DAMN it was COLD here.
Wherever here was.
Zack stopped his teeth from chattering with sheer power of will, but he be damned if that could work for ignoring the ass-freezing low temperature. And where was he anyway? Last thing he remembered was feeling positively awful, nauseous and just plain sick. And he was in the flower field, where it was bright and white and he couldn't really feel anything.
Now he was standing in something that reminded him of a rocky desert too much not to be one. The million gil questions that formed in his head however where one, WHY? And two, where the hell was Aerith anyway…?
As a cold, cold wind wrapped around him, Zack ran his hands up and down his arms, in a faint attempt to warm up. Not that it helped even the slightest bit. He was still cold as he ever was. Which, he supposed, was a good thing in a way.
"Since I'm freezing my ass off, I sure hope it means I'm alive" he muttered and noticed the disastrous state of his clothes "And … shot?" well the bullet holes were sure there, in the middle of his chest, the torn material slightly moving in the cold wind. Just to reassure himself, he checked if there weren't any bleeding wounds underneath the beater.
He rubbed his neck and sighed. Well staring at the rocks and sand wasn't going to do him any good. Maybe except giving him pneumonia. Or something as nice and far-reaching as that.
With such an optimistic thought, Zack turned around. And froze.
Hell, it never looked THAT bad from above. With the enormous plate gone, the city of Midgar looked like a graveyard of rubble and twisted steel. Only a broken memory of the once proud capital. The miserable remain of a city that used to be center of everything – life, love, hate, death and small miracles. And then there was that new formation blooming all around the destroyed skeleton of stone and chrome, called Edge. A fitting name, one might say.
"Well, shit!" he said aloud, once again shaking with cold and something more, as his eyes fell a little closer than the ruins and the new city. Onto the sight not as far as a few feet away from him.
Hell, his Buster Sword sure did get rusty over the years. And it's proud blade could use a good sharpening…
Without fully realizing it, his hand tightened on the hilt of his weapon, a rush of unwanted adrenalin flowing through his veins. It felt so right, the familiar weight once again in his palms. He pulled it from the solid ground, and with a mental note to get it cleaned and sharpened as soon as it was possible, a heavy sigh, clenched teeth and a hope he was going to make it, Zack Fair made his way towards the city of Edge.
***
Oh Gods was it cold here…
Aerith looked around with little disbelief, as her eyes took in her surroundings. The buildings that once stood crumpled into the monstrosity that was Midgar, now a complete wreck under her feet. Her heart was filled with sadness, one much greater than all emotions she ever experienced in her short life. So much destruction, so much pain had happened here.
She felt her blood rush through her veins, and she let out a small sigh. Despite the evidence of abolition all around, she felt with her whole being, how good it was to be alive. She would have to go visit her mother soon… But how to appear before her, all of the sudden, when Elmyra believed her adoptive daughter to be dead?
Her Church was still intact. She knew that all too well, from Cloud's thoughts of forced solitude and her own appearance there not so long ago. Her brows knitted at the memory. Crossing worlds like that was a rather painful experience, she mused. Making her way through the heaps of burnt wood and metal, memories of how once she walked these streets, bringing little sparks of joy with her flowers. Slim arms wrapped around her bloodstained dress, as she crossed the familiar, but yet different paths that would eventually lead her to the Church.
It's great door barely hanging onto the hinges.
She winced at the destroyed statues and broken benches, the once proud chandeliers dangling miserably from the broken rooftop, torn curtains drooping from wrecked wall. She knew no one would demolish this place on purpose, the damages coming mostly from Tifa's desperate fight and Cloud's chase after one of the Remnants.
The pool was still there, the water lilies dancing on its pristine surface, catching the stray rays of sun that would fall through the hole in the grand roof. Their sweet, calming scent was lingering in the old building and Aerith couldn't help but smile with glee as she walked down the cluttered aisle, suddenly realizing that in the back of her head, she was already thinking how to make her flowers grown in the run-down Church. Coming up to the pond, she raised her head, letting the sunrays warm up her chilled cheeks. The crystal blue sky above her head didn't scare her anymore… not after all she has been through.
***
Tifa sneezed, losing her balance and landing hard on her bottom. She winced slightly at the unpleasant sensation that burned at the very end of her backbone, as she rubbed it gently.
That wooden floor she insisted on having, when they re-opened "7th Heaven ", sure was hard.
She scrambled up onto her feet and wiped her hands into the thick grey pants, her palms leaving small dusty prints on the fabric. There was a streak of dust smeared across her cheek, and a few droplets of sweat were visible on her forehead.
Oh why did she had to get the idea of making the inventory today?
She was half way through her supplies, up to her elbows in dust, and gods know how much of it was on the counter, screaming at her to clean it. Good thing she already managed to clean out the wardrobe, putting away the summer clothes and pulling out the warmer ones. Elmyra took both overflowing with glee children and Tifa reluctantly agreed on them sleeping over. Now she was rather grateful for that, as it mean she could finish her task without any interruptions from them.
A soft smile blossomed on her lips, just like every time he thought of her kids. Well… not officially hers, but still in her custody.
Her pencil rolled off the counter, catching her attention. Right. The inventory. Tifa picked up the pad with her stock list clipped on and the runaway pencil. She stuck it into the messy bun she made, and ran one finger along the counter. She frowned at the amount of dust there, and glanced at the clock. She had to hurry, if she wanted to clean this mess up and open her bar in time.
Shelf by shelf, she made notes on what was needed and what she could go without. A cold wind blew from the open window in the kitchen, making her shiver slightly and run at her naked arms. Other than that, Tifa was set on her supplies and their systematization, and it would take an earthquake to pull her away.
***
His hope was nearly wiped out from his heart and mind by the freezing, bone chilling gusts of wind, when he finally reached Edge. Zack could place bets on himself that by that time his face was frost bitten and he was sure that his lips turned into a unhealthy looking hue of violet. His teeth stopped clattering somewhere like halfway to the town and he was positive it was because one jaw had frozen to the other.
For a moment he really wished he was back in the Lifestream, where he couldn't feel anything at all.
But just for a moment.
He made his way through the semi-crowded streets, ignoring the wide-eyed and unabashed looks he received.
'One might have thought with Cloud running in and about all the time, they'd be used to strange spiky-haired people around here' he thought mirth, taking step after step.
"Hey mister!" a little boy with reddened nose and cheeks stopped him, by tugging at his trousers all of the sudden.
"Hm?" Zack forced a smile and became surprised as his lips didn't break from the movement.
"You a cousin to Mister Strife, eh?" the boy rubbed his hands, looking at the man with bright eyes, an unusual drawl in his voice.
"No" blue eyes blinked with surprise "Why would you think that?" another smile, this one came on much easier than the first one.
"'Cause, ya know… you got same hair as him… Dad says it looks like a …"
"Ok, ok, don't go there kid. I'm … Cloud's friend" That was true. They were friends before and probably could be right now … even if the man in question didn't even know that Zack was alive.
„You even got a similar sword… Does it open up like Mister Strife's? 'Cause his is like six cool blades and all… " he sniffled a bit, obviously the cold getting to him.
Zack raised one brow at that. Who would have imagine… Cloud Strife, a child idol!
"Do you know where I can find a girl name Tifa?" he changed the topic rather abruptly, feeling the blood in his veins slowly turn into ice.
"You mean Miss Lockhart?" the child turned slightly and pointed to one of the taller buildings not so far away "That's "7th Heaven" right there! Miss Tifa runs it, it's the only one like it here. She's Denzel's and Marlene's 'ma. They're my friends!"
"That's good. Friends are important! Now off you go" he patted the little boy's shoulder, ushering him off.
When the boy ran away, happily skipping towards a bunch of his friends, Zack looked at the building the boy pointed out to. Well it wasn't far away and maybe he could get there without freezing his ass off.
'7th Heaven' he thought with amusement 'I wonder if she even knows it was my idea…"
He soon found himself at the bar, the "CLOSED" sing dangling happily at the door's window. It looked like nothing special, made of wooden planks and steel, it's grey color scheme melting with its surroundings.
Zack suddenly realized that he was grinning like a mad man, just watching the bloody building, instead of rushing inside and warming up. Without any further delay he closed the space between him and the door and entered the bar.
"Maybe there'll be a young girl tending the bar... Yes, yes, with a big bosom and long legs! Just a killer figure!"
The echo of a man building the original bar in the old Midgar rang in his head as he saw the figure behind the counter. Maybe that guy had a vision of some sort, because even in a long sleeved shirt and thick pants Tifa looked good. 'Good being a major understatement here 'Zack grinned to himself as he watched her place bottles on the shelves and make notes in her pad.
He cleared his throat gently, to get her attention.
She didn't even twitch her head.
"Bar's closed. Come back after five" she wiped one shelf with a wet cloth before placing another bottle in its rightful place.
Zack tapped his foot impatiently. Well damn. This wasn't the way he thought it would be. Not that he actually planned anything.
"I said, bar is clo…WOAH!!! " Tifa turned around and jumped backwards, her back hitting the shelves with full force. The bottles there rattled, glasses dancing with crystalline tinkle.
Her cinnamon eyes big as plates as he took few steps closer, her face pale as the sheets of paper lying at her feet. The tie in her bun snapped, brown tresses spilled over her shoulders, hands clasped on the polished wooden surface of the wall unit behind her.
"No…" her voice cracked slightly.
Not really sure this was such a grand idea to come here in the first place, Zack took another step, more cautious this time. The girl was as tense as a twig about to break. And Holy know what she would do. Being up there, not once he saw Tifa loose her temper so he couldn't really imagine her reaction.
He could only hope it was a mild one.
"It's me Teef…" he grinned at her "You remember me?"
"No… no…"
Damn.
"Come on, I know…"
"You're …dead…." She finally choked up, her shoulders shaking violently "You can't be here, you just can't… " with a whoosh she turned around and stared at her reflection in one of the bottles "It just you, evil wine. Your fumes are meddling with my mind. Bartending does that to lesser beings. Seeing dead people must be one of the side effects."
"Tifa, it really is me" he forced himself not to let out a hearty chuckle at her attempt of self persuasion.
The girl turned then, a look of pure determination on her face and a steady light in her eyes.
Uh-oh…
She took few long steps and then she was standing right in front of him, tilting her head up to look him straight into the eyes.
Zack smiled… and suddenly found himself on the floor, one hand pressed to his jaw.
DAMN did that girl sell a mean punch!
"Oh gods…" he saw one slender fist unclench and wander to an opened mouth.
He managed only to look up at her, feeling the pain in his jaw sky-rocketing, when he saw her sway and her knees to buckle under her weight. He managed to catch her before she fell to the wooden floor.
"Well, shit!" he cursed aloud slowly standing up, the smaller body limply resting in his arms.
What else??
