For the past three hours, Zack had been arguing with himself.
She was a nice girl. The least you could do was say a proper goodbye to her, y'know.
It's not proper to wake a lady up just to say goodbye. She'd hate being disturbed by such an insignificant thing. I'd hate waking her by something so insignificant.
She won't hate it. She'd appreciate it. She likes you, you know.
Shut up. She doesn't.
Oh c'mon. Stop fooling yourself, you fool. You, of all people, should know when a girl likes you or not. Heh. You're already 'experienced' at such things, no?
...she's too good of a girl to be liking a scoundrel like me.
Oh, what's this? Zack, for once, belittling himself? My my...I never thought I'd see the day. Y'know, you should see her again.
Shut up. Just shut up.
Zack number two shut up. Zack sighed, rubbing his temple. It was always a bad sign when he starts arguing with himself. He had always been a sure person.
Truth be told, he had wanted to say goodbye to Aerith before leaving her house. But for some reason, just as he was in front of her room's door, his hand stopped in mid-air just as he was about to give the first knock. Something deep inside him was afraid that she might get mad at having been woken up and, for some reason, he hated the thought of her being let down by him. It was strange. He was always so sure when it came to women. It was not like him to be hesitating.
Zack number two was right. He had been with women long enough to know when someone likes him or not. And by all indications, all the signs that Aerith had shown last night pointed that she was, at the very least, interested with him.
So, what was stopping him? Usually, by this time, he would've already bedded the woman.
Usually. What's so different now?
He suddenly realized that he did not truly, really know. And frankly, it sort of scared him a bit.
Shinra Building was a tall, imposing structure which towered over the whole of Midgar like a full grown man amidst a party of midgets. In it emanated the power of the Shinra dynasty headed by President Wryes Shinra, whose grip and presence can be felt all over the world in the forms of various Mako reactor plants which provided power and electricity to the people in exchange of the Planet's life force. It was also the main headquarters of the various divisions and departments of Shinra, such as urban and weapons development, space exploration, and the ominous mako research which had gathered most of the negative reaction from group activists around the world. To say that Shinra Building was the head of the vast Shinra empire wouldn't be an embellishment.
Zack entered the automatic sliding glass doors. The receptionist was a pretty red-haired girl in her early twenties. Zack flashed one of his patented girl-killer smiles.
"Hi..."
The girl looked up from her computer terminal, covering the microphone's little mouthpiece she was wearing on her head. When she saw Zack with that smile, she smiled as well, instinctively leaning forward. "Yes? May I help you?"
"I'm Zack Halcyon, SOLDIER first class," Zack said. "I'm here for a mission briefing...?" He hated saying that. He felt as if it took away some of the charisma he was trying to project.
"Please wait a moment," the girl said, turning to her computer terminal and punching in a few keys. "Halcyon...Zack, wasn't it? Uhm...yes...you were expected yesterday night...?"
"Uhhh...yeah," Zack said. "I was, uhm, sidetracked." He flashed her a smile again.
"Yes...could you wait for a while?" She turned around on her swivel chair and punched a few buttons before pressing the earpiece part of her microphone. After a while, she said, "Uhm, Professor? Mr. Zack Halcyon's here now, sir...yes sir. Right away, sir." She turned back to Zack. "Professor Hojo is expecting you, Mr. Halcyon. 64th floor, Hallway A."
"Thanks, uhm, Claire," Zack smiled, reading the receptionist's nametag. "And please, it's just Zack. Next time?"
Claire the receptionist smiled warmly, blushing a bit. Zack gave her a wink before walking towards the glass-encased elevator.
Aerith looked better than that girl. It was Zack number two again.
No, she doesn't, he replied.
Deep down inside, though, he knew Zack number two was right.
"Zack Halcyon. SOLDIER first-class. Age nineteen, entered Shinra at age fifteen, rising up steadily in rank until becoming SOLDIER first-class at age eighteen. A veteran of two wars, and a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Medal of Valor for acts of bravery above and beyond the call of duty. Born and raised in Goraga to Zachary and Medina Halcyon." Professor Ciretan Hojo was staring at the various screens in front of him showing the various laboratory experiments in different stages of development which his assistants were performing. His hands were clasped behind his back. He was not reading anything. Not that he needed to. All the information he needed was already inside his head, memorized and ready for immediate access whenever he needed to. His photographic memory was one of the more remarkable aspects of the bespectacled scientist. A balance, perhaps, to the fact that he didn't have many redeemable aspects. He turned around to face Zack. "Am I right so far, Mr. Halcyon?"
"Uhm, actually, my town's name is Gongaga," Zack corrected. "But yeah, you got my files right."
Hojo mumbled at his mistake, obviously a man not used to making one. "Gongaga, yes. That was what I meant to say. You come highly recommended, Mr. Halcyon."
"Thanks," Zack said. "Is this a one-man assignment?"
"It is sufficient for one man, if he's good enough as, I'm sure, you are," Hojo said. "Originally, this was given to the Turks, but they, shall we say, have been unproductive so far." At this, his gaze shifted to a man in a dark suit who was standing on the other side of the room. He looked to be in his early thirties, with his long, black hair laid back. A black mole was prominently displayed on his forehead. Seeing Hojo's gaze, he snorted in disgust.
"Well, a job the Turks weren't able to accomplish?" Zack grinned. "Now this should be interesting." Already, his mind was coming up with various possibilities, all of which involved combat. What Hojo said next totally caught him off guard.
"Your task is to find a girl and bring her here," Hojo said. He walked to his desk and opened a drawer and took out a faded, worn-out picture. He threw it on the desk, in front of Zack.
"Wait-waitaminit," Zack said, raising an eyebrow, disbelief in his usually confident aura. "You called me all the way from Junon to find a girl?" He took the photograph and looked at it. It showed a little girl of about six or seven years of age, with long brown hair. Her green eyes looked sadly at the camera. Somehow, she seemed vaguely familiar. "A little girl?"
"That little girl is an integral part of Shinra research, Mr. Halcyon. We have been looking for her for more than ten years now, with no success," Hojo said, turning back to the monitors.
"I can't believe this," Zack said. "And this is the latest picture you have of her?"
"That is the only picture we have of her," Hojo corrected. "Of course by now she would be a teenager close to your age...a beautiful one, if I may add, if her mother was any indication."
"How the hell do you expect me to find someone who disappeared ten years ago, with nothing but a faded photograph to work with?" Zack asked incredulously.
"Ah, but with your skills, I'm sure you will find her, Mr. Halcyon," Hojo said, a bit patronizingly. "Unless of course, the files were mistaken?"
Zack narrowed his eyes, visibly insulted.
"She is a special girl, Mr. Halcyon," Hojo continued. "She has certain...'abilities' far beyond any normal human. That should make your task easier."
"Oh sure," Zack retorted with unmasked sarcasm. "I'll just hold a special event asking girls with special abilities to come audition."
"I don't care how you do it, just bring her here," Hojo said. "This is a level 1 top priority mission, Mr. Halcyon. I'm sure you know what that means. If you don't have any more questions, you may leave and start with your assignment."
Zack snorted and turned around, walking out of the room, muttering. "Great. Level 1 mission. Lost and Found. Yeah right. What has this world gone to?!"
"Mr. Halcyon."
Zack turned around. "What?!" It was the man in the dark suit he saw at Hojo's office a minute ago. From his get-up, Zack surmised that he was a Turk.
The man walked to him casually, hands inside his pocket. He was barely taller than him. "Don't worry if you don't find her. We won't hold it against you."
Zack crossed his arms, cocking his head to one side challengingly. "Is this supposed to discourage me, mister...?"
"Tseng. Kaishin Tseng. Of the Turks." He offered his hand. Zack just looked at it.
"Anyway, Mr. Halcyon, I did not mean that to be any discouragement or anything," Tseng said. "Quite the opposite, actually. We just don't want you to be disappointed if you fail in this one. After all, the Turks haven't been successful, either. For ten years."
"Hah, just goes to show," Zack sneered. "Maybe the news we heard about you guys were vastly exaggerated? Maybe you aren't as good as they make you out to be, after all?"
"I assure you, Mr. Halcyon," Tseng said smoothly, masking the visible insult he felt. "The Turks are well-deserving of their reputation. Its just that this girl is as elusive as a greased eel. As Professor Hojo said, she is a special person."
"Just what is so special about this girl anyway?" Zack asked, curious. "You've been tracking her for ten years. I'm sure you have all the pertinent data about her."
"We don't know anything more than the fact that she is the last of a special race of people called the Ancients, and that she has special powers that are somehow connected with the Planet," Tseng said. "We also know that she's just living somewhere in Midgar. Where, we don't know."
"I think you know more than you let on, Mr. Tseng," Zack said. "You just don't want me to know."
"I assure you Mr. Halcyon," Tseng said, shrugging subtly. "That is the only thing we know of her. It seems that the task of finding her is off the Turks' hands now. I just wish you good luck. You'll need it."
"I will find this girl, Mr. Tseng," Zack said resolutely. "And when I do, I'm going to bring her here. If you want to help me, then fine. But if not, then just don't get in the way."
"You won't find her," Tseng said.
"We'll see to that," Zack said, before turning around and walking away.
Tseng watched Zack walk away, and continued watching long after the black-haired young SOLDIER disappeared on the corridor corner. His eyes were narrowed. Then, he turned and walked the other way.
Three days had passed since Zack came in and caused waves on her life. Aerith tried telling herself that what she felt was just a case of mere (albeit strong) crush. After all, the guy did save her life. The past three days, she had tried to put things into proper perspective. She was, after all, relatively sheltered when it came to emotional matters. Aerith was a girl who never really had any time for falling in love like so many of the girls her age. She chalked it to the fact that she had to take on the responsibility of helping her mother financially. Although her flower selling only took in a few hundred gils each week, it was still good money.
And then, there were the voices in her head.
It was a secret she and her mother had been trying so very hard to conceal. They both knew her heritage of being a Cetra; an 'Ancient' as those men in Shinra said. Ever since she was still a child, long after she and her true mother, Ifalna, escaped from the Shinra Building, Aerith had always been hearing whispers in her head. It scared Elmyra when she first learned of it. It was funny, she thought. She had been the one to comfort her, instead. Somehow, she already knew that the voices were those of the Planet speaking to her. As a result, she had always been attuned with all living things even as a child, understanding their pains and needs more than any human ever could. Ironically, it was this very ability which made her drift away from the other kids her age. They see her as strange, although they never knew why. They just knew that she was different from them in some ways, much as how the ducklings seemed to know that the cygnet was different from them in that old story Elmyra used to tell her as a child. As a consequence, Aerith never had the chance to play with the other kids her age. Elmyra, for the longest time, urged her to be just like any normal girl, but Aerith just smiled and said that she was okay with everything. It didn't bother her one bit that she only had a handful of friends while growing up, or that while other girls were already going out with young boys their age and making out, she was selling flowers on Sector 4. Love was the farthest thing from her mind.
Until Zack conveniently dropped in, that is. Ever since then, Aerith had been constantly thinking about him, inexplicably.
Right now, she was in Sector 4, in her usual haunts, selling flowers, as always. But the captivating smile in her face was noticeably diminished by unsettling thoughts concerning the young dark-haired lad.
"Flowers, sir? Just one gil," Aerith asked passersby. "Ma'am? Sweet roses? Just a gil." It was a half-hearted attempt. Forget about him, Aerith, she told herself. Random fluke it happened. You won't see him again.
"How much for the whole bunch?" a voice behind her suddenly said.
She paused upon hearing that voice, and her heart began to beat faster. It was that voice. She slowly turned around.
Zack was grinning at her, those hypnotic blue eyes dancing like little firelights. She swallowed hard, subtly. Well, so much for convincing herself it was just a one-time affair.
"Uhh...uhm...uuhh..."
Zack opened his mouth, and nodded his head once as if helping her coax out what she was trying to say.
Aerith shook her head, trying to reorganize her thoughts. "Uhm...Z-zack...I did not expect to see you here..."
"Me neither," Zack said. "I was just passing by, and I saw you across the street, and I thought maybe, you might need a bodyguard again." He grinned, meaning it as a joke.
Aerith blushed. She didn't know whether to feel happy, or afraid, or nervous, or casual. All she knew was that all those had come tumbling together in a whirlwind right now, and she wasn't used to it.
"So, how much for the whole bunch?" Zack asked again, looking at her basketful of fresh flowers.
Aerith held up her basket? "Oh this? It's about fifty gils and--....nooo, you're not thinking...?"
Zack reached into his pants pockets and counted out a few silver gils. "Here's seventy. I'll take them all."
"Are you serious?" Aerith asked, bewildered. Nobody had ever bought fifty gils' worth of flowers before, much less seventy. She tilted her head to one side, looking at Zack as if maybe he's gone mad.
"Hey, why're you giving me that look?" Zack grinned.
"Uhm, no...it's just that, well..." Aerith answered. "Are you sure you're buying the whole lot?"
"I'm paying you the cash, aren't I?" Zack chuckled. "Besides, I'm meeting a girl today, and I'm thinking of giving her flowers. And since I know yours are the best in Midgar, well..."
"O-oh," Aerith said, her enthusiasm suddenly visibly lessened upon hearing this revelation. She looked down, biting her lower lip. "O-okay. Uhm...h-here you go. She's a very lucky girl...I mean, to be receiving such many beautiful flowers..."
"You think so?" Zack asked.
Aerith looked up and gave him a rather sad smile. "Oh yes. Flowers are the most beautiful gift a guy could give to a girl. I mean, flowers bloom, and make people happy, and no matter how dreary their day had been, they only have to look at the flowers and smell their scent to know that everything's going to be alright..."
"So you think she'll love this?" Zack asked.
"I am sure of it," Aerith said, trying her best to sound as cheerful as possible. Deep inside, though, she felt a thousand needles stabbing her heart. It was a pain she had never felt before.
Zack was silent for a minute, smelling the bouquet of flowers, as if deep in thought. Then, he said, "Would you like to come with me to the meeting place?"
"W-what...?" Aerith asked, taken completely aback by the question.
"It's not far," Zack said. "It's just in the restaurant down the block."
"N-no, it's not that," Aerith stammered. Her thoughts were racing. "I mean...I-I wouldn't want to disturb you both and..."
"Oh no," Zack said. "You won't be disturbing us. In fact, I'd be very at ease if you're there..."
"But what will she think? I mean..." Aerith started, trying to reason her way out. Something deep inside was asking her why she just didn't say 'No'.
"I'm sure she won't mind," Zack said. Then, looking at her with those pleading blue eyes, he asked, "Please?"
She found herself nodding at him. And Zack smiled at her as he clasped his hand with hers.
Their walk was slow, almost leisurely. Zack was smelling the flowers every now and then, as if drowning himself with their fragrance.
"Uhm, I would like to apologize, by the way," he suddenly said.
"Hmmm? For what?" Aerith asked.
"For leaving so abruptly three days ago," Zack replied. "I really wanted to say goodbye to you..."
Aerith smiled. "N-no, it was okay. I mean, it's not like I was disappointed or anything." She did not look up at him. She knew she wasn't much good at hiding a lie. He would know that she was disappointed. And then, he'd know that she was thinking of him for the past three days. And then, what would she do then? So, she did not look up.
"No, I really am," Zack said. "And I'm sorry. I should've at least said goodbye. And thanked you for letting me sleep in your house. I guess you must think I'm a horrible person now." And then, for some reason, he continued rambling on without realizing it. "I'm not really like that you know I mean, yeah, sometimes I can be such an idiot and I admit that but really, I am a gentleman or at least I try to be when it comes to women and what I did last time was totally ungentlemanly and if you must think I'm horrible I can't blame you but I'm not really like that you know..." He was rambling roundabout.
Aerith was looking at him silently. And then, for some reason, she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.
Zack was utterly confused. "Huh? W-was it something I said? I mean uhh..."
"N-nono, I-I'm sorry," Aerith shook her head, trying to suppress another bout of laughter she felt coming up. "B-But it's just that seeing your expression as you're trying so hard to explain...it's just so funny!" She wiped a tear from her eye.
Zack raised an eyebrow, totally out of it.
"Oh please," Aerith sniggered. "I did not mean anything by it. And no...I did not think you're horrible at all, so you can wipe that expression off your face now."
"Oh," Zack said, looking forward, still not quite sure what Aerith found so funny. She was different from the others. He resumed smelling the flowers.
Aerith, too, fell silent, thinking. After a while, she spoke up, "So...this girl you're meeting. How old is she?"
"About your age," Zack said. "I just met her recently."
"Oh. Here in Midgar?"
"Yeah," Zack answered.
"She must be a real pretty girl," Aerith commented.
"How can you say that?" Zack asked, looking at her, an eyebrow raised.
"Oh, I-I mean, I can sort of sense that you're someone who've been with women, and I don't think you'd pick someone that's not pretty," Aerith clarified. "I mean, I'm not saying that I know men thoroughly mind you, but, uhh, you're the sort of man who knows the woman he wants and...uhm...I think the woman you want is...uhm, and then with so many flowers as a gift, I think she must've made quite an impression on you and...uhh...I'm gonna shut up now."
Zack snickered. "You're cute, y'know that?"
Aerith did not reply. She did not want to assume anything by what he just said. Maybe it was just a friendly joke. But she blushed. Deep inside, she blushed.
The restaurant was filled. It wasn't crowded, but almost every table was taken. When Zack opened the door for Aerith, everyone looked up at the young lad with the huge sword on his back. Suddenly, Aerith felt really, really conscious.
"Don't mind them," Zack whispered to her. Aerith merely nodded. "Is she here?" she asked, looking around for any table with a single female in them. There were four. Her heart skipped. Was the girl one of them? And if she was, what would she think upon seeing Zack with her? She looked up to him.
Instead of replying, Zack lightly touched her elbow and nodded towards an empty table beside the large window. "Let's sit there."
Zack led Aerith, holding her hand. Aeith breathed a little sigh of relief. So, the girl wasn't here yet, after all. They walked towards the table, Aerith mumbling apologies every time Zack's great sword bumped chairs.
"Thank you," Aerith said softly as Zack held out the chair for her.
"So, what would you like?" Zack asked after sitting across her. He got the menu and gave it to Aerith.
"Uhm..." Aerith fidgeted. She opened the menu and scanned the unfamiliar dishes, but her eyes kept darting to the door. This did not escape Zack's notice.
"Aerith?" Zack asked. "Something wrong?"
Aerith turned to him. She gave him what she hoped to be a reassuring smile, "Uhm, no. No problems. I was just...uhm...are you sure this is okay for the girl? I mean, my being here?"
Zack let out a short laugh. "You let me worry about that okay? Now what would you like to have?"
"Okay," Aerith replied, doubt unmistakable in her voice. To forget her anxiety, she turned back to the menu. "Uhm, don't they have simple sandwiches here?" Her voice was serious and so was her expression.
Zack couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he looked at her. He rested his cheek on his palm, shook his head, and chuckled.
And deep inside, he slowly found himself drawn deeper and deeper to her.
So tell me, what is it you like?
Well, I like fl-
Aside from flowers.
Oh. Then...uhm...
Hahah... A snicker.
Hey, you're making fun of me... A pout.
Oh no, I'm not. I'm sorry. It's just that...
What?
I just think it's cute, that's all...
And Zack knew it to be the truth.
I grew up in Gongaga.
Go-nga-ga?
Yeah. It's in a place on the other side of the world.
Wow...it must be a great place.
Well, yeah. If you like forested areas. There are lots of trees. And flowers. That grin on his face again.
...you're making fun of me again.
Ahahah...hey, are you gonna finish that fish?
Aerith covered her mouth politely as she laughed. She couldn't recall when she had been this happy.
A toast. They raised their glasses; wine for his, cherry soda for her.
To what?
Uhhh...lemme think. A long pause.
My hand is getting tired.
Heyhey...hold yer horses. This is our first date together so the toast must be good.
Date?
Shush. She shushed.
...
You're not much good at this toast stuff, are you?
Yeah right. Like you can do better.
Hahah. Want me to try?
Be my guest.
Aherm. Okay. A toast. To life, and health and happiness. To a deeper friendship which bloomed from the ugliest of events, much like flowers which bloomed in Midgar.
Hey, nice toast. Hear, hear. A clink of glasses.
They looked at each other's eyes as they drank. And deep inside, they both were thinking of one unspoken toast.
To love.
It was already nine o'clock in the evening. They were walking along the rough dirt road on the way to Sector 5, to Aerith's house.
Aerith was a little tipsy. She had insisted that she taste a drop of wine and, much as it was against Zack's better judgment, he reluctantly agreed. As a result, she was a little red on the face, a very noticeable change considering she was paler than most girls.
"I'm sorry," Aerith said. She hiccuped. Then she giggled.
"For what?" Zack asked.
"The girl didn't show up," Aerith said, looking down, turning suddenly serious. "I think she must've seen you with me, and I think she must be somewhere in Midgar now, plotting my demise. Or something like that."
"She did come," Zack grinned. "And I had the best date in years."
Aerith turned to him, surprised and still a bit woozy, the alcohol not making it any better. "Y--"
Before she could say anything else, Zack gave her the bunch of flowers, all red and green, and yellow. Surprisingly, the scent was still as fresh as when she had picked it up this morning. "I hope you like them. A certain girl told me that flowers are the best gift a guy could give to a girl."
Aerith slowly accepted the gift, looking at it as if she had just seen a flower for the first time, speechless. Then, she stammered. "I--...I mean-uhm...it's..." Oh my God Aerith! How bloody dense can you get?! He must think you're a clueless idiot!
Zack laughed heartily, his voice echoing all over the silent neighborhood. Aerith, on the other hand, remained speechless, burying her face on the flowers, her eyes coy. Her face was red. This time, it was not from alcohol.
"The Golden Saucer," Zack whispered. They were now on the path leading to Aerith's house, just before the garden, inside the private section that was theirs.
Aerith stopped smelling the bouquet of flowers for a bit. She turned to look at Zack. "Excuse me?"
Zack shook his head. "The fireflies. They reminded me of the fireworks in the Golden Saucer." He nodded his head to the garden where, as it was every night it seemed, fireflies danced, lighting the whole place in a greenish glow.
Aerith tilted her head to one side. "The...Golden Saucer?"
Zack turned to look at her and he grinned. "I forgot you've never set foot outside Midgar. The Golden Saucer is a place west of here, across the ocean. You'll love it there. If there's a place meant for fun only, it's it. They have arcades, machines, trains, a theatre--"
"A theatre?" Aerith asked, her voice betraying her excitement at hearing such a word.
"Yeah, a theatre," Zack grinned. "Every so often, they pick a couple from the audience and those two were given the lead roles in a small play."
Aerith's eyes glowed, her imagination soaring. "I wish I could be there...I would love to perform in a theatre, just once..."
"One of these days, I'll take you there," Zack promised, smiling. He walked a few steps forward and then, suddenly, he started dancing, his feet tapping in a rhythm only he can hear inside his head. Zack was a good dancer. With perfectly synchronized steps, he soft-shoed up the wooden steps that led to the small path in the middle of the garden towards Aerith's house. Then, he turned around, his right hand stretched toward Aerith below.
Aerith was staring up at him, eyes wide in horror. Then, she giggled helplessly. Zack gave her a grin and a wink. "They dance there too, y'know."
"Twit" Aerith said, and she smiled at him. In response, he nodded his head and curled his fingers in that universal 'C'mon' signal. Aerith hesitated for a moment, and she, too, started tapping her feet in imitation of what Zack did a few minutes ago. Aerith danced much better than Zack did. In perfectly calculated steps, she gracefully twirled up across the wooden steps, her feet barely making any sound. Her face showed no effort at all, her lips curving to a slight smile. At the top of the steps, amidst the fireflies in the garden, she giggled as she stumbled helplessly into Zack's arms, breathless.
They laughed softly, in each other's arms. Then, Aerith looked up and stared at Zack's blue eyes. Zack looked down and found himself swallowed in Aerith's green eyes. He suddenly found himself feeling like a little boy again. His heart started skipping; he realized he had never felt this way to any girl or woman before. He wondered if he should do anything, wondered if Aerith wanted her to do something. And he suddenly realized that for once, he truly honestly did not know what to do. The fireflies danced around them, tinting their skin with an unearthly, greenish hue.
Zack softly leaned down, his hand lightly touching Aerith's chin. Aerith's heart started beating in rapid palpitations and she found herself swallowed by the moment. She closed her eyes as she felt Zack's breath coming closer on her lips.
She felt Zack tremble as his lips touched hers, and she found herself trembling as well, as seemingly large amounts of voltage ran up and down her spine, sending her shivers that was quite unlike any shiver she had felt before. His lips were warm, and moist, and her hand unconsciously touched his cheek, as if she wanted to drink him, all of him.
Fireflies in the night, as loving candlelights...
Elmyra was watching from Aerith's room upstairs. Watching as Aerith closed her eyes as Zack leaned closer to kiss her. She leaned her head on the window sill, sighing sadly, as Zack sealed Aerith's heart with a kiss.
The shadow was watching in a dark corner of the garden, unnoticed. It watched as Aerith danced ever so gracefully up the small, wooden steps towards Zack's arms. And when it saw Aerith close her eyes to accept Zack's kiss, it narrowed its eyes. In the darkness, the shadow clenched its fists in silent contempt.