Author's Note: I know, I know; it's been FOREVER. And I really am sorry about that, you guys. You deserve an explanation, so I will give one: after uploading the last chapter, the play I was in opened. We had ten wonderful performances, and I've never had so much fun! After the play was over, I had to go home for a week to housesit since my parents were in Mexico (lucky ducks...). Then Thanksgiving arrived, then it was finals week, then it was Christmas, and then it was New Years.

I tried to write and update during that time. I really did. But I was so tired from the play that I didn't, and not having written for a while, it was a bit hard to get back into. All in all, I'm alive, I'm okay, I've just been incredibly busy and I got sucked into a black hole where writing didn't exist for a while XD I hope you guys can forgive me for having to have you wait for so long, and I sincerely hope this extra long chapter makes up for it. We're in the home stretch of this story (2-3 chapters left) and I've been wanting to wrap it up for a while now.

I love you all, and thank you again for being so patient with me. *blows kiss*

Disclaimer: Still don't own FFVII.

A figure clad in pink, walking through a field of flowers. Hair in a braid, a flower basket tucked in the crook of one arm. Everything about her radiated gentleness and grace, as if light itself were emanating from her entire being. In her presence, Zack felt his worries and tension gradually fade.

She turned to face him. Bright green eyes, a kind smile, a gentle disposition.

"...Aerith?"

She did not answer, but stretched out her hand towards him.

Zack woke slowly.

His mind felt like it was made of wet cotton. His mouth was dry. The air he was breathing in felt grainy and tough, more like sand than actual air. He coughed, grimacing as he tasted the dust on his tongue. Zack winced as he gently eased himself up; there was a sharp ache in his head. Rubbing his forehead gently, he looked around.

If his eyes weren't open, Zack would have guessed he was still asleep somewhere. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw faint outlines of bars and the sheen of metal doors. The floor he was laying on was solid concrete with a small layer of dust and grime. As he listened hard for any sound, Zack realized that there was none. The place was silent as a tomb.

Where am I…?

It all came back to him in a flash of images: Hojo's office, the papers, the sword, the Materia, and then darkness. The more Zack tried to remember, the more his head ached. There was something about Ancients, a new world, a mother and child -

Aerith!

Zack pulled the photograph out of his pocket. It seemed much less like a happy family photo now that he knew the truth. Aerith's father had been murdered. Her mother...he wasn't sure what happened to her, but it couldn't have been good. Aerith's destiny, according to Hojo's papers, was to be a creator for a new race of some kind. And it all had been done in the name of science.

Zack's hands shook as he put the photograph back in his pocket. They won't get away with this. I will not let them. Even if...even if it costs me my life.

The first step was figuring out how to get out of where he was. He stood up, nearly falling over in the process. The dryness of his mouth and rumble of his stomach was enough to tell him about how long he had spent here. Zack leaned against a wall for support, waiting until the stars in his vision faded. He walked to the door of the cell, heart pounding. Dread filled his veins as he saw that there was no handle. Looking up, he saw a red light close to the ceiling, blinking slowly.

Zack pressed on the door. It wouldn't budge. He tried to slide it out of place, but no such luck. He kicked it in frustration, leading to a string of swear words and a very sore toe. He ran a hand through his hair. Come on, Zack. Think! There's got to be a way out of here.

He looked around. No windows. No trace of light anywhere. Zack blindly reached out in front of him, feeling for any sort of surface. Everything his fingers brushed was made of the same smooth, sleek metal. There was nothing to hold onto, no way to grab onto something. With one hand against the wall, Zack traced the outline of the room with his feet. It was a decent size, but with nothing in it and it being so dark it felt tiny.

Zack ran over the options in his mind: the floor was solid concrete, so there was no attempt to dig himself out. The walls and door were solid metal – even if he had his sword it wouldn't cut through it. No windows. This is not good…

Zack looked up in desperation. There's got to be something!

As his eyes adjusted more to the darkness, he could make out something above his head. A sudden gush of fresh air hit his face. A vent! Zack reached towards it, hope filling his veins...only to find it was much too high. Even if he had something to stand on, it would be just out of reach…

Growling in frustration, Zack plopped down on the floor. He swallowed hard, trying to convince himself that everything would be okay. Surely someone would notice he was missing, and they'd inform security, and his father would stop at nothing to make sure he was found…

The door slowly creaked open.

Zack stared, feeling his heart pounding in his ears. Someone would be coming to interrogate him. Or torture him. ...Or kill him. But even after what felt like five minutes, there was nothing. No one came through the door. Zack didn't dare walk out – what if it's a trap?

In the silence there was a slight rumble, much like thunder. It came closer and closer, until it seemed to be right above Zack's head. With a sudden clatter, the vent burst open, and a small creature came tumbling out. It landed on its feet gracefully, as if it were a circus artist on a trapeze. The creature's tiny paws brushed the dust out of it's fur.

Is that...a cat?

After blinking hard a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, Zack came to the conclusion that it was a cat. A small, gray and white cat that stood on its two hind legs (and wearing boots, of all things) and was brushing dust off of its fur like a human would brush snow off of a coat.

"There!" the cat said proudly. "that's better." He walked towards Zack – still on its hind legs, his boots making something like popping noises – and gave him a deep bow. "Your Highness, I am at your service. Let's get out of here!"

"Did it just talk?" Zack said, more to himself than to the cat.

The cat sighed. "They're always so surprised. Yes, I did. Now, we got to get out of here." the cat pointed to the door. "Hojo or his guards will be back any minute. Hurry!"

Zack had no idea what was going on. And listening to a talking cat only made the whole situation weirder. But there was something familiar about the cat's voice. Something comforting, like an old friend.

Zack quickly dashed out of the cell, following the cat. "How did you unlock it?"

"It's easy when you have all access," the cat explained. "One of the perks of being a higher up."

A higher up? "….who are you?" Zack asked, his suspicion growing.

The cat seemed to notice, for it suddenly stopped and turned around to face him. "Call me Cait Sith. I'm a friend." he put his hands on his hips in a very non-catlike manner. "Didn't I tell you not to go to Hojo alone? What were you thinking, Your Highness?!"

Zack's eyes widened. "Reeve? Is that you?"

The cat put a finger to his lips. "Hush. Don't want to blow my cover." He gestured down the hallway to their left. "We need to move, fast." With that, the cat took off running.

Zack stumbled after him, his mind racing. How was Reeve controlling this cat? It was obviously mechanical – no real cat could do the things it was doing. More importantly, how did Reeve know where he was? Its true that he was the Duke of the Kingdom, but there was no way Hojo would have let anyone know about Zack's whereabouts…

"How did you find me?" Zack panted, running alongside the cat now.

Cait Sith took a sharp turn, which Zack followed. "No time to explain, Your Highness. We've only got so much time, and by now Hojo will know you're gone. Just follow me. Oh, and put this on." He reached into a small knapsack and tossed Zack a cap. Zack quickly put it on, making sure the visor went below his brow.

"Where are you taking me?" Zack demanded.

He swore he heard the cat chuckle. "Somewhere safe. Somewhere they'll never think to look."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I don't care where you think he is, find him! Immediately!"

Scarlet watched the guards leave, smirking slightly at the look on their faces. She would never admit it herself, but it was always scary when Professor Hojo yelled. "So he's gone?"

"Vanished," Hojo said in exasperation, pacing the floor. "There was no way he could have escaped; I was sure of it."

"And yet he did," Scarlet mused. "He must have had outside help."

"Impossible," Hojo shot back. "No one knew he was gone, and no one currently knows. I've made sure of it."

Scarlet waved a hand in dismissal; arguing would be pointless. "I found it," she said, changing the subject. She held out a large Materia in her hand, blush-colored and about the size of an orange. "With some modifications, we could easily use it on Angeal."

Hojo took the Materia from her hand and looked at it closely. "It should be simple. I'll give you some of the formula to put into it." Handing it back to her, he asked, "how long will it take?"

"A day or two, at the very most."

"Excellent."

Scarlet glanced at the sleeping girl in the giant tube across from them. "What are you planning on doing with her?"

"A little of this and a little of that," Hojo said vaguely. "Nothing she can't handle. Not after being with you for so long. With her mother's blood – the blood of the Ancients – she will be a progenitor in a new world." Hojo grinned. "Exactly what we discussed in the beginning."

"Neo Midgar?"

"Neo Midgar."

Scarlet pondered this for a moment. "She's still underage."

"You know the law," Hojo snapped, "as long as she has permission from her guardian – which is you – she is not bound by the law. We will start the process immediately."

"But she is only half Ancient," Scarlet pointed out. "wouldn't that effect everything?"

"Of course not. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to than your incessant blabbering."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Bring the Materia to me the moment it is finished," Hojo commanded, without a second glance at her. "We have no more time to waste."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aerith lay there, eyes still closed, her heart pounding at all she heard.

She first awoke when she heard Hojo's shouting about finding someone. Upon hearing her stepmother's voice, every part in Aerith's body went stiff. As much as she didn't want to listen, her ears hung upon every word.

Ancients? My mother? Materia? Neo Midgar?

Her mind buzzed with confusion. What was happening? The last thing she remembered was going to her room to try to take a nap -

Aerith's stomach clenched as the memory back. Scarlet sitting on the bed, holding the handkerchief. The accusation. The yelling. And then...sleep. Aerith tenderly touched the back of her head and winced. It was still quite tender. Whatever she was laying on didn't contribute to the cause, either.

….She knows.

It came back with the force and sharpness of a slap to the face. Scarlet knew. She found the handkerchief, saw Zack's initials and knew Aerith was the mystery girl at the ball. (The ball...it felt like ages ago). What kind of strings could she pull with that information? How could she use that against her? Surely she would. Like Aerith had told Zack the night of the ball, Scarlet would do anything within her power to make Aerith's life hell.

Aerith forced herself to take some deep breaths.It's going to be alright. Breathe. Things will get better.It was going to be over soon. Zack was going to tell the King, Scarlet's power would be stripped (at the very least) and things would be okay. She wasn't sure what would happen about Scarlet being her guardian, but she would be of age in a few months anyways. She would finally be free.

She took another deep breath. The air smelled strange – antiseptic, a tinge of metal, and a sharp undertone of chemicals. Where am I…?

Aerith opened her eyes and sat up slowly, looking around.

A few bright lights were placed here and there, but other than that the room was dark and dingy. Everything had a bluish-green tinge to it, as if it were infected by some kind of disease. There were occasional beeps and clicks from machinery, with the occasional hiss of steam. Various tables, counter tops and rolling carts were covered in papers and metal objects. Goosebumps arose on Aerith's skin when she saw how sharp they were. The whole place echoed of something inhumane. What happened here…?

Aerith noticed with a start that she was in a round cell of some sort. The floor was metal, but the curved walls around her were made of thick glass. She touched it, its surface cool on her fingertips. There was no way she could break it. Aerith looked up and gasped as she saw something similar to a lid on top of the cell. She had the strange sensation of being in a giant test tube.

"Ah, I see you're awake." A voice behind her said.

Aerith turned around to see a man in a white coat standing a short distance from her. He gave her a smile that looked much more like a grimace. "Good. I trust you slept well?"

There was something about the man's presence that instantly made Aerith afraid. An uneasiness she had never before felt – not even in her stepmother's presence – filled her body. It was as if thick darkness had wrapped itself around her like a shroud, covering her mouth so she couldn't speak.

"The resemblance is uncanny," he murmured, more to himself than to Aerith. "You really look just like her."

"….Who are you?" Aerith asked, once she was able to find her voice.

"You don't remember me?" the man asked, in mock surprise. "I'm not surprised. You were very little last I saw you."

The hairs on the back of Aerith's neck stood straight up. "What? What are you talking about? Who are you?"

The man did not answer, but simply stared at her. The longer he looked, the more Aerith felt the strong urge to run. But where could she go? There was no way out of this tube she was in...

"What do you want with me?" Aerith forced herself to say, hoping to gain some answer.

The man grinned. "Much." He took a step closer to the glass tube. "You, my dear, are the hope of the future. Your poor, sweet mother couldn't handle the pressure."

Aerith felt her heart stop.

"She was weak," the man said simply, as if he were talking about the weather. "Dying of a broken heart. Pathetic. But she left behind one valuable thing." The way his eyes bored into Aerith's, she knew he was speaking of her.

"...what do you want with me?" Aerith repeated, her voice a bit more shaky.

The man grinned, and Aerith felt her stomach drop. "My, you're awfully naive. But I suppose there's no blaming you; Scarlet doesn't understand it, and I highly doubt she would have told you anything."

"...what are you –?"

"It's only fair to give you a little bit of an explanation," he continued, completely ignoring Aerith. "Since you won't be here much longer, anyways." Something about his tone of voice gave Aerith the impression that he wasn't just talking about being in the laboratory.

"Once upon a time," he began, in a cruel and simpering tone of voice, "there was a beautiful woman who worked here in the castle. She was a peasant girl, but had remarkable abilities. It was spread throughout the castle that she could use the powers of Materia in their raw form – healing those who were sick, for instance. Word reached my ear, and naturally I had to see these powers for myself.

"Her name was...Ifalna." the name rolled off of his tongue like the finest wine. "And like I said earlier, the resemblance between you and her is uncanny. She is your mother, after all."

Aerith's heart felt lodged in her throat. She laced her hands together in an attempt to stop them from shaking.

"With her powers," the man continued, as if talking about the weather, "and my genius, we could create a whole new race of Ancients. I had already tried to do so, but only synthetically. The results were a complete and utter failure."

There was that word again. Ancients. As much as Aerith wanted to ask about who they were, or what an Ancient even was, her mouth felt glued shut.

"But there was a problem." The man's voice turned bitter and hard. "Ifalna was already betrothed to someone else."

...My father?

As if knowing what she was thinking, the man let out a cruel chuckle. "Not your disgrace of a father, mind you. But the King himself. That's right," he nodded at Aerith's shocked expression, "your mother was betrothed to King Angeal. In doing so, she would become a member of the Royal Court. In addition, she would surely figure out everything I was up to regarding herself, and tell the King.

"But fortune seemed in my favor, for Ifalna fell in love with someone else. And he loved her just as much. The King gave them his blessing, and the two married." The man's voice dripped with disgust. "Not long after, they had a child." He walked closer to the glass tube where Aerith was sitting, his dark beady eyes boring into hers. "A qualified, perfectly healthy little girl."

He smacked a hand on the glass, making Aerith jump. "You are the last Ancient, Aerith. The very last one to ever exist. Your blood is extraordinary. You are living proof that humans and Ancients can not only coexist, but reproduce naturally. The synthetic Ancients I tried to make only resulted in rapid cell degeneration, but you...we could do extraordinary things with your blood." His head cocked to one side in interest. "Maybe there's something special about your skin, too...or your brain."

Aerith felt bile rise to her throat at the man's lustful tone. "And if I refuse?" she managed to choke out.

The man's eyes narrowed. "You don't have the option to refuse." He leaned in close, as close as he could get to her with the glass in the way. "Would you rather have something happen to your precious little Prince?"

His words hit Aerith like a punch to the stomach. Air simply seemed to evaporate from her lungs. Pain and shock grabbed her chest with the ferocity of owl talons, tearing her already battered heart into ribbons. "What are you going to do to him?" she whispered.

"Nothing." the man said simply. He grinned. "That is...if you cooperate."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Here," Cait Sith said at last, stopping in his tracks. "This is a safe spot."

Zack stared at the building in front of them as he caught his breath. The stupid cat had led him through narrow passageways of the castle, to outside, and finally below the Plate. He should have been used to it from the times he visited Aerith, but doing it all on foot at a sprinting speed was quite different.

"What is this place?" he panted, hands on his knees.

"The Leaf House," Cait Sith answered. "it's an orphanage here in the Slums."

Zack immediately straightened up, startled. "Orphanage? Doesn't Aerith -?"

The cat nodded. "The same one. Follow me."

Cait Sith scampered towards the house, Zack close behind. Dusk was approaching, and with it the evening crowd. Drunken voices called from the streets, laughter echoing through the various shops and stalls. Zack kept his head down as much as he could, always adjusting the cap the cat gave him. He felt strangely naked out in public without his cloak.

As if on cue, the front door opened. Cait Sith dashed inside, Zack following. The door immediately shut behind them, and Zack let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you guys alright?" a hushed female voice asked.

"We're fine," Cait Sith replied. Zack could hear the exhaustion in the cat's voice. He felt a sudden surge of appreciation for Reeve; he didn't know how his friend was doing this, but it must have taken quite a bit of effort. "As long as he stays here, he'll be safe."

"Thank goodness."

In the dimly lit entryway, Zack saw a woman standing a few feet away from him. Although he did not know her, she had a kind, welcoming smile. Something about her made Zack trust her right away.

The woman bowed slightly. "Your Highness. Welcome to the Leaf House." she gave him a slightly sheepish smile. "I'm sorry if it's not exactly what you're used to, but..."

Zack glanced around. The place was definitely old, but it felt warm and alive. There were crayon scribbles on the walls, many pairs of small shoes by the door, and the floor seemed ready to cave in in some places. In comparison to the castle, it definitely wasn't a mansion; but rather than seeming like a place out of a storybook, it felt much more grounded in reality. It was the kind of place Zack almost wished he grew up in: dancing around the kitchen table, laughter in the halls, creaky wooden stairs and squeaky rocking chairs with a welcome mat out front.

He gave the woman a wide smile. "Please, don't apologize. It's lovely. I can tell how much love is in this place."

The woman's cheeks flushed. "Oh! Why thank you, Your Highness!"

"Please," Zack insisted, "call me Zack. I'm not in the palace right now."

"Your Highness," Cait Sith said, gesturing to the woman, "this is Ms. Forsyth. She's the runner of this orphanage. She's also a good friend of Aerith."

"Aerith?" Zack said, suddenly feeling breathless. "Is she okay? Where is she?"

Cait Sith held up two paws. "She'll be fine. I'm going to be bringing her here in a little bit. With all that's going on, it's best for the two of you to lay low for a while."

"But I can't just sit here and let Hojo get away with -"

"You won't. I promise." the cat turned to Ms. Forsyth. "Again, thank you so much for doing this. You have the gratitude of the whole Kingdom."

Ms. Forsyth smiled. "My pleasure. He and Aerith can stay as long as they need to."

Cait Sith gave Zack one last, long look. "Don't worry, Your Highness. I know it's hard for you to just sit here, but that's the best option for you right now. When I bring Aerith back, I will explain everything. I promise. And then you can tell me what happened to you with Hojo." As Ms. Forsyth opened the front door again, Zack swore the cat gave him a smile. "It'll be alright, Zack. Just stay put."

"Well," Ms. Forsyth said after closing the door once Cait Sith ran off, "there is a bed prepared for you upstairs. Although I highly doubt that the last thing you want to do is sleep."

Zack smiled. "Yeah. Is it okay if I just wait down here for the two of them to get back?"

"Of course. I'd just advise you to stay away from the windows, since people might be looking for you."

"Ms. Forsyth?" a small voice asked. Zack turned to see a small boy coming out of the opposite entryway. "Jenny and I were wondering who's turn it was to help with dinner -" the boy stopped mid sentence and stared at Zack, his mouth shaped into a perfect "o".

"It's actually your turn, Oates," Ms. Forsyth said. "and close your mouth, dear. You'll catch flies."

"Is...is that the Prince?" Oates asked, in a hushed whisper. Zack fought the strong urge to laugh at the look of shock on the kid's face.

Ms. Forsyth walked over and bent down to Oates' height. "Remember how I said we might have a special guest stay with us for a while?" At the boy's nod, she continued. "well, Zack is a very special guest. There are some bad guys looking for him, so he's going to stay here. The bad guys won't look for him here. I want you and the other kids to be on your best behavior, okay?"

Oates nodded, his sandy hair flopping in his face. "I will. I'll tell the others." and with one last, lingering look at Zack, he dashed out.

Ms. Forsyth straightened up. "Oates is one of the oldest kids here. I trust him with secrets, and the other kids usually follow his example." she looked at Zack in concern. "I hope its okay I told him who you were..."

"I think he already knew, judging by the look on his face," Zack laughed. There was an awkward silence before he said, "did I hear him say you needed help with dinner or something?"

"Oh yeah, the kids take turns. But please, don't feel like you have to help. You're our guest."

"I insist," Zack countered, firmly but with a smile. "it's the least I can do for you lending me your home."

Ms. Forsyth smiled in gratitude. "Well, I hope you know how to chop vegetables, at the least."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was cold inside of the tube.

Aerith rubbed her arms in a poor attempt to keep warm. She could almost hear the man's sniveling voice: "Cold? Too bad." Thankfully, he had left a little while ago. But Aerith still had the strange feeling that he had eyes everywhere. Even the clink of the machinery seemed to taunt her with his voice.

Not for the first time, Aerith wondered how she was going to get out. Breaking the glass wasn't an option – her bruised wrists had proven that. No matter how much strength she had, it wouldn't be enough to get herself out of the tube. The glass had to be a few inches thick, at the very least. There was nothing to climb up on, no magical doorways that opened, no vents to crawl through. She finally admitted the truth to herself: there's no way out of here.

Even if Zack was in trouble, there was no way she could help him.

Aerith raised her fist and punched the glass one last time. She could hear the fury and anxiety in her own voice as it reverberated off of the glass. Her fingers and knuckles roared with pain, and it only seemed to deepen as Aerith saw, through tear-filled eyes, that the glass still stood whole and complete.

Cradling her very bruised hand, in a dark room that reeked of death and experiments and more frightened than she had ever been in her life...the feeling of being completely alone swallowed her whole.

Almost.

"Beggin' your pardon, lass, but is your hand okay?" a voice asked.

Aerith looked up. Right outside of the glass tube was a gray and white cat, standing on its two hind legs like a person would. She gasped. "I remember you! You're the cat that helped me get home in time the night of the ball!"

The cat gave her a deep bow. "Call me Cait Sith. At your service, Miss." He straightened up. "Now, we gotta get you out of here. Although I may have to break you out; Hojo locked you up pretty tight."

Assuming that Hojo was the cruel man that was there earlier, Aerith nodded. "There's no way out, at least not from the inside."

"Give me a few minutes," Cait Sit promised, "and I'll find something to get you out." And with that, he scampered away on his four legs.

A few minutes passed, although they felt like an eternity, before he returned. "I have an idea, but you may want to stand back. Oh, and cover your face."

Aerith obeyed, stepping as far back as she could and covering her face with her hands. There was a clink of metal, a shout of "YAHOO!" and the sound of glass breaking. Aerith lowered her hands after a few moments. Cait Sith was rubbing the back of his head, moaning slightly. Looking up, she saw a small hole through the glass tube.

She gasped. "How did you -?"

"Just jumpin' off some equipment," he replied, in a rather nonchalant tone of voice. He heaved himself against the glass, the spiderweb cracks becoming larger. With one final push he managed to make a sizeable exit. Cait Sith carefully scraped the edges of the hole with his tiny paws, brushing away excess glass.

"Careful, you'll hurt yourself!" Aerith exclaimed.

The cat grinned. "I'll be alright. You're forgetting that I'm not a real cat. It doesn't hurt." He jumped out of the hole and gestured for her to follow. "Now come on, we gotta get out of here before Hojo comes back."

"Do you know a way out?" Aerith asked as she carefully climbed out of the glass.

"Yep! I've got you covered. I'll just take you the same way I took Prince Zack earlier."

Aerith stopped in her tracks. "Zack? Is he okay?" Realizing what Cait Sith mean, she gaped at him. "He was trapped here, too?! What happened? Please tell me he's alright!"

"His Highness is just fine," the cat said soothingly. "Yes, he was trapped in here. He got into some trouble with Hojo, too. But I took him out and he's safe now. He's waiting for you in a safe place."

"How did he get into toruble?" Aerith asked, briskly jogging to keep up with Cait Sith.

"I'll explain everything later, I promise. Just know that he's safe."

That statement alone was enough to give Aerith the strength to run.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cait Sith took her through dark tunnels, hidden staircases, and narrow pathways before leading her outside. The fresh air felt like healing balm on her skin. The thought of Zack being safe, of him waiting for her, was enough to keep her running on the occasions that she wanted to stop.

She didn't even notice that she was in a very familiar place until a figure ran out to greet her. "Aerith! Thank heavens you're safe!" Recognizing her friend's voice, Aerith let out a breath of relief. Ms. Forsyth wrapped her arms around Aerith in a hug so tightly she thought one of her ribs would crack. "We've all been worried sick!"

Aerith hugged her friend back just as well. "I'm okay," she said, a bit numbly. She was still trying to believe it herself.

"Come inside, quickly." Ms. Forsyth gently guided her towards the open door. The golden light beaming from inside the Leaf House looked as welcoming as sunshine. "The children have been asking about you as well." Once they were inside and she shut the door, Aerith's friend scrutinized her carefully. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Aerith felt a lump rise to her throat. The last 24 hours were more intense than anything she had ever experienced. Looking at it now, it felt like some sort of weird fever dream: a ball, an almost-kiss, feeling incandescently happy, the fear, forcefully falling asleep, waking up in a foreign place, Hojo's cruel story...the whole mess was crazy. Aerith was surprised at how much she wanted to sink to the floor and cry.

She felt a gentle paw on her leg. Cait Sith was looking up at her with a small smile. "It's alright, lass. You're safe now. No one knows you're here besides me an' Ms. Forsyth. You'll never go back to Scarlet's house again."

Aerith nodded, swallowing her tears. "Thank you. Both of you. I can't imagine where I would be if -"

"Aerith?"

Her breath caught in her throat. She knew that voice. Aerith whirled around to see Zack standing at the end of the hallway. She charged towards him, her voice breaking into a cry. "Zack!"

Without any regard to propriety, to the thought that he was a Prince, she threw herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him in the tightest grip she could muster, burying her face into his shoulder. He held her back just as tightly, resting his chin on top of her head. Aerith felt his lips press a kiss into her hairline, and her heart felt full to bursting.

He was just as warm and real as when he held her just a few nights ago. The whole thing wasn't a dream.

"Hey," she heard him say, bringing just enough distance between them so he could look at her face, "it's alright. I'm here."

The tears she tried so hard to hold back had escaped her eyes. She quickly wiped at her eyes, feeling her cheeks turn red. "S-Sorry," she said, inwardly groaning at her stuttering, "I'm just...so glad to see you. I'm so glad you're okay."

"I'm fine," Zack insisted. "I was more worried about you. Reeve – I mean, Cait Sith – told me that you were taken to Hojo's lab." He gripped her shoulders tightly. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he? How did you get there?"

"It's...a long story," Aerith said, hesitantly.

Sensing her hesitation, Zack simply pulled her into another hug. "It's alright. You don't have to tell me now. It can wait till morning."

"You two are so cute!" a small voice said.

Zack and Aerith looked to their right to see Lily, Jenny, Oates and Thomas staring at the two of them, all smiles.

"Is this the nice man that you danced with, Aerith?" Lily asked excitedly. "You're right – he is handsome!"

"You didn't tell us he was the Prince!" Oates interjected.

"How romantic," Jenny sighed.

"What are you guys still doing up?" Ms. Forsyth demanded. "it's nearly midnight!"

"We wanted to wait to see if Aerith would get here safely." Thomas said quietly.

Aerith walked over to the children and knelt down in front of them. "Thanks, you guys. I'm okay now. I appreciate you waiting up for me." she pulled each of them into a hug. "but Ms. Forsyth is right; it's late, and you should all be in bed."

"You included," Zack teased slightly, as Aerith let out a yawn.

"Take the spare bed upstairs," Ms. Forsyth said. "it's already all set up for you."

Feeling the exhaustion hit her fully, Aerith nodded. "Thank you so much."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Tired?" Zack asked as Aerith plopped down on the already-made bed.

"Very. You?"

"Same."

An awkward silence followed.

"Well, uh...goodnight." Zack turned to leave.

"Hey, Zack?" Aerith heard herself blurt out.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning around.

"Uh..." she could feel the color rising to her cheeks again. "Would you...stay with me?" Zack's eyes widened, and she quickly continued, "I mean, you really don't have to, but…" her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'd...feel safer with you here."

Zack's stunned silence was very reassuring. Why did I say that? Aerith berated herself silently. We've both just faced certain death, and now I'm asking him to do something for me? That's kind of a selfish thing to do, isn't it? How could he possibly -

"Absolutely. But you might want to scoot over a bit."

"Are you sure?" Aerith asked worriedly. "Like I said, you really don't have to -"

"I want to," Zack replied gently. "I want to help you feel safe. And, to be honest..." he paused, and Aerith was surprised to see his cheeks turn pink. "I was going to ask you the same thing, but I chickened out."

Aerith let out a soft laugh as he laid down next to her on the bed. Resting her head on his shoulder, she looked into his face. "I'm really glad you're safe," she said softly.

Zack looked down at her with a smile that seemed to melt Aerith's insides. "I'm really glad you're safe, too."

With her head on Zack's shoulder and feeling more safe than she ever had, Aerith fell into a sweet sleep.