L o y a l S O L D I E R

Ena's POV 5

It was strange, watching your idol break down into tears. But as much as I wanted to help Zack--to comfort him--I knew that, in my position, I wasn't the one he was going to go confiding into. So what did I do? Well, the only things I could...

I observed him.

I followed close behind him.

I practically stalked him, became his shadow.

Upon doing so, however, I ended up getting lost in the bottom plate of Midgar one day--most infamously known better as the "Slums". I had never ventured around the city much, so I was a little more than paranoid about my new surroundings. I had heard rumors about stray monsters and shady creeps lurking around the bottom plate, and how new comers became easy prey on their turf... But they were just rumors, right?

A sudden rustling noise had sounded behind me and I jumped ten feet out of my own skin, quickly turning around.

I was relieved to see that it had been just a pesky rat, but I then noted to myslef that if I were to ever come around here again, that I should come armed.

"Damn, I really wish I would've kept track of which way Zack was headed!" I mumbled to myself, kicking a stray rock with my boot.

But as I dreaded the possibility that I might've stranded myself for good in this god forsaken excuse of a city, I managed to stumbled upon a large church building, clearly abandoned and in need of some serious patchwork.

Gaining a hunch, I strolled over to the side of the building and peered in through the broken and shattered window panes.

A voice was huming a light and lovely tune, while another sounded to be heavily sobbing.

"Zack," I said under my breath, spotting him curled near a pew aisle, hugging his lega close to his chest and crying into into knees. But the other presence...

"Hey, Zack," the hummer cheerfully spouted. "The sky is closer in the city above, right? kinda scary... but the flowers might like it! Maybe..."

I then gasped at the realization. This was Aerith...

This was Zack's girlfriend.

And she was even more beautiful in person.

But despite despite her attempts to lift Zack's mood with words, he was still hiccuping and shuddering, giving a small sniffle every other sob and futily wiping away his constantly falling tears.

I then watched as Aerith strided over to him and held his trembling body from behind, wrapping her thin arms around his shoulders and resting her head upon his neck.

My stomach fluttered and I couldn't watch anymore. I slowly slipped away fro the window pane and leaned against the chipped brick behind me, resting my arm against my forehead.

They were perfect together. There was no way I could ever dare to interrupt their harmony. I was way too out of place... And way too out of his league.

I stayed as long as it took Zack to calm down, but as I followed him back to the ShinRa building, I decided that I wasn't going to chase after him anymore.

My reason was solidified, but my heart still wavered.

I had no further motive to remain in ShinRa, yet I couldn't just pack my bags and leave. Even though my purposes for serving the army were no longer absolute, I still felt as if there was something I could accomplish by staying. I didn't even know what it was, but I had a gut feeling that it was there, waiting.

So I stayed. Cloud remained my partner and good friend, while Akkun broke away from our squad and was even promoted to a genuine Third Class SOLDIER (for reasons I was still unclear of). Zack, on the other hand, was put on stand-by in order to recover from his wounds and trauma, and it was said that Sephiroth had locked himself away within the Records' Room.

But in this time of declining tension, the war with Wutai ceased, and the ShinRa company was seemingly gaining a better reputation with the public.

All seemed well, but I had a feeling that it wouldn't last for long... Peace had a way of being short-lived anyway.

o0o

And this goes to show you that I give my OCs no happiness whatsoever when it comes to shippings... Like Ena for example. She will NEVER be paired with Zack {EVER}. In my fic, he will belong solomnly to Aerith and/or Cloud {if you squint reaaaal hard X3}. (sigh) Poor little tomboyish cadet... Hang in there! Because you won't have luck with Cloud either! X'D {Was that a spoiler...?}

Anywho, before I blab on and forget what I'm going to say, this segment finally concludes part one of Loyal SOLDIER's plot. Act 2 begins next chapter! So to all of you who have read this far, thanks so much! Please stick around for part two! And I hope more people can {REVIEW!}join in and read on with you all as well! Kupo...;p