By a Fraction of a Degree

A FFVII Fanfiction work by findthetiger129

Rated T for Violence and Language.

I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or any of the characters, trademarks or likenesses from Final Fantasy VII or its spin-offs That honor goes to Square-Enix.

On the Way to a New Future (Interlude)

Chapter 51, Watching the Sun Rise (Case of Zack)

June 8th [ ν ] – εуλ 0008

It was early in the morning, still dark in fact, and Zack was watching the weather with concern and anticipation from the living room. A front had moved in from the west overnight and much to his chagrin, it looked like it was going to rain. Not that it would be the end of the world if it did, but he'd been hoping for clear skies. Really hoping.

He took a deep breath and stretched dramatically, bringing his right arm as high as it could comfortably go, and stepped out onto the grass, pulling out the dark steel broadsword he'd been training with. His right hand was still not good for much combat-wise, at least not on a SOLDIER's level (which brought him no end of annoyance) but as he worked the familiar sword drills left handed, he felt himself slowly start to relax.

He didn't need to be on edge. He'd been on edge enough over the last couple of weeks, since not only had there been the stress of dealing with Shinra's attempt to retake their rubber plantations and a couple of crucial mining facilities on the easternmost island (which had been driven off, but only because he'd managed to rout them along with Cloud and Vincent and their squads), but also because there'd been preparations to make. Until Scarlet's forces withdrew, he'd been worried there might not be a wedding at all today.

He whirled around, thrusting and swinging the blade with a skill that belied how much he'd been practicing. When he'd first tried after picking up the weapon in the village, he'd been embarrassed by the results, since he hadn't been used to working with his off hand as much, but over time, thanks in no small part to his determination and Cloud's immeasurable patience while helping him train, he found himself thinking he was almost as good with his left hand now as he'd been with his right when he'd made 1st Class.

"Zack?" he looked over to see Liam hanging out the back door. "It's almost time."

Sheathing the sword at his side he nodded. "All right, I'm coming."

Everyone was assembled on a small spit of beach that jutted out into the water. If anyone sailed north, it would take them to the mainland of the Eastern continent in several hours, but Zack and Aerith had selected this spot for a different reason. It was open on all sides except to the south with the ocean feeding into a cove to the west, and just behind them if the weather would just cooperate, they'd have a clear view of the eastern horizon.

Zack stood in front of the village Mayor waiting for everyone to find a spot, with Cloud beside him, and Kunsel as his other groomsman. Everyone had umbrellas just in case the rain broke out, but so far, it looked like it might hold. There was no ring bearer, Cloud had simply been charged with holding the rings, and though Marlene was the flower girl, and Tifa and Freya had been nominated to be bridesmaids, there was no uniformity to anyone's attire. They'd scrounged up the best that could be found, seeing as funds were mostly allocated to the war effort now. Zack for instance was wearing an old suit he'd borrowed from his father, and the girls had simply made use of Freya's access to what clothes she'd been able to rescue from her family's estate. It didn't matter though. He hadn't seen what they'd found for the wedding dress yet, but to Zack, Aerith was the most beautiful woman in the world, no matter what she was wearing, and she was doing him the honor of marrying him. To Zack, that was the entire point of all this anyway.

Wyatt cleared his throat after a moment. "Are we ready to begin?"

"I guess we've held off long enough," Zack agreed.

At Wyatt's signal, Marlene walked through the crowd, spreading petals from Aerith's garden across the sand, and Barret came after her with Aerith on his arm. He'd taken the job of giving the bride away very seriously, in spite of the teasing about it being practice for when Marlene grew up. And when Zack saw his bride to be, his heart melted like it had at the Gold Saucer. The simple white dress she wore only lightly floated across the ground, and there was no veil covering her face, allowing the wind to blow gently through her hair, which flowed freely, an ocean of brown waves released from the ribbon she usually wore. She smiled as their eyes met and he wasn't looking anywhere else the entire time she walked to where he stood.

As the ceremony commenced, Zack was only aware enough to notice when the clouds parted just a little halfway through, lighting the gathering in a series of sunbeams. It was good that someone was there to walk him through what to say because he was so focused on Aerith, he wouldn't be able to remember otherwise. From Cloud handing him the rings, and the two of them going through the final vows before Wyatt said he could finally kiss the bride; it all passed like a dream, culminating when their lips met and everyone cheered. Looking out over the crowd at everyone who had come, he grinned, and held Aerith close. They'd have a short party to celebrate back home, and then they'd be on their way. Cloudy or clear, this was a new beginning for both of them, and he wanted to start it off right.

The reception had been wonderful even if it wasn't very large. Tifa had supplied the champagne, and they'd gathered in the back yard at the lodge, where Zack's parents had shown them a couple of traditional Gongagan wedding dances. The highlight of the morning had to be when Cloud and Kunsel ended up very patiently trying to talk Yuffie out of instigating a celebratory fight between their summons out on the beach. However, the majority of the time had been spent eating, talking and just enjoying everyone's company. It was now afternoon though, and though they had said most of their goodbyes when leaving the lodge, Cloud, Tifa, Kunsel and Freya had all come to the airship launch to see them off.

"We'll be expecting a full report when you get back," Kunsel said.

"Well of course!" Zack said. "Wutai's gonna be great… oh, hang on a second," That was when he reached for a small bag he'd brought with him. "I almost forgot."

He produced a couple of parcels. "I know Aerith had a couple of things for the bridesmaids, but I got you guys a little something too."

He handed Cloud and Kunsel the two gifts. "Go ahead."

Unwrapping the parcel, Cloud couldn't help but smile at what it contained and Zack grinned. "I thought it fit, since you'd been calling your motorcycle Fenrir and all."

Cloud lifted up the heavy decorative emblem and looked it over, taking in the burnished steel wolf's head with the ring in its mouth, and the single earring with the same design nestled in a different fold of the wrappings along with a couple of pins with the same design.

It had been among some supplies that had been smuggled in from Kalm, and upon seeing it Zack had snatched it up immediately, thinking he knew exactly what to do with them along with the package that Kunsel was also opening.

When the ex-SOLDIER took the object out of the wrappings for everyone to see, it became apparent to everyone else that it was similar, however, this one was bronze and bore the image of a griffon, its talons outstretched to strike at an enemy. A bronze decorative chain also lay within the package. "Thanks," Kunsel said. "They're really nice."

Cloud nodded in agreement. "You didn't have to…" he said.

"Hey," Zack said, "You guys have always had my back. It's the least I could do. Especially since I'm leaving you in charge while we're gone."

"Guess you have a point there," Kunsel agreed.

At that point, hugs and handshakes were exchanged, and Tifa deftly prevented Yuffie from stealing Ramuh, before Zack, Aerith, and the ninja joined Cid and Shera aboard the Highwind. Not long after they were underway.

The ride passed smoothly and it was nearly nightfall when Cid brought the Highwind to a halt near the outskirts of a settlement north of Wutai's capitol. Once the rope ladder was lowered over the side, Zack brought their supplies down to where Aerith was waiting and he was almost to the ground when Cid called down to him "You two lovebirds be careful, ya hear?"

"Don't worry gramps! I'll take good care of'em!" Yuffie replied.

"That's what I'm afraid of. I'll come back for'em and find'em in their underwear 'cause everything got stolen!" Cid teased.

"What kind of person do you think I am?!" Yuffie called back before looking innocently up at Zack "But seriously, could I at least have Odin for taking you guys to where you're staying?"

Zack sighed and shook his head before ruffling her hair and gathering up the two suitcases they'd brought with them. "Nice try."

Aerith giggled as Yuffie pretended to be offended. "Well see if I help you guys from now on," she huffed.

Zack chuckled. "Come on Yuffie, don't be like that. So, where are we going?"

They traveled through the town, taking in the various shops and houses but they didn't linger. Instead, Yuffie took them to the outskirts where a small path lay up the mountainside, giving them a clear view of the Da Chao statues carved into the cliffside near the capitol, across the valley. Zack had seen them once, near the end of the Wutai war, shortly after he'd been deployed here, when they were celebrating their victory, but his mind had been too focused on the fact that Angeal had been missing to enjoy the sights. Now, it was like he was seeing them for the first time in the dying afternoon light, and the vista was quite spectacular. Aerith too had stopped to take it in and seeing the look of wonder on her face was almost as incredible as the view.

After a moment or two, they continued onward until Yuffie led them to a small Wutaian cottage on the mountainside. When she slid the door open, they found themselves looking at a simple room with a firepit, surrounded by tatami mat floors adjacent to another partition that could be accessed by sliding screens. Yuffie kicked off her shoes and walked to the partition drawing back the screen and revealing the futons that were folded up in the back. Following her lead, they entered the place and Zack deposited their belongings in the sleeping area before Yuffie looked at them expectantly.

"So, now what?" she asked.

"Well, I think now… we'll get settled in and maybe take a little time to relax for a while, it's been a long trip, and we had an early morning too." Zack said.

"Well if that's all, I guess I'll just head home, I'll see you guys when you come to the capitol…" Yuffie paused as something occurred to her and her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Wait a minute, you're not planning on doing… that… now… are you?"

Aerith blushed and even Zack was a little taken aback by Yuffie's forwardness with the question. It took him a second to answer, folding his arms as he did so and doing his best to keep his voice calm. "If we are… that's… none of your business and all the more reason you don't want to be here. It is our wedding night after all."

Yuffie's eyes radiated wickedness and she gave them a lewd grin. "Well… maybe I do want to stick around."

Zack wanted to facepalm. But when it came to dealing with situations like this, one quality he was known for was exceptional patience. Otherwise, nothing would have made him think it was possibly worth it to play along with Yuffie's messages when she'd been younger, no matter how terrible he would have felt if she'd been eaten by a Behemoth.

That being said, there were limits.

"We'll see you in a few days Yuffie," he said. With that, he walked forward, and gently steered the girl out of the cottage before shutting the door. They waited for a few moments before Aerith checked out the window.

"Is she gone?" Zack asked.

"She stalked down the road in a huff, but about halfway down the hill, she looked like she was laughing about something," Aerith said.

"That could either be very good, or very bad," Zack hedged. Either way, he didn't really care right now. After a moment he sat down on one of the mats near the firepit. "So, what should we do? It's still early."

Aerith sat down next to him. "Well, I'm for taking a little time to get settled and then… why don't we go for a walk and see what happens? I saw this restaurant near the center of town that might be a good place to eat; maybe we could stop there too."

Zack considered for a moment and then nodded. "Sounds like a great idea. I know you'll love the food they have around here. If you thought the Wutaian places back in Midgar were something, it's nothing on the real thing."

Aerith tucked her right hand into his left, and squeezed it happily. "I know I will."

After taking an hour or so to get unpacked and rest a little after the trip, they spent some time strolling around the village, looking in shop windows and marveling at the sculptures on street corners. They chatted about anything and everything from the differences between Wutaian and Eastern Continental customs to the meaning of the Wutaian symbols written on the brilliantly painted street signs. There was a small festival going on in the main square, and they watched as, bathed in the warm glow of paper lanterns, a troupe of street performers waltzed a lacquered dragon through the streets behind what was definitely a heavily gilded and brightly painted representation of Leviathan. Soon after, the dancers were followed by smaller statues of the figures carved into the Da Chao cliffs on palanquins. Fireworks lit the star-studded sky as they wandered through the streets and after a wonderful supper, they found themselves walking back up the hillside towards the small cottage, happy and full.

Aerith leaned into Zack's embrace as they walked, smiling as he held her close. "That was wonderful," she said.

"Yeah," Zack said. "Maybe tomorrow, we can check out the mountains. There are some incredible shrines near Fort Tamblin and it's only a little to the southwest of here."

"Was that where… Wutai surrendered?" Aerith asked.

Zack nodded. "It shouldn't be a problem though. I have to admit I was a little surprised Yuffie didn't insist on meeting up with us so she could show us around. I could understand the Fort, since even though that's where we met, it's also got some painful memories for her, but as proud as she is of her country, I would have thought she would have wanted to show us how great the rest of it is herself."

"I actually was too," Aerith said, thoughtfully. "Though I guess that's neither here nor there. We can worry about plans tomorrow."

It was true, Zack thought. After all, they were nearing the cottage. He reached into his pocket for a key and then realized something about the bangle which he had put in there for safe keeping felt a little… different… Curiously, he checked it and then proceeded to utter a curse Cid would be proud of.

"What is it?" Aerith asked.

"Odin's missing…"

Aerith walked over to the partition where the futons were kept. "Yuffie. She probably said those things to get a rise out of us so she could do it while you were distracted," she said. "But it's late. We'll just have to talk to her about it when we see her. We know she hasn't gone far."

"Yeah," Zack agreed. "As much as she loves materia, I doubt she'd try to sell it off or anything. Still, I can't believe her sometimes." He pulled open the door and, pulling off their boots, they stepped inside. After hunting around for a switch he turned on one of the small electric lights, illuminating the room. "But you're right." He let out a sigh, and undid the belt to the sheath for his light broadsword. "I think we'll still be okay." He then moved to help her and afterward they took a moment or two to get ready for bed before he sat down on his futon.

Aerith joined him. "Of course we will." She put her arms around him and the warm light reflected in her green eyes. Zack returned the embrace and before he knew it, the two of them had come together, their lips joining in a deep kiss as he felt her hands running along his back, his shoulders, his chest, gently caressing him as he returned in kind.

"You know," he said, pausing after a little while, "even if the doc said it's still safe, I was a little afraid I might hurt you… enhanced strength and all…" he said. "Are you sure it'll be okay?"

"You won't," she answered with a gentle smile, smoldering with passion in a way that made resisting his own instincts all the more difficult. "And it'll be fine…" she leaned in for another soft kiss before murmuring in a soothing voice, "I love you."

Not long after, as the crickets chirped outside and the first fireflies of the year illuminated the woods, Zack spared a moment to switch off the light before they snuggled under the covers together…

June 9th [ ν ] – εуλ 0008

The next morning, Zack awoke to find Aerith curled up next to him on the futon, and moving carefully so as not to wake her, he looked around to find what he knew to be a yukata on the shelf nearby. His time stationed here during the war along with Yuffie's talk of the place on their journeys together had at least told him that. Donning it, he soon located a pot, filled it with water from the sink that stood in an alcove off the main area, and after going through their belongings, he produced a small package of coffee which he proceeded to brew mountain style over a small flame in the firepit. Further investigation of the storage area where a small refrigerator stood also revealed a small pan and a grill, which he also placed over the fire after spreading out a few of the coals.

A year on the run with Cloud, coupled with the time spent hunting Sephiroth had ensured that he had become quite good at cooking up breakfast in rugged conditions, if he did say so himself, even if Elmyra and the ladies liked to take care of it at home, and this morning, he'd wanted to do something special. He had paid attention when it was Yuffie's turn on kitchen duty since even she knew a thing or two about camp cooking (otherwise she probably would have starved to death while traveling as a child), and now, after locating a few skewers and the appropriate ingredients, he set about making use of that knowledge.

Soon, next to his improvised coffee pot he also had a small pot of rice cooking along with a couple of fish grilling on short skewers speared into the ashes while he set about cooking up a few eggs in the pan. It was simple. He certainly didn't have enough knowledge of Wutai cuisine to attempt that miso soup Yuffie used to rave about when talking about her home, but with the rice vinegar and sugar he'd asked her to have ready, he was at least able to make sure what he was doing with the eggs was authentic.

Shortly after he'd started, he saw Aerith stir and she got up to join him after finding a yukata of her own. "That looks good," she said after watching him for a while.

"I'm hoping it'll be," he said, taking the fish off the grill and allowing it to cool on a plate while he finished with the rice.

There was a thump on the door at that moment, and Aerith stood, adjusting her yukata before checking to see what the noise was. When she returned she was carrying a small jar. At Zack's questioning look, she shrugged and showed it to him. "I think it had to be Yuffie. There was a small rock sitting on the step next to… whatever this is."

Zack looked at contents through the glass, and laughed. "Pickles," he said when Aerith looked at him for an explanation. "Angeal used to joke about it all the time while we were here. The Wutaians pickle everything. And they eat them with everything." He unscrewed the lid and taking a pair of chopsticks, he pulled out one of the bite-sized vegetables contained in the jar so she could take a closer look.

Upon examining it, her gaze went back to the side of the jar. "Hey, she left us a message." She pulled free a slip of paper taped to the side, which Zack had at first mistaken for a label:

Hey idiot,

I was so busy messing with you I forgot to leave this on the porch. On the day we're planning to meet to talk to my Dad, I'll be at Okazaki Sensei's on the road to the capitol. There's something I want to show you.

See you there,

Yuffie

"Nothing about Odin though," Zack commented. After a moment, he shrugged and turned his attention to pouring the rice into a couple of bowls and offering Aerith a plate with some eggs and one of the fish.

June 11th [ ν ] – εуλ 0008

The next couple of days flew by in a blink as there was just so much to do. They went hiking and found their way to a huge waterfall that cascaded down over several ledges of rock. They also explored the village some more, and yesterday, they had wandered along the roads to the north together, exploring the vast amount of temples and shrines along the roads. Most of the people they'd met had been polite to them, but Zack was pretty sure they'd maintained a distance. It was understandable. Many of them had grown up fearing people like him, and even though his right arm was obviously useless in combat, they still knew a SOLDIER's strength all too well. He could not deny that SOLDIER had been the very backbone of Wutai's defeat. It would be a long time before anyone could forget that.

Today however, they had packed a lunch and were walking southwest. Fort Tamblin was nestled in a valley a short walk in that direction. Zack hadn't exactly walked there on foot before, since he and Angeal had been airlifted to the combat zone, but that only made it more of an adventure. They walked along the path, talking about this and that while the mountains rose up around them. The sky was as clear as he'd ever seen it, and as they passed a cottage by the road, Aerith noticed the front yard sported a well-kept garden of local flowers and stopped to take a look.

One thing that grabbed her attention immediately was the flowering bushes that formed a hedge around the property. What had caught her eye was the fact that some of the blooms were pink while others on the same bush were as blue the sky above them. "How do they do that?" she wondered aloud stepping a little closer to investigate.

"Its differences in the soil," a voice answered.

They looked up to see a slightly older man, probably in his late forties and dressed in traditional Wutaian garb standing at the door to the cottage. Aerith looked thoughtful. "That's interesting. Is this… your garden?"

"My wife's," the man answered and that was when his eyes landed on Zack and the SOLDIER saw his posture stiffen suspiciously, even though he wasn't wearing the uniform. Not that it was unexpected. His eyes were a dead giveaway. "Is there something you need?" The man asked.

Zack rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and tried to affect his usual friendly demeanor. "Not really, we were just passing through and thought the flowers looked nice. We didn't mean any harm."

The older man continued out to the gate and Zack noticed he was walking with a cane. "I see." He locked it as he stepped outside and even though the suspicion was still in his eyes, he started walking down the road, coincidentally in the direction they were going.

After a moment, Aerith called out to him. "Excuse me, sir?" The man looked behind him and Aerith asked quickly "Is this the road to Fort Tamblin?"

"It is," the man said. "I am going to the village near there."

"Do you mind if we follow you?" Zack asked.

The man shook his head. "I don't." He continued along the path and Zack and Aerith moved to catch up.

They continued on in an uncomfortable silence for a bit until up ahead, Zack recognized the walls and battlements surrounding the last Wutaian stronghold. When he'd been here last, it had been deadly quiet until B unit had provided the distraction so they could infiltrate. It had been so simple back then, create as much mayhem as possible so Angeal could set the explosives at the main gate. That was all he had to do. Of course then, Angeal had vanished without a trace… It was the last time he'd seen his mentor where he'd been truly certain the man had been on his side, up until the moment when he'd thrust the Buster Sword into his hands as he lay dying in Modeoheim…

He missed the weight of it on his back, he had to admit. But it was all right. Cloud was taking good care of it, and he wasn't completely back just yet (though the others seemed convinced he thought he was, judging by how jumpy they seemed to get whenever he tried to do… well... anything). He hoped it would be soon though. He'd tried a practice swing with it while they'd been out training recently, and even though he hadn't been nearly as accurate favoring his left hand as he would like, he had managed to withstand locking blades with Kunsel for several seconds.

He felt for the broad sword at his hip. It wasn't even the length of the standard broadswords the SOLDIERs started with, and while he'd picked it because it was well-balanced and light enough that he could work with it easily while training his left hand to be dominant, it still felt a little odd to not have to carry it on his back.

They soon neared the front gate, and he remembered the rush as he'd leapt over it to take the Wutai foot soldiers within the walls. That wasn't necessary now. The fort was empty, and the gate was wide open. The older man had continued walking without noting his departure, and after a moment, they walked through the gates.

Navigating through the corridors, Zack noted that the installation remained well kept, in spite of the years since Wutai's defeat, but at the same time, there was something… off… Wordlessly, he walked ahead of Aerith, a couple of steps.

"Is something the matter?" Aerith asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. It's probably just that it's been a while since the war. Maybe I just expected this place to be less…" He couldn't finish the thought before they walked under a bridge and suddenly found themselves at the courtyard in front of the main building at the far end from the main gate. That was when it hit him. There was a souvenir cart in the corner selling charms, and the paint on the walls was much too fresh and bright. Off to the side, was a small plaque written in Wutaian and Eastern script talking of Shinra's valiant opening of the West to mako power. Zack looked to his right and saw the statue of Leviathan and walked over to it. He remembered it almost like yesterday.

How as he had approached it, a member of the Crescent Unit had tried to talk to him about defecting. Offering to pay him what little they could… but he thought he'd made his decision. He'd agreed to become Shinra's lapdog, and he'd chosen at that time to stand on that decision. Even so, he'd spared the man's life.

"Why do you not finish me?" The man had asked.

Even now, he wasn't sure. The man had tried to kill him, though when their fight had ended, he'd been in no position to continue. Even then, he was cursing Zack's existence, telling him the Crescent Unit would have his head… Now Zack looked up at the Leviathan statue and that was when he realized some things. This wasn't the same statue. The plaque in front of the fountain was missing too. Instead there was a little sign off to the left about how it was a wishing pool and if you threw a gil in Leviathan would grant it. Kneeling to take a closer look, he reached out with his good hand to tap at the base of the statue. It felt hollow and the echo carried for a couple of seconds.

"Where is it?" he wondered.

"Where's what?" Aerith asked.

"This isn't the statue that was here before," he murmured. "It used to be made of stone," he looked over it critically. "And it was much better made too."

Zack turned around and looked up at the door to the main building. It was here that he'd met Yuffie too. She'd been standing right there, barely nine years old and glaring at him defiantly. Determined that she was going to defeat him. Perhaps he'd been a little more indulgent than he should have, humoring her and pretending to be defeated, but she'd been so little back then. She was still small now, but back then she'd been positively tiny.

He shook his head and sighed. "I'm not sure I want see what the inside of the main building looks like. It didn't look like this when we were here. It feels… wrong… somehow…"

"Then we don't have to go," Aerith said.

Zack nodded and turned to leave. This wasn't the Wutai he remembered. Granted, back then, he'd had his orders and done what Shinra had told him to, and that had been fine with him. But as time had gone on, he did respect the Wutaians in his own way. Their tenacity in trying to track him down after the battle had certainly been admirable, if frustrating. To see this place all done up like it was some kind of… he didn't want to say theme park, because the Gold Saucer this certainly wasn't, but he couldn't think of the word for it. It was as though it was hollow and soulless as that statue, if that made any sense.

As they walked out the main gate, they caught sight of the same man walking back towards home, a pair of radishes in a basket. He looked up and asked coldly "Did you see what you came to see?"

"No," Zack answered. "Not exactly."

The man looked surprised. "Then what are you looking for?"

"I'm not sure. I was here at the end of the war…"

"Yes I know," the man said. "You were that mad devil Shinra set loose while they blew our gates," they had walked a short ways away from the fort now and had turned back onto the same road by which they'd come. "After I asked you if you'd join us, I was certain you'd kill us all and the princess too."

"Mad devil?" Aerith looked at the man curiously.

"What else could you call him? SOLDIERs can be cruel, efficient killing machines if they take a mind to it, and he cut through our men as a katana slices a leaf," the man said completely unapologetic. "Yet I'm sure he probably regretted not killing me, as many times as the Crescent Unit went after him."

That was when Zack really looked at the man for the very first time. "You were… that captain…"

The man laughed, though there was no humor in it. "I'm curious how it came about that a ghost is causing Shinra so much trouble, and I wonder, why he's decided to come back and haunt us?"

"It's complicated," Zack said. "But we're here because we just got married and..."

"And you wanted to show her the place where you defeated us…" the man said.

Zack shook his head. "She knows what I did, both the good and the not so good," he said. "So no. I just wanted to show her what Wutai was like. All of it. Not just the souvenir shops and the fake statues. As much as we put this country through and what it put me through, I figure I owe you guys at least that much."

The man was quiet until they reached his house. As they approached, he walked to the flower bush and drawing a knife, he cut off two clusters of the flower blossoms, one blue, and one pink and presented them to Aerith. "We call these Ajisai, I hope the two of you will be happy together," he turned to Zack. "There is a path up the mountain behind us a little to the north of here. If you want to show her the true Wutai, climb to the summit before dawn tomorrow. That is for what you said on the way here."

With that, he walked to the door of his house and Zack saw a woman peering out at them. Her arm was wrapped in a bandage with a black stain upon it, but the man still embraced her lovingly before walking into the house and shutting the door behind him.

June 12th [ ν ] – εуλ 0008

Early the next morning, the two of them got up early, as the man said. It was a little precarious, negotiating the rocks, but it didn't take nearly as long as they had feared. When they finally reached the summit, the grey sky of dawn was just giving way to a bright flame. As the two of them watched, the great fiery orb pushed its way over the horizon, slowly but surely lifting away the shadows night had cast over the hills and valleys below, revealing a patchwork of rice paddies, homes and villages spreading far out towards the ocean. Zack held Aerith close so she wouldn't be cold as they sat together on a rock as the far east had started burning a bright red, and over them, while the stars slowly faded out one by one, the sky was colored by the lightening blue hues of the Planet's atmosphere.

Aerith leaned into Zack's embrace and sighed happily. "I think this is all I could want really."

"This sunrise?" Zack asked.

She shook her head and planted a kiss on his cheek. "To be able to share more of them."

Zack looked out over the valley, warmed by her words in spite of the morning chill, and his eyes fell on the Da Chao cliffs, and their huge statues, just starting to be lit up by the sun's rays and to the south of them, the capitol lay. There was still much work to be done, but for now, he would enjoy this wedding gift just a little while longer.

It didn't take them long to gather their belongings at the cottage and soon they were walking along the southern road towards the capitol. It took even less time for them to reach the forge. Even though they had nothing pressing about which to speak to Gin Okazaki, its current proprietor, it was a convenient meeting point, and if the discussions with Lord Godo went well, they would be returning here to be picked up by the Highwind since the day they were planning to leave was also the day the smith had reported Cloud's swords would be ready.

That was neither here nor there though. As they reached the road leading off the main path to the forge, they saw Yuffie standing in the road waiting for them. She waved innocently. "Hey guys! Did you have fun?"

"We sure did, but if you don't mind my asking, what did you do with Odin?" Zack was doing his best not to be stern with the pointed question.

Yuffie surprised him when, instead of laughing and trying to deflect, she instead gave him a serious look. "This is more important."

They walked a bit further south before Yuffie turned them down a side road that looked like it skirted around the outer edge of the capitol. They continued on, through a series of rice paddies dotted by the occasional hut or wayside teahouse before they finally came to a spot somewhat removed from everywhere, and that was when Yuffie stopped. Just up ahead, there was a lone hut, probably not large enough for more than ten people. A boy, maybe a little older than Yuffie sat outside, leaning against the wall, swathed in darkened bandages. He looked up and when he spotted her he smiled. "Are these your friends Yuffie?"

She nodded and walked up to him. "How are you doing Yuri?"

"About the same," the boy said. She nodded and continued forward, ushering them under the small lean-to in front of the door.

"What is it Yuffie?" Aerith asked.

The White Rose of Wutai stopped at the entrance of the hut and thrust it open so they could see the interior. Peering into the gloom, they saw four or five other figures curled up on pallets, some were moaning in pain, others simply rested. All were swathed in the same bandages.

"It's Geostigma," Aerith said and that was when she looked up at Zack. "You need to get back, the last thing we need is for you to catch it."

Zack caught sight of the ninja princess looking up at him, her eyes wide with worry. After a moment she closed the door again. "When I was little," she said. "People used to tell stories of how Wutai was a lot more crowded and important. But you've seen it, haven't you? Even the capitol… it's nothing but a resort town now… After we lost the war, we got peace, but with that, we lost something else. Now look at us, Zack. I know you aren't a mean guy, but… sometimes… when I think about what happened…" she walked back to the road with tears in her eyes and he could see these weren't the crocodile tears she'd sometimes pull to get her way. "When I first started traveling with you, all I wanted was your materia… even before that, when I ran away from home too… but now…"

She turned away from him, looking out at the windblown grass surrounding the path on which they stood. "First we lost what we were, and now we're dealing with this. I want your help to put it back… " She turned around and looked hard at him. "If you promise you'll do that for me, and help me find a materia that'll cure this, then I'll give you back Odin."

Zack sighed and shook his head, taking a step closer to her and ruffling her hair. "Yuffie, sometimes I'm convinced you're crazier than all of us," he started. "You know, even if we weren't dealing with the same problems, all you had to do was ask."

"That's right," Aerith agreed before adding "even if you are a bit of a kleptomaniac sometimes, we still want to help."

Yuffie looked up at him again as Aerith moved to give her a hug and she reached into her pocket to reveal the red materia and drop it in Zack's awaiting palm.

"There, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Zack said, slipping Odin back in its slot on his bangle. "So come on, let's go talk to your Dad, and see what we can figure out, and maybe we can find a way to take down Shinra while we're at it…" He cleared his throat as he caught the ninja's hand before she could reach for the materia slots on Aerith's bangle. "But we'll have no more of that, thanks."

Yuffie tried to scowl at him, but it was lost between trying to still look cute and pathetic, and trying not to laugh at the same time.

The room where they met with Lord Godo was beautifully decorated, lined with wall screens on all but one side which overlooked a courtyard with a koi pond and several small trees, and Zack did his best to remember everything he could of what Freya and Cissnei had told him about proper etiquette for addressing royalty while Aerith sat at his right and Yuffie sat at his left. It wasn't that he thought he would be rude, but accidents could happen, and this wasn't something he could afford to screw up. Safe passage for the blockade runners across the ocean to Western Mideel from Wutai's shores was riding on this. Having the alternate sea route would negate Rufus's blockade, and that on its own could determine the fate of the other things they were currently dealing with.

The man sitting on the platform at the head of the large room in which they were holding their meeting had a long dark beard and was dressed in ostentatious purple robes that looked very much unlike the traveling attire he and Aerith were wearing, or Yuffie's usual clothes. The other thing he noticed about Yuffie's father was that he was looking upon them with a very stern expression. Zack was not a diplomat, but he didn't need to be one to be sure that was not a good sign. Initially, the plan had been to come here first, but Yuffie had not been able to make arrangements to that affect. Freya had been quick to interpret that to mean Godo felt he had the upper hand in this negotiation, but Zack was determined. He would give this his all.

It was at that moment that Lord Godo spoke. "So you are the SOLDIER that seeks to destroy Shinra. Yuffie has spoken much about you to me."

"I hope it was mostly good things," Zack said, then remembered he was supposed to be respectful and added "I-it's an honor that you were willing to talk to us…" he struggled to recall the correct form of address before settling on "…sir."

If Godo approved or disapproved of his manner of speaking he didn't show it. "There are many warriors who have attempted what you wish to do. Even my own efforts to bring an end to their reign were for naught. What makes you think such a thing is possible?"

Yuffie squirmed and Zack considered his answer before he spoke. "The fact that we've held the line as well as we have the last few months tells me that it's more than possible. Even though they have put up a blockade around the southern strait, after Fort Condor fell, we've managed to hold steady both in Mideel and along the south and western shores of the Western Continent. Everyone pretty much cleared out of Nibelheim and Rocket Town's ours. If our supplies to Mideel just had safe passage, I can guarantee you we could turn that holding into advancing, if we have enough time. Your people would be free to…"

"And what would you do once Shinra falls?" Godo interrupted.

"Find a way to let people live in peace…" Zack started but Godo shook his head.

"I've seen many like you in my time. They claim they want to improve the people's lives as Shinra once said, but once the war is won, what then?"

Zack did his best to remain calm even though he could already tell things weren't going so well. "They'll have freedom."

"Freedom. What kind of freedom? What cost will you impose on those you conquer? And how will order be kept? Do you choose to become another strongman, keeping control over his territory with an iron fist?"

"If I do follow through…" Zack started and then decided to change his statement though he couldn't help but feel a little impatient now. "No. When I follow through…"

"You won't," Godo said standing from his seat. "You may have people who follow you. But to destroy Shinra, it will take more than just men. Without greater powers on your side, all you'll do is send them to their deaths."

"I have never sent anyone to do something I wouldn't do myself," Zack said. His tone bordered on anger now and it was all he could do to shout his answer.

"And yet you have the nerve to send my own daughter to ask me to incite another war when such a thing would be pointless. She is not your vassal, and as the Princess of Wutai, I no longer want her involved in your petty schemes for power. Right now, we must protect what we have. We have no quarrel with Shinra, and much greater problems."

"When did we start talking about me?" Yuffie demanded, standing up, and clearly annoyed.

Zack did his best to ignore the ninja as he tried to continue. "You mean like the Stigma?" he asked.

Godo looked at him appraisingly but didn't answer. Instead, it was Aerith who spoke. "If that's what you're talking about, you aren't alone. We have doctors trying to figure out what's going on with that even now… we could share what we've learned with you…"

"At the risk of Shinra coming down upon our heads with further war?!" Godo demanded. "I will not have it." He looked at Zack and the distrust in his eyes was easily apparent. "Have not these glowing-eyed devils done enough to this country, Shinra or not?"

"It's about the fact that I'm a SOLDIER then?" Zack asked, his eyes narrowed even as he tried to keep from getting angry. "You know I can't change that. I made my choice…"

Aerith was speaking too, and she actually did sound a little angry. "Just because he is a SOLDIER, that doesn't make him any less human! If that's your reason…"

"No it's not," Yuffie said angrily, stepping in front of them, a scowl apparent on her face. "It's because he's afraid and doesn't think you can do it. He also thinks you led me on."

"That's ridiculous," Zack said. "If anything, you followed us."

"It doesn't matter. He's still a coward." She pointed at her father. "Old Man! Today's the day! I'm climbing the pagoda, and then, when I've beaten all our best warriors I'm coming back here. You'll see who's right when I prove I'm the strongest of them all!"

With that, she stormed out of the room.

Even with his attempt to conceal it, Zack clearly heard Godo utter an exasperated sigh. "Yuffie… how can I make you understand…?"

"It's all right," he offered. "We know she can be a handful sometimes." All further communication was adjourned for the time being as Zack and Aerith walked out of the building after the departing ninja.

A little bit of trivia for those so inclined.

In case you wondered, Ajisai is a real bush, though in English, it's called a Hydrangea, and they do put out blooms of different colors in certain species. The colors can range between blue and pink depending on the acidity of the soil, and these changes will even occur on the same bush.

Also, not a lot of people will probably know Yuri unless they read "Case of Yuffie" from "On the Way to a Smile" but he makes a brief cameo here.

I'm sure a lot of you out there are cheering at the fact that Yuffie does get to scale the pagoda next time. ^^

See you then!