His mind drifted back ten years ago.
They were running along the muddy dirt road of Gongaga. He and his other friends; three boys and a girl. He was carrying a crudely made wooden sword. He was their leader. Not that he was the eldest. Seniority meant nothing to kids. If you're the most adventurous and gutsy of the group, you're the leader because the others automatically look up to you.
"Zack! Zack! Wait up," one of the boys panted.
Zack turned around, exasperated. He wasn't even breaking out into a sweat yet and already, his friends were tired. "Hurry! We haven't got all day!"
"Where…where are we…going, anyway?" the second boy asked. He hunched over, hands placed on his knees.
"I found this great place just across the creek!" Zack grinned, smiling. "It's got everything! Large rocks, big trees! It's a perfect hideaway! An' it's a good place for us to play!"
"Play what?"
Zack's eyes grinned brightly. "Play Shinra!"
Zack adjusted the straps on his iron-studded gloves, flexing his hands open and close, making sure that they provided maximum mobility. On his right Escort Guard, he placed three materias: a mastered Cure, a mastered Enemy-Skill, and a mastered Ice. On his left was a mastered Fire and a mastered Lightning.
The place was a little grove surrounded by trees. A small ridge rose up just beside a little stream. A large, wrinkled oak tree which must have been a hundred years old grew outstretched on top of the ridge. Beside it, there were rocks of various sizes.
"Okay, Maya, you're gonna be the victim an' I'm gonna rescue you," Zack said to the little girl.
"What? Why can't I rescue you?" Maya objected.
Zack rolled his eyes, as if such an obviously stupid question didn't need any answering. "Because you're a gurl, and gurls can't rescue guys. Haven't you seen the movies? It's always the gurls who needed rescuing!"
"Hey, Zack," one of the boys asked. "Can we be SOLDIERS for a change?"
"No," Zack said. "Only I can be a SOLDIER. You three be, uhm, terrorists or stuff. You guys kidnap Maya and I go rescue her. And then she will give me a kiss!"
"Eeew, gross!" Maya said, wrinkling her nose.
"Stop complaining," Zack said. "Heroes always get kissed in the end."
The metal shoulder pad was strapped on; the brown leather strips locked securely across his chest. For a brief moment, he looked at the adamantite bulletproof armor lying on his bed, but decided against it. The armor, while affording considerable security against the bullets, would just be an added bulk and in this operation right now, he needed maximum speed for maximum efficiency. Besides, he knew full well that the Second Class SOLDIERS and the mecha guards would be packing AP bullets. At close quarter skirmishes, adamantite armor would be useless against armor-piercing ammunition. Besides, he was a First Class SOLDIER. He had never relied on armors.
It was early evening. Already, the darkening sky was dotted by a few twinkling stars. Just ahead, on the west horizon, beyond the towering mountains, the last rays of the sleeping sun cast deep, bloody reds and muted, golden yellows. Zack was lying on one of the great branches of the oak tree, hands laced and placed behind his head, his left foot swinging idly by. He was chewing on a grass stalk. His friends were seated on the green grass of the ridge just below him. Some crickets, denizens of the night, were already starting to chirp.
"When I get out of this place, I'll become a SOLDIER," Zack said, with a determination only nine-year old kids have. "I'll become famous. Like Sephiroth. You'll see."
"My mother said that Shinra is bad. So, SOLDIERs can't be good, too," one of his friends said. "She said Shinra is always making poor people suffer. And that SOLDIERs are the ones they're orderin' to do this."
"Your ma's wrong!" Zack said. "SOLDIERs are the good guys. They're protectin' us from the evil people. Shinra trains them so they'll become good fighters, so they can protect us better. Your ma's just saying that because Shinra's rich, and your ma isn't!"
"Take that back!" his friend said, heatedly, looking up at him. "Shinra is evil! My ma never lies!"
But Zack didn't pay any attention to his friend's words. He just lay there, chewing on his grass stalk, looking at the darkening horizon. "Shinra is good. They protect us. The SOLDIERs protect us. I'm gonna be like them someday. I'll become like Sephiroth. Then, I can protect our town, too. I can protect everyone I love. You'll see."
Sighing, Zack finally got up. He hefted his Buster Sword, slung it over his shoulder, and stepped out of his room and into the night.
The two guards had been standing watch ever since yesterday, by direct orders from Professor Hojo himself. They were told to not let their guards down, nor let anyone without written authorization from him enter, as the girl they were guarding was vastly more important than both their lives combined. Indeed, it was implicitly implied that even if their and their respective families' lives were to be combined, it still wouldn't nearly compare to the worth of the frail, little girl imprisoned on the titanium and adamantite alloy room just beyond the double-reinforced door they were guarding. But nothing had happened since then, and they were getting bored.
"So, like, hey," the first guard said. "You think something'll happen?"
The second guard snorted. "Heh. Only if we're lucky. Smoke?" Smoking was not allowed in the premises, but it was already 10 at night, already late, and only a few employees were still around so they figured it couldn't hurt to get a puff of smoke. Besides, it was one way to kill the utter boredom of their job.
"Thanks," the first guard said, gratefully accepting the cigarette. "So, waddya think of the broad? Pretty, huh?"
"Yeah," the second guard agreed. "I wonder what the professor's planning to do to her."
"Word is she's the key to some secret weapon Shinra is making," the first guard gossiped. "Although how it could be, I don't know, no matter how hard I try an' think about it. The world's changed. Why, back in my pa's day, the only weapons they're making are machine guns and the occasional tanks! Now…little girls." He shook his head, as if to emphasize his point.
"Maybe she's another of 'em Sephiroth things?" the second guard hazarded a guess. "Y'know, secret warriors."
"Hey, speaking of Sephiroth, word is that he's goin', you know…" the guard twirled his forefinger on his temple, in the universal sign of someone gone completely nuts.
"Heh, I'm glad I'm not on the front lines with him, then," the second guard said. "That guy's creeping me out every time he visits here. It's like, he's not even human! Why, last time--"
He was interrupted by the hiss of the elevator just ahead of them. The door opened, and they saw Zack step out. His face was blank, but cold. He started walking towards them.
The first guard recognized Zack. "Uhm, sir, I'm sorry, but no one's allowed here. Professor Hojo's orders."
Zack didn't listen. He continued walking.
The second guard stepped towards the approaching SOLDIER. "Sir, unless you have authorization from Professor Hojo, you may not pass beyond this point…"
Still no reply.
The two guards started palming their submachine guns. "Sir…!"
Zack's eyes narrowed slightly, and he started to grasp the Buster Sword strapped on his back. The yellow materia on his Escort Guard slowly glowed.
"Oh shit," the two guards swallowed hard.
Inside the room, elite Second class SOLDIERs stayed on alert, their armor-piercing submachine guns at ready. On their backs, laser-tipped plasma blades hung menacingly. Two X-AT3s kept a 360-degree surveillance on the whole room, their multi-sensor "eyes" scanning everything and anything that was out of the ordinary. Above, on the ceiling, double-barreled laser sentry guns kept a careful lookout on the main door. The whole atmosphere was cloaked with alert silence and palpable tension.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang as something hit the door, hard.
"What was that?" Rude asked, standing up.
There was another clang and this time, a large bump appeared on the metal surface.
"Be ready!" Reno shouted to the SOLDIERs even as they trained their guns to the main door. All attention was focused on the entrance. They waited, breaths bated. There was silence for some few moments.
Without warning, the heavy metal door was utterly wrenched out of its frame as though it had been hit by a massive, titanic force. It flew straight forward, bringing with it two second-class SOLDIERs who were unfortunate enough to be in the door's way.
The interlocking steam tubes on the door's frame that gave pressure to the automatic door broke loose. sending out great amounts of white, foggy smoke. For a moment, the laboratory's entrance was heavily clouded, lessening the visibility to near zero. There was a moment's hesitation before Reno shouted, "What the hell are you idiots waiting for? Thanksgiving?! FIRE!"
A deafening cacophony of gunfire immediately ensued, the SOLDIERs not really knowing what it was they were shooting at. The smoke of the machine guns mixed with that of the white steam, and the loud, blazing sound of the guns interspersed with that of the clangs and clinks of the empty bullet shells as they dropped to the floor.
Suddenly, the mists parted as a figure came hurtling into the room, roaring wildly. Sounds of crystalline plinks as armor-piercing bullets ricocheted impotently against an invisible magic barrier was heard even as the dark-haired figure hurtled the unconscious door guard he was carrying with his right hand against a group of SOLDIERs on his left. With an agility that can be described as nothing but superhuman, Zack somersaulted to the right as a hail of lasers and bullets riddled the ground where he once stood mere seconds ago.
Seeing the young SOLDIER's wild blue Mako-eyes, Reno gasped in angry recognition. "You!"
In answer, Zack narrowed his eyes and, seemingly becoming a blur, he swung his massive Buster Sword in a wild arc, approaching Reno. In the wake of his passing, SOLDIERs fell unconscious even as their guns fell to the floor in pieces. When Zack came to where Reno was standing, he let loose a straight right that made the red-haired Turk lose a tooth and his shades. Blackness came over Reno as numbness swallowed his head.
"Reno!" Rude cried. He growled in anger as he started to swing a massive left fist towards the First Class SOLDIER's face. Zack ducked nonchalantly and planted a deep uppercut into Rude's gut that made the bald-headed Turk's eyes turn wide open from beneath his dark shades. Still in the same motion, Zack leaped up and kneed Rude just below the jaw. Rude went down for the count, his massive body plopping down like wet meat.
All this time, the SOLDIERs, not wanting to hit their Turk leaders, stood impotently as they watched two of their Turks being dispatched just like that. Tseng growled. "Kill him! Kill him, or by the devil I will have all your heads by morning!"
Another volley of submachine gun fires echoed across the large room even as Zack leaped towards one of the two X-AT3s which had been trying to get a lock on the always moving SOLDIER. Somersaulting into the air, Zack seemed to hover for one brief moment as he looked down at the large mech, his Buster Sword held with both hands, aimed straight down at its head. From the mech's point of view, it saw Zack leap above it, sword held. It's central targeting unit finally got a lock on Zack, its targeting cursor blinking a bright red. However, it never got to activate its laser guns as Zack landed on the X-AT3's upper torso and buried the massive Buster Sword deep into the mech's head. Sounds of mechanical whirrs and blips came out of the giant robot even as sparks appeared on its destroyed head. All the while, its body was dented by the numerous bullets from the SOLDIERs' guns.
Somersaulting again, Zack leaped behind the destroyed mech, planting a high-density explosive as he landed. Lacking logical direction now, the mech walked straight towards the group of SOLDIERs. Zack started running towards the door of the cell holding Aerith even as the mech exploded with a deafening blast behind him, taking with it a few small tanks of hydrogen nearby. In no time at all, the whole place was a veritable feast of small explosions one after the other. Shrapnel and bits of metal flew, and as Zack's Wall spell was finally weakened, bits of the metals grazed his body. He let out an "augh" as a metal grazed his cheek, drawing a line of blood. The sprinkler system finally activated, and the countless drops of water mingled with the large amount of black smoke and white steam. Coughing was heard together with small shouts from Tseng and the occasional moans from wounded SOLDIERs. All this was beyond Zack's periphery as he inserted the red keycard that Tseng gave him that morning. The door whirred and for one brief moment, Zack felt the holding cell's refreshing cold air of the air conditioner kiss his face.
That was when he saw Aerith again. She was on the other side of the small room, sitting on the floor, hugging her knees. When she heard the door hiss open, she looked up, and she gasped.
Zack was there. He was breathing hard, and bathed with sweat, and blood was flowing from a cut on his cheek. There were bruises from where the AP bullets bounced on his Wall spell (for even if the spell protected him, the high impact of the bullets still managed to leave slight bruises). He reached out his hand, and he said the first words that came out of his mouth ever since his one-man siege that evening. "Take my hand, Aerith. We're going out."
Aerith looked at his outstretched hand. And she looked up, towards his face. How she longed to just cup that face with her hands, and wipe away those blood and sweat. She looked and noticed for the first time the blue fire in his eyes. She had never seen his eyes that fiery before. He, Zack, of the fiery blue eyes. She reached out and accepted his hand. And they ran.
The long hallway (and indeed, probably the whole of the building right now) was bathed with the red glow of warning sirens. Shouts of Shinra guards and SOLDIERS were faintly heard while the crescendo of the siren alarm wailed throughout the whole building. All this, however, was lost on Zack as he was running along the corridors, his left arm tightly holding Aerith's right. They were running now. Aerith was breathing hard. She still wasn't able to grasp the situation fully but it did not matter. She was with Zack now, and she knew that she was going to be safe. As long as he was with her. Safe with him.
Suddenly, far in front of them, a group of blue-dressed Shinra guards appeared. Zack stopped even as he saw the lead guard point at them shouting something he wasn't able to hear. He started to turn around and go back when he saw the pursuing group of Second Class SOLDIERS appear right on the bend. Zack looked around to and from both sides, assessing his situation. Aerith, meanwhile, was breathing hard, unsure of what will happen. She consoled herself. She will be safe with him.
"Hold on to me tight," Zack whispered, and he extended both arms. Aerith clung close to Zack, feeling his muskiness intermingled with sweat and smoke and blood. The Materias on both of Zack's Escort Guards started to glow and suddenly, a massive spell of Ice3 came out of his right hand even as a massive spell of Fire3 came out of his left. The whole corridor filled with destructive opposing elemental spells on both sides, but the resulting vortex created a vacuum that left the middle relatively safe. Cries of pain mingled with that of blood and charred flesh. Zack was breathing hard, the effects of casting heavy doses of magic tonight taking its toll on him. He felt his ether energy almost running out. He knew that he won't be able to hold off casting magic for long.
When the blaze disappeared, death was on both sides of the corridor as bodies lay sprawling, bloodied and still. Aerith closed her eyes and buried her face on Zack's back, not wanting to see the carnage, not really used to seeing the dead. She felt Zack's labored breathing. "C'mon," he whispered.
Suddenly, more shouts followed from both sides of the corridor again, and this time, Zack could hear the distinct sound of metal on tiled floor. From out of the far corner, he saw mechs emerging. He cursed. Now he was sure he won't be able to blast his way using magic, spent as he was, and drained.
"Zack…" Aerith started to speak, her voice trembling.
Zack looked to his left and right, assessing his situation. And he looked forward to the thick glass wall, to the wonderful view of Midgar at night. It was a long way down and last he checked, he wasn't sprouting wings. He studied the layout outside, his mind trying to shut off the growing voices on either side of them, trying to keep the urgency from clouding his judgment. On the other side of the street were rows of smaller buildings. He could see their rooftops clear on the moonlit glow. He tried gauging the distance. Their elevation was high enough to allow him to cover the expanse and he calculated that he could just about clear it. If he was alone. But Aerith was with him now, and that is a significant additional weight. Unless…
His mind made up, he started to step back, trying to cover as much ground as he could. He looked at Aerith. "Aerith?"
Aerith looked up at him, fear in her green eyes.
"Trust me."
Swallowing hard, Aerith nodded.
"Hold on tight, and whatever happens, don't let go." The young Cetra nodded again.
Aerith wrapped her arms around Zack's neck even as Zack wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's waist. Still stepping back, Zack extended an arm forward and once again, the faint Materia on his gauntlet glowed.
The few people walking along the street outside Shinra's building at this ungodly hour of the night looked up when they heard a massive explosion on the top levels of the imposing Shinra tower. From their view, the silvery moonlight made the pieces of glass splinters glow crystal-like, mixed with the huge amount of black smoke and structural debris. And from out of the smoke, they saw what seemed to be like two figures leap out, bits of smoke still clutching until the night wind swept them away. The people gasped, not used to this kind of fireworks display.
Aerith was closing his eyes the moment she saw the Materia glow. She was still closing her eyes when she heard the deafening explosion and she felt Zack move, carrying her weight like she was a feather. And suddenly, she felt the sweet, refreshing kiss of the night wind caress her naked skin. And she knew, without opening her eyes, that they were out of the building. That they were flying. And in her mind, she envisioned Zack sprouting white, luminescent, angel wings
As Zack predicted, Aerith's added weight shortened out the distance they were going to cover in mid-air. He could see the rooftop of the building meeting up with them, but he knew that it would fall short. Praying that he was right in his calculations, he closed his eyes, prayed to whatever gods he held holy (he was never religious), and for one last moment, gathered all the remaining ether energy he had in his being. He flexed his hands and concentrated hard. For the last time, the Fire materia glowed and Zack felt heat creep up on his hands. He concentrated more, putting everything into one single thought: to cast a massive amount of streaming Fire3. And then, his hands emitted intense heat as the elemental spell suddenly spewed off on a downward arc. It was not the usual area-effect Fire3 he would normally conjure but rather, right now, he was trying to conjure a concentrated stream of Fire3. The downward force propelled them upward, creating a rocket-type effect. The intense magic shattered the Fire materia, but Zack had accomplished what he had hoped to accomplish. The added boost was enough to compensate for the added weight, adding that much needed distance to cross to the rooftop on the other side of the street. Zack embraced Aerith as they started to fall down, aiming to use his body to break her fall. In this closeness, Zack could hear her breathe. And he concentrated on it as he felt his body slam into the hard concrete roof.
Tseng was standing on the edge of the destroyed Shinra glass wall, watching the spectacular (although, he had to admit, reckless) display the young SOLDIER showed. He watched as Zack, embracing Aerith tight, slammed on the rooftop, rolling a few more meters before finally stopping. He watched as Aerith, after a few moments, get up and kneel beside Zack, cradling his head in her arms, and for one brief moment, Tseng felt intense jealousy consume him again. Then, he saw Zack stir and embrace Aerith. And they both got up and started to walk; Zack limping a little as he was supported by Aerith. All this Tseng saw under the silvery moon and the cool, night wind. In spite of what he saw, he still managed a smile. His plan was working as he expected it to.
"Sir?" One of the SOLDIERs asked. "Orders?"
"Conduct a massive search for them," Tseng said. "And fast!" He knew, though, that beyond the street across Shinra, the slums existed. Zack and Aerith would be able to find lots of places to hide in. And he knew that Zack wouldn't let anything happen to Aerith. The search would turn up futile. And Aerith would be safe come morning and Zack would come to him.
"Yes sir!" the SOLDIER saluted and he issued orders to his subordinates. Immediately, the group dispersed.
Tseng inhaled in the fresh night air. It was a beautiful night, after all, and it would be a sin to waste it all.
They walked in silence, he still limping from the fall but was trying his best not to show it, as if the merest show of pain and unbalance would be enough to shatter their security; her security. Never mind that right now, she was at her strongest. Aerith, for her part, wanted to say something, but wisely decided against it. Instead, she kept mumbling to herself, as if talking to Zack. She gripped his hand tighter, gathering reassurance in them. They were walking amidst the junk and the wastes of this decaying city, stopping only now and then whenever Zack's strained ears would detect a conversation. They kept to the dark, walking as cautiously as the rats that ran beneath their feet.
Presently, they came to an old abandoned building which must have been a beautiful apartment on its prime. It was all of three stories high, with a quarter of the building on the left wing demolished as if a bomb had been dropped there. Stones and bricks and steel were strewn across the courtyard. The remains of what once must have been an impressive fountain was in the middle. They were in Sector 2, a place Aerith never had a reason to go to, flower-selling or not.
Zack led the way to the front door and opened it. They found a stairway that led to the top floors. The smell was dusty and musky, and Aerith couldn't help but sneeze and cough. The sudden darkness of the building made her blind for a bit, but Zack led her way. Presently, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see now that the inside of the place was as run-down as it was on the outside. Battered paintings and picture frames with broken glasses were displayed on the walls. The remains of what must have been the counter lay empty and dusty on the front. Zack started climbing the stairs and she took hold of the banisters and trailed after him, still holding his hand.
They went to the third floor and Zack opened the door of the room near the end of the corridor. When Aerith stepped in, she found that it was one of the rooms where the walls and the roof was partly destroyed. Moonlight flooded the place with an unearthly, bluish light. An old, wrecked bed was placed against the undemolished wall partition, its mattress ripped and shredded and springs coming out. It was a broken down place, but there was the moonlight. Beyond the destroyed wall, Midgar could be seen, sleeping like a peaceful giant.
"I think we should be safe here," Zack said for the first time since they escaped out of the building. He looked out to the dark streets below. Midgar was still sleeping, but at least he didn't hear Shinra anymore. He turned to look back at Aerith who was standing a couple of yards from him. The blue-silver moonlight made everything look ethereal, almost phantasmal, like those you seem to remember of dreams shortly after waking, but looking at her now, she was the most ethereal of all. She was looking at him in that way as if questioning and being expressionless at the same time.
"I am sorry," Zack said, not really knowing where or how to start. "Aerith, the truth is I didn't know the girl I would be searching was you…"
Aerith started walking slowly towards him in silence.
"…if I had known earlier; from the start…I would've stopped…" he continued. He started to look away, suddenly feeling uncomfortable; suddenly feeling her presence closing in on him. "…perhaps I would've run away, so I wouldn't be a danger…before Tseng knew…I would've given up on Shinra…"
Aerith was before him, now. He was several inches taller than her, but right now, she could've been a giant for all he was concerned, feeling so small as he was. Aerith slowly reached up and touched his cheek.
"…but before I knew it, it was already too late!" Zack said, suddenly feeling as if he needed an excuse. Like a schoolboy who had to convince the teacher that he wasn't cheating and if he did, he didn't mean to. "When you told me about what you really are in the church that day…that's only when I realized that the person Shinra wanted me to track down was you…! Aerith, I so wanted to get away from Shinra then. Take you and your mother out of here…out of Midgar. But Tseng, he--!"
"Shut up," Aerith said softly, interrupting him suddenly. Zack stopped talking, breathing hard. It was only then that he realized that he was crying. He looked down at Aerith.
"I never doubted you for one moment," she continued. She wiped away a tear from his cheek. "I knew you would come for me. I knew that you had a reason. They tried to convince me that you were only using me to gain my trust so you could betray me, but I didn't believe them."
"Aerith…"
She suddenly clasped her arms around his neck, letting all her weight fall down on him so they fell down on the dusty floor, leaning against the broken-down bed. She was so close to him now that he could feel every breath that she took; the heaving of her chest. She placed her head against his chest, looking beyond the broken-down wall towards sleeping Midgar beyond.
"I love you," she said, as if healing everything with just those three words. "I just realized I've only said those words to a man two times now, and only to the same man. In a span of a few days. A couple of weeks ago, if someone would've told me that I'd say those words to a man, I'd laugh and call them crazy. Now, if I hadn't said those to you, I would think I've gone crazy…I love you, Zack, and I'm not afraid to say that…"
"I love you too, Aerith," Zack said, kissing the top of her head and, now, he realized that for all the countless times he'd said those words to all those women, he never really meant it. Until now. "I've said those words so many times to so many faces that the meaning's lost to me. But now…I realized just how precious it really is…"
There was silence as their breaths eased, lying there in each others' arms under the moon, on a run-down, godforsaken place. Holy travelers on a godforsaken land.
"Did you know what I was thinking? Back there, when you came for me, when we were escaping. Amidst the gunfires and the smoke and the explosions and the alarms, did you hear what I was mumbling?"
"No. What was it?"
Aerith closed her eyes and, for the first time since their escape, Zack felt her suddenly become loose. Relaxed. In one movement of letting out a breath, she had suddenly reverted back to the vulnerable little girl he had always held in his arms. Aerith leaned deeper against him, deeper into his embrace. She replied; started talking in slowly drawn out words, rambling, as if exhaustion from the night's escape had suddenly caught up with her.
"I thought I was going to die. I wanted to die. And I thought that if I was going to die I would die with you. I can't think of dying with anyone else but you, young as I am, I have never really seen death. I didn't feel scared. I certainly wasn't brave just now. I thought to myself, He is here right now and he is holding my hand, we should have lain down together, you in my arms, before we died. All I could think about while we were running away was how much I wanted to run my fingers down your black hair, and how I wanted to look at those eyes of yours. Do you know you have such gorgeous blue eyes? Like the deepest blue sky on a beautiful spring day, have you seen such a day? I am so tired, Zack, I want to sleep. I want to sleep under the moon, place my head against your chest I just want to close my eyes without ever thinking about the rest of the world, want to find that place where its just you and I and just sleep. What a brave heart! To know what to do even when we were trapped. How did you know? When we were flying in the air you kept praying Give me strength give me strength, but you already know you have it. Right? Shhh…don't shake. You must be my still bed for tonight, let me curl up and be safe within your embrace as if you were my armor and protection, I love the thought of you being my armor, such a wonderful, peaceful thought, you can't rush it…"
It was very early when he opened his eyes, with just the faintest glimmer of the sun rising on the east. Almost all of Midgar was still asleep. He looked down and saw that she was still deep in slumber, gripping the cloth on his chest as if her life depended on such an act. When she had fallen asleep, he had wrapped his arms around her and now she found that she had gripped it against herself. He certainly was no Ancient, but right now, as the world was slowly waking up, he found that it was her breath that was most alive. He wanted to lie here with her like this forever, just forget about Midgar and Shinra and the whole world. But he knew that, much as he loves her, he also loves two other people.
Slowly so as not to wake her up, he softly untangled himself from her arms. He softly rested her on the floor. Then, looking at her one last time, he fought the urge to give her a kiss, and he silently walked away.
As was agreed, Tseng was there in the appointed place, an old abandoned factory in Sector 3. With him were three Shinra soldiers. He was leaning against an old machinery. When Zack stepped into the large warehouse, Tseng greeted him with a wolfish smile. Zack walked to him and Tseng, still smiling, met him halfway and gave him a hard punch on the face.
Aerith woke up when she felt the ray of the morning sun creep up through the broken wall and kiss her cheek. When she didn't see Zack, she looked around frantically. And that was when she found out that she was alone.
Blood was pouring out of Zack's broken lip as he fell on the dusty ground for what seemed like the hundredth time now. He coughed and spit out more blood. He placed his hands squarely on the ground, wanting to push himself up again. Before he could, he felt the tip of Tseng's well-polished shoe against his chest. He let out a gasp as wind was forced out of his lungs. Again, he fell.
Aerith made her way out of the old building and started finding her way out of Sector 2 and into more familiar grounds. An hour later, she saw the familiar sight of the streets of commercial Sector 4. Already, people were out and about. Merchants and store owners have started opening up their stores. Aerith, now in familiar, turf, made her way towards Sector 5.
Tseng roughly clasped Zack's hair and forced Zack to look up to him. Even with all the bruises on his face, Zack still showed silent defiance. Infuriated more, Tseng smashed Zack's face into the ground and placed his heel against the back of the young SOLDIER's head, digging in maliciously and with much contempt. He spat on his head and laughed. Then, signaling the guards, he slowly walked to the entrance of the factory, feeling that he needed some sun. He got out a cigarette from his suit and started smoking. Meanwhile, the three Shinra guards got Zack up and they started walking out of the factory, Tseng trailing a few feet behind, lit cigarette in his hand.
When Elmyra opened the door and saw her adopted daughter standing there, she let out a gasp and then hugged Aerith tight, crying profusely. She kept kissing the side of her hair, great relief on her face. Aerith was crying, too. And they embraced each other for a long time. The flowers on her garden took on a more wonderful bloom, it seemed. It was going to be a beautiful day.