aerith on her special day?" Can you believe it? I said that all in one breath.
"No. That's just a bedtime story, Zack." He mockingly replied as I felt stupid for helplessly trying to believe such thing.
"Then what am I suppose to do, Angeal? I don't ever want her to think that… that I don't love her anymore! She doesn't know I'm dead, Angeal. I don't think she does… yet." I felt the tides of Mako around me ripple violently because of my loudly spoken words.
"Calm down, boy."His words still had its essence of authority that had always bore its roots inside me.
I managed to calm myself down a bit. I slumped down and sat with my legs propped up to hold my dangling arms. I lowered my head and realized that I haven't felt so much emotion ever since the day I charged myself towards the ShinRa soldiers in the last battle of my life. It was a momentum of silence for Angeal and me. But he broke it as he helped me pull the disgruntled pieces of myself, back together.
His tall, influential figure towered before me. "Stand up, SOLDIER. I won't tell you how you can see her unless you stand up as the First Class that you are."
"Heh... I hate it when you're always right, Angeal." I shook off any uncertainties that resided within me and stood up on both feet. He was right. There is a way. Because my mentor said so, I'll believe it. He looked at me as he confidently spoke.
"The Lifestream."
"What?" As if he spoke in a two-worded riddle that I could barely understand, I asked one more time. "The Lifestream? What does it have to do with my problems? Not like it was already the cause of all this…"
"Talk to the Promised Land, Zack. Tell it everything that you want and anyone that you want to see. It'll understand you, just like it understood our race eons ago." I was right, Angeal was talking in riddles.
"Talk to this…" I pointed at the Mako beside me. "…and talk to that?" I gestured to the green streams that floated below me and continued to persuade myself that Angeal's words weren't the solution and that he was just making a joke out of me. "Angeal, I'm not a Cetra like Aerith, you know. I can't do things like that."
But it seemed as though, he was really serious with his words. "You wanted a solution, Zack. There, I give it to you. It's yours if you don't want to do it."
"Well of course, I'd have to do it… eventually. It's just that, don't you think it's kind of…"
"Impossible? See, that's the kind of stuff that gets you into situations like this. Well, I've done my part. It's time for me to go to sleep…" Angeal placed a strong hand on my left shoulder as my eyes watched his shadowy outline slowly wane into the bright, emerald streams of Mako.
"Angeal! Wait!" But he was gone. No matter how loud my voice echoed within the Lifestream's endless space to call out to him, Angeal went back to 'sleep'.
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A/N: Whew! Finally done! This was supposed to be one-shot but then I realized the whole document was long so I made it into a chapter style. Hoped you liked it! Go Zerith/ZackAerith!! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! Do it seriously, thanks.
Next: Chapter 2- "A Flower Blooming in the Slums"