(Zack)
I think for once in my lifetime I actually passed out.
You know, when you know you gotta do something, ya gotta do it. Apparently, after a few seconds of thought, (which is something I had to do eventually) I got the idea that if Cloud was stuck in my body, the "vegetable Cloud" must be in the Shinra building without a conscience. Cissnei told Cloud something like that, didn't she? Cloud showed no brain activity…well duh, I have his brain!
Does that make me super smart? I hope so; I've always needed a larger IQ. Nineteen is such a tiny number…
I opened my eyes against the light. For once, Aerith was not hovering over my body. Getting my balance, I climbed up onto her bed and sat there.
Aerith paced back and forth inside her bedroom and I sat on that bed and thought about pacing bedrooms in general…why do they call it a 'bedroom' when not everyone has a bed? Some people have futons…window beds…those little fold out things…
"Zack!"
"Wha…?"
She stopped in the center of the room and gave me this "You-either-sit-there-and-talk-or-run" look.
"Run," Cloud suggested. "If you run I might get to live. She'll catch you anyway, but I'll be safe."
"Gee, thanks a mil, Cloud."
"No problem, anytime."
So despite my reasoning, I chose to stay and tell Aerith the truth. (Incredible, right?)
I have been missing for a good five years because I'm a test subject for Shinra. I'm supposed to be some Super SOLDIER and…Now, my friend is inside my head and if Shinra finds that out, I'll be worth waaaay more. Wow, that sounds so…terribly unbelievable.
Putting my face into my hands, I mumbled into my palm, "Well Aer, I'm a test subject for Shinra and Cloud Strife currently lives in my head." That sounds like something some three-year-old made up to get out of getting in trouble for coloring his baby sister red.
She laughed. I wasn't expecting that. "Ironic…"
I looked up, "What is?"
"For some reason…didn't Cloud use to act just like you?" She giggled. "How in the world would I know that?" It was weird watching her eyes widen in amazement. "Can Cloud hear me?" She asked, once again in that astonished voice.
"Yeah, probably."
"Wow!" She sighed, clapping her hands. "This is kinda weird," she admitted, "I've never met Cloud in my life before and I now know everything about him suddenly…" Then she said the following in a low voice: "Miss Cloud…"
I gotta admit, after I left in the past (or died, whatever you prefer)…Aerith did fall in love with Cloud Strife. I guess that's one way that she found out he was here…
Nevertheless, I survived now…isn't there supposed to be some "fate-flipping" magic or something? Aren't I supposed to get the girl for once?
"Zack is jealous! Zack is jealous!" Cloud practically yelled in my ear… (Well, it sounded like that)
"I am not, shut up."
"Zack is jea-lous because I get girls and he doesn't!" He sang this in the world's most annoying voice. "Zack is je—alous 'cause I got Aerith and Jessie and that girl in Costa del Sol and-and Y-Yuffie—somewhat—and Ti…well I'm not so sure about Tifa…but I did get this one girl when I got lost somewhere…her name was Rinoa. Now, she does look like Tifa."
"Cloud, shut up or else you will regret it."
He started laughing, "And what if I don't?"
I whacked myself twice in the head with my fist—hard.
I grumbled some "minor" swear words under my breath. I know I didn't do anything to Cloud, but it made me feel a whole lot better. It was like shaking someone's house—Cloud happened to reside in my head, so I gave myself a headache.
"Zack, why did you hit yourself?" Aerith asked. She tilted her head sideways and looked at me as if I just punched myself right on impulse. No people, I might look stupid but I'm not that dim to start punching myself.
"Cloud's making fun of me."
She burst out laughing. Not giggles, I mean LOUD laughter—hysterics.
"You haven't changed one bit," she told me.
"I wish he'd just stay quiet for once!" I yelled, covering my ears—yeah, like that'd help.
"Now you know how I feel…" Cloud complained.
Putting my face into my palm I groaned, "SHUT UP ALREADY!"
"Z-Zack?" Aerith asked, tapping my arm—very carefully. "Can I ask something? Can Cloud and you switch places sometimes? I suspected today that you…"
I looked up. "Yeah, we can. Why?"
"Well…where's the rest of Cloud?"
I could feel Cloud's attention switching over to Aerith. Every one of his emotions passed through me.
"Tell her I'm in one of the labs! Tell her!"
"He says he in one of Shin-Ra's labs," I said for him.
She raised an eyebrow before going back to pacing the bedroom. "Well, can't you go into the Shin-Ra building and retrieve Cloud...um…the rest of Cloud? Then wouldn't you both have your own mind after that?"
"Aerith…" I sighed, "I can't simply waltz into the Shin-Ra building and ask for…wait…I got it!"
"What is it?"
"I need to turn myself in! If I do that, then I'll defiantly be taken straight to the lab! Then punch, punch, kick, find Cloud, and we're done!"
She halted in the middle of the room, "You can't do that! You might slip up and you won't come home! I'm going with you!"
"Don't let her go," Cloud warned, "If you do…I will personally—"
"Aer, you can't go," I told her. This time I was in complete agreement with Cloud, "A fugitive test subject and the last Ancient. Not good."
Her lower lip jutted out, "Consider this, Zack! What's more important to Shinra? The Super SOLDIER or the Mako that goes into the Super SOLDIER?" She paused for a moment to let me think, "they're both the same in the eyes of the company. Together we'll stay safer because one will be able to take care of the other! We're a team!"
"There she goes again with the 'team' thing." Cloud grumbled.
"We're gonna end up taking her…" I said back.
"So can I go with you to make sure you come home?" She insisted, using her own personal 'cute voice'. She has used that on me twice and it's worked both times! That's what she used to keep me from going to work so early…I almost wasn't paid that week…
"Ah…um…"
"Zack, don't you dare."
"Aer, will you promise me you won't get hurt?" I asked her quietly, "Promise that YOU will come back home with ME."
A huge grin spread across her face and she nodded until her head hurt.
At that, my head began to hurt. Cloud's mad...
"ZACK YOU IDIOT! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LETTING HER COME WITH US?! THIS IS SHINRA; THEY WILL NOT LET HER COME BACK WITHOUT A FIGHT! SHE'S THE LAST ANCIENT, DO YOU KNOW THAT?!"
"Exactly."
Aerith cleared her throat, "Um, if you're debating between…yourselves…I have to say something…"
"What?"
"I could be your ticket inside…" She whispered.
"Oh, hell no!" Cloud yelped.
Everything in my line of vision quickly went black. I was suddenly back inside the position I was earlier today. Yup—I had no control of my actions any longer. Cloud took over. I suppose that if Aerith is ever in danger, it makes him stronger or something.
That could be a good thing and a bad thing.
Good thing: we could most likely do more damage to something…
Bad thing: I get the feeling that I'm going to be seeing out of my own eyes less and less…
"Aerith!" Cloud boomed, using my voice. "I won't let you go into that building! Do you know how dangerous…" He gripped both her wrists, shaking her, "No."
"Cloud, stop!" I warned, "You'll hurt her! Don't shake her like that!"
I watched them both. Aerith's face seemed to screw up as her mouth gaped open.
"Z-Z-ack…" She sniffed. "W-Wh-why? Ow, ow, ow, ow!" She squirmed away from me—or Cloud—or us…ah…um…
"I'm stronger than you were, Cloud. You might break Aerith…SO STOP SHAKING HER!"
She broke out into tears right in front of Cloud—and me. I couldn't stand to see her cry, but Cloud wouldn't let me take over.
"You…you jerk!" She rubbed at her eyes, "I know for sure you're Cloud because Zack would never EVER hurt me."
"Aerith, I-I didn't mean to hurt you, I was trying to say how…"
"Blah, blah, blah, 'I don't want you involved' yeah, yeah…I know. If you aren't going to LET me go, I WILL go without you and bring the rest of you back myself!" She replied, turning her back and pouting.
"Aerith…I…"
"Cloud, she's stubborn. She has her heart set on going; she's not going to give up," I said, trying to hold back laughter
"Fine!" Cloud said to us both, "Aerith, you'll go."
"Yay!"
"Under one condition; you must not get hurt. Got it?"
She nodded.
Why do I feel that Aerith might not try hard to keep her promise? Great, now I'm turning into Cloud! Not trusting Aerith, who am I?!
Finally! Here's chapter 4! I've tried five different times at writing this chapter so I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter will be from Cloud's point of view again. Be expecting something stupid stuff from "the little voice" because he'll throw out some bizzarre ideas to sneak into the Shin-ra building...of course, there's always the front door... Anyway, I don't own any of the main characters or else Kadaj would've been a ten-year-old. Don't you think that that would be awesome?! Like, this KID fighting down Reno and WINNING. That would've made Advent Children waaaaay cooler. (Then again, I could probably beat up Reno too...)
