Disclaimer: Sqauresoft owns Final Fantasy and all of it's characters. I
just play with them once in a while.
Author's Note: Okay, this chapter will be a bit of fun for all the romantics out there, who (unfortunately) have had almost no fun yet. Just a brief note: Chapters 21 & 22 will be dealing with characters I haven't introduced yet, then Chapter 23 is the super-aging process chapter!! Not a whole lot, but until about, oh, five years before the game starts? Six? Please R&R !! Anyway, on with the story!!
Chapter 18:
I Guess We Are
Aeris looked up at the sky. It was dark, so dark she could barely see. The small portions of the sky that could be seen through the plate were full of stars. She sighed. It would be so nice to see the sky outside the plate. Just once, even. It would be so nice.
She heard someone's footsteps coming towards her and turned around. Zack was standing there, smile in place, staring at her.
"Hey," he said, greeting her with a wave of his hand.
"Hi," she replied.
They stood there staring at each other until he walked closer to her. His eyes were dark, but somehow seemed bright. She blinked, confused. Why was he here? Did he come to see her?
"So, we didn't really get much of a chance to meet in school today," he said. "I was kind of busy."
"Yeah, everyone wanted to get to know you."
He shrugged. "What can I say? Must be the good looks."
Aeris giggled, a light sound on the night air. "Sure."
"What?" Zack asked, jokingly. He shook his head. "Anyway, I just came by to see you."
She inclined her head quizzically. "Really? What for?"
He kicked at the ground lazily. "Oh, I don't know… To talk, I guess."
"About what?"
He shrugged again. "You know, school. Life. Friends. That sort of thing."
"Oh." She looked up at him. "You mean you want to know more about school? Well, the classes are alright, but the grades are a little messed up. You only move up once every couple of years, so by the time-"
He shook his head briefly. "No, that's not what I meant." She waited. "Well, you see, I was kind of hoping that maybe we could… you know."
Aeris blinked. "Be friends? We already are friends, if that's what you mean."
Zack scratched the back of his neck. "Well, that's not exactly what I- " He stopped and shook his head. "Sure. Okay, let's be friends."
Aeris smiled. "Alright."
Zack stared at her, and felt himself blush. Thankfully, it was dark outside and she couldn't tell. What was it about her that attracted him so? And made him act so stupid? He had never been this nervous around anyone before. Maybe it was just nerves?
He looked up and found himself looking into a pair of green eyes. He blinked and heard her giggle.
"You have really nice eyes, Zack."
Oh, man. It was going to be difficult- being friends with her…
"Of course I do." He made a show of getting up and stretching, which was a pathetic excuse to get away from her. "Uh, I have to get going now. I'll see you later, though!"
"Bye!" Aeris called as he ran away.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack hurried through the dimly lit streets. What had he been thinking, following her home like that? Man, he must really be out of it to act so weird.
Since Zack was busy thinking, he almost missed the small shadow leaning against a wall. But a glimmer of light reflected off of silver hair, and Zack turned in greeting.
"Hey, Seph!"
Sephiroth's head turned up to face him. His eyes were glazed over, and he looked distinctly unhappy. He glanced over behind Zack before settling his eyes on the boy in front of him.
"You look terrible."
Sephiroth just stared at him. "I…"
Zack waited to hear more, but nothing else came. "Say, Seph," he stated, suddenly getting an idea. "What do you know about Aeris?"
Sephiroth looked at him sharply. "Aeris?"
"Yeah, you know, Aeris Gainsborough. She's in our class, remember?"
"I know of her."
"She's something else. I was just talking to her over there." He gestured down the street towards her home. "I was trying to tell her something kind of important, but I blew it." He sighed. "Oh, well."
"What kind of something?"
Zack shook his head. "Doesn't matter."
A silence passed between them, but this time it was comfortable. Sephiroth worried that he was beginning to get used to this brash new boy, and Zack wondered if Sephiroth ever really talked with anyone.
"So, Seph, something on your mind?" Sephiroth stared at the other boy. He just stared back. "You seem kind of depressed."
"Do I?"
Zack nodded. He leaned against the wall next to Sephiroth. "You know, Seph, I was thinking… you don't really have any friends in school, do you?" Sephiroth remained silent. "You're always so aloof form everyone else, and they seem to be afraid of you. I don't know why, but-"
"They have reason to be."
"Huh?"
Sephiroth was silent for a long time. Zack thought his question would go unanswered, but then a whispered reply came back to him.
"I'm a freak."
Zack blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. I'm a freak."
"You are not."
Sephiroth stared at Zack, long and hard. How could this boy say that, without even knowing him? What did this boy know that the other children did not? Nothing. He was going with the same information, and everyone else had come to the same conclusion. Except for him. This new boy knew nothing.
"You're wrong."
Zack stared at him. How could he be so adamant that he was a freak? He seemed normal enough right now, and every other time they had spoken. Sure, he was quiet, and really didn't like company. Okay, there was nothing wrong with that. It didn't make him a bad person.
Zack shook his head and looked up at Sephiroth. "No, Seph, you're wrong. Why do you think you're a freak? Just because you stand out a little doesn't mean anything. You're just as normal as everyone else. You've got problems, yeah, but so has everyone else. So what if you hang around in dark alleys at night? Okay, it's a bit freakish, but it doesn't make you a bad person." Sephiroth just stared straight ahead. Was he even listening at all? "Seph? Hey, are you even listening?"
Sephiroth glanced at Zack. The boy just looked back at him. What an interesting person, this boy with the dark features and bright smile. He acted more ignorant than he really was. He understood things that were far beyond the capabilities of his other classmates. In fact, he said things that Sephiroth himself had yet to think upon.
Was what he said true? Were other people similar to himself? Did they have similar problems, worries, and pains? Somehow, he doubted it. Yet there was that small hope that maybe he had found someone who understood him. Maybe, finally, Sephiroth had found a person who he'd be able to talk to. He looked into Zack's eyes. The other boy seemed content enough to listen. In fact, he seemed to be waiting for an answer of some sort. Sephiroth suddenly got the feeling that Zack would have waited all night long, if that's what it took for him to answer. It was this thought that finally enabled him to speak.
"Yes."
Zack blinked. "Yes, what? … Oh, you're listening. Well, good." Sephiroth laughed softly, and Zack looked offended. "What?"
Sephiroth just let the laughter fade away into the night. "It's just that I've never really talked to anyone like this before." Zack remained silent, a first. Sephiroth hesitated at first, then continued. After all, he might not ever have another chance to talk to someone like this. "I don't really know what to say. I feel like I should talk to you about something, but my thoughts are all confused. I can't think straight."
Zack shrugged. "That's okay. Just say what you want."
Sephiroth looked away from him and out into the night. The cold air blew around him, lifting his hair up from it's resting position. He looked at the silver locks floating in front of him. They were faintly luminated by the distant golden streetlights. Then the wind died and his hair fell once again. He picked up a stray piece and twirled it in between his fingers, a nervous gesture that was rarely witnessed by anyone other than himself.
Zack watched his movements with uncharacteristic scrutiny. For some reason, he was sure that Sephiroth was opening up to him. The kid whose blood ran cold in his veins could actually feel emotions, and express them, if given a chance. It was something worthy of remembering. He was probably one of the only people who ever tried so hard to get close to him. The barriers he put up around himself were difficult to breach. But, looking at Sephiroth standing there, shadows creeping up around him, Zack felt that it was more than worth it. This was someone who would be worth the trouble. Finally, this was someone who would be able to give him good advice, and who wouldn't belittle his own troubles, no matter how inconsequential they seemed.
"It all seems… I don't know. Everything seems so wrong, you know?" Zack listened in silence, determined not to interrupt until Sephiroth had said whatever he wanted to. "Nothing seemed wrong this morning, but then… everything just sort of… fell apart…" He stopped and swallowed audibly. "I… I just don't know what to do anymore…" A silence descended, and neither spoke for a while. Then Sephiroth continued. "It's my mother… she-" He stopped, and looked away from Zack. "She's dead."
He turned his head so he could see Zack's reaction, but oddly enough there was nothing there. Zack's face betrayed no emotions he might have been feeling, which somehow encouraged Sephiroth more than a look of pity and shock would have.
"I… found her lying there, in a pool of blood… It was…" He shook his head, to signify that he couldn't explain exactly how that had felt. How it had felt to see his own mother lying there, drenched in blood and staring blankly up into the sky. There were no words. "Blood was everywhere. There was so much of it… I'd never known someone had so much blood inside of them before. She looked the same as always, almost as if she should just get up and say 'Ha ha! Only teasing!' But I knew she couldn't do that. Her hair was all over the place, and there were big chunks of it lying in blood. It was staining red… I wanted to take it out, to wash it, and make sure she would look good when I saw her tomorrow… but then I realized… that I wouldn't see her… not tomorrow… not the day after that, or the day after that." A single tear escaped, and made a trail down his cheek. He looked up and pressed his head back against the wall. "I knew I'd never see her again. She'd never hold me again, or tell me that she loved me. No more good-bye hugs. No more goodnight kisses. She'd never be able to-" He choked suddenly, unable to hold back the tears for longer. They coursed down his face, leaving him gasping for breath. He sobbed uncontrollably, with Zack looking on, unsure of what to do.
Sephiroth knelt down and placed his hands on the ground. The tears that fell from his eyes made two small puddles on the ground. He fisted his hands into the hard dirt and bent his head down. He felt completely lost, unable to think or function. Even breathing was becoming difficult as his sobbing became more and more ragged. It was hopeless. There was nothing anyone could do. He was alone, just as he always had been. He should have known the day would come eventually. Why, then, did it hurt so much?
A warm hand rested lightly on his shoulder. Zack knelt down, pulling Sephiroth closer to himself. He lightly touched the top of his head in the comforting way that mothers did. He let Sephiroth cry himself out, and kneeled there next to him. If this was what had been bothering him, Zack was surprised he hadn't let out these emotions before. Maybe it was shock and disbelief holding the tears at bay, but they would have come eventually. Zack was just glad that he ad been here when it happened.
Sephiroth slowly began to clam down, and eventually moved from kneeling to sitting against the wall. He leaned back against it, staring straight ahead. He cleared his throat and said, "Sorry." His voice was still thick from crying. "I usually have more control than this." He leaned his head back against the wall and stared up at the plate above him. "I don't know what came over me."
Zack shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He might have said more, but any other words he had died at the look Sephiroth was giving him. He was studying him, and it was making Zack uncomfortable. But he sat still and forced himself to have patience. Sephiroth apparently found what he was looking for, since he stopped his scrutiny moments later.
"In school today," Sephiroth continued, then laughed shortly. He shook his head and put a hand over his face. "God, you were so irritating. I thought I'd never want to talk to you. And now look at me. Sitting here, talking to you as if we're friends or something…"
"But, Sephiroth," Zack said. The use of his full name made the other boy look up. "We are friends."
Sephiroth looked into Zack's eyes. The dark depths were friendly, welcoming, unobtrusive. But there was an understanding in them that he had not seen anywhere else. It made him feel somewhat comfortable in this boy's presence, knowing that Zack did not question him. Just acceptance of him for exactly who he was. That was all he found in Zack's eyes.
"Yeah," Sephiroth replied, letting his gaze drift from Zack back to the darkness. "I guess we are."
Only the still night air replied.
Author's Note: Okay, this chapter will be a bit of fun for all the romantics out there, who (unfortunately) have had almost no fun yet. Just a brief note: Chapters 21 & 22 will be dealing with characters I haven't introduced yet, then Chapter 23 is the super-aging process chapter!! Not a whole lot, but until about, oh, five years before the game starts? Six? Please R&R !! Anyway, on with the story!!
Chapter 18:
I Guess We Are
Aeris looked up at the sky. It was dark, so dark she could barely see. The small portions of the sky that could be seen through the plate were full of stars. She sighed. It would be so nice to see the sky outside the plate. Just once, even. It would be so nice.
She heard someone's footsteps coming towards her and turned around. Zack was standing there, smile in place, staring at her.
"Hey," he said, greeting her with a wave of his hand.
"Hi," she replied.
They stood there staring at each other until he walked closer to her. His eyes were dark, but somehow seemed bright. She blinked, confused. Why was he here? Did he come to see her?
"So, we didn't really get much of a chance to meet in school today," he said. "I was kind of busy."
"Yeah, everyone wanted to get to know you."
He shrugged. "What can I say? Must be the good looks."
Aeris giggled, a light sound on the night air. "Sure."
"What?" Zack asked, jokingly. He shook his head. "Anyway, I just came by to see you."
She inclined her head quizzically. "Really? What for?"
He kicked at the ground lazily. "Oh, I don't know… To talk, I guess."
"About what?"
He shrugged again. "You know, school. Life. Friends. That sort of thing."
"Oh." She looked up at him. "You mean you want to know more about school? Well, the classes are alright, but the grades are a little messed up. You only move up once every couple of years, so by the time-"
He shook his head briefly. "No, that's not what I meant." She waited. "Well, you see, I was kind of hoping that maybe we could… you know."
Aeris blinked. "Be friends? We already are friends, if that's what you mean."
Zack scratched the back of his neck. "Well, that's not exactly what I- " He stopped and shook his head. "Sure. Okay, let's be friends."
Aeris smiled. "Alright."
Zack stared at her, and felt himself blush. Thankfully, it was dark outside and she couldn't tell. What was it about her that attracted him so? And made him act so stupid? He had never been this nervous around anyone before. Maybe it was just nerves?
He looked up and found himself looking into a pair of green eyes. He blinked and heard her giggle.
"You have really nice eyes, Zack."
Oh, man. It was going to be difficult- being friends with her…
"Of course I do." He made a show of getting up and stretching, which was a pathetic excuse to get away from her. "Uh, I have to get going now. I'll see you later, though!"
"Bye!" Aeris called as he ran away.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Zack hurried through the dimly lit streets. What had he been thinking, following her home like that? Man, he must really be out of it to act so weird.
Since Zack was busy thinking, he almost missed the small shadow leaning against a wall. But a glimmer of light reflected off of silver hair, and Zack turned in greeting.
"Hey, Seph!"
Sephiroth's head turned up to face him. His eyes were glazed over, and he looked distinctly unhappy. He glanced over behind Zack before settling his eyes on the boy in front of him.
"You look terrible."
Sephiroth just stared at him. "I…"
Zack waited to hear more, but nothing else came. "Say, Seph," he stated, suddenly getting an idea. "What do you know about Aeris?"
Sephiroth looked at him sharply. "Aeris?"
"Yeah, you know, Aeris Gainsborough. She's in our class, remember?"
"I know of her."
"She's something else. I was just talking to her over there." He gestured down the street towards her home. "I was trying to tell her something kind of important, but I blew it." He sighed. "Oh, well."
"What kind of something?"
Zack shook his head. "Doesn't matter."
A silence passed between them, but this time it was comfortable. Sephiroth worried that he was beginning to get used to this brash new boy, and Zack wondered if Sephiroth ever really talked with anyone.
"So, Seph, something on your mind?" Sephiroth stared at the other boy. He just stared back. "You seem kind of depressed."
"Do I?"
Zack nodded. He leaned against the wall next to Sephiroth. "You know, Seph, I was thinking… you don't really have any friends in school, do you?" Sephiroth remained silent. "You're always so aloof form everyone else, and they seem to be afraid of you. I don't know why, but-"
"They have reason to be."
"Huh?"
Sephiroth was silent for a long time. Zack thought his question would go unanswered, but then a whispered reply came back to him.
"I'm a freak."
Zack blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. I'm a freak."
"You are not."
Sephiroth stared at Zack, long and hard. How could this boy say that, without even knowing him? What did this boy know that the other children did not? Nothing. He was going with the same information, and everyone else had come to the same conclusion. Except for him. This new boy knew nothing.
"You're wrong."
Zack stared at him. How could he be so adamant that he was a freak? He seemed normal enough right now, and every other time they had spoken. Sure, he was quiet, and really didn't like company. Okay, there was nothing wrong with that. It didn't make him a bad person.
Zack shook his head and looked up at Sephiroth. "No, Seph, you're wrong. Why do you think you're a freak? Just because you stand out a little doesn't mean anything. You're just as normal as everyone else. You've got problems, yeah, but so has everyone else. So what if you hang around in dark alleys at night? Okay, it's a bit freakish, but it doesn't make you a bad person." Sephiroth just stared straight ahead. Was he even listening at all? "Seph? Hey, are you even listening?"
Sephiroth glanced at Zack. The boy just looked back at him. What an interesting person, this boy with the dark features and bright smile. He acted more ignorant than he really was. He understood things that were far beyond the capabilities of his other classmates. In fact, he said things that Sephiroth himself had yet to think upon.
Was what he said true? Were other people similar to himself? Did they have similar problems, worries, and pains? Somehow, he doubted it. Yet there was that small hope that maybe he had found someone who understood him. Maybe, finally, Sephiroth had found a person who he'd be able to talk to. He looked into Zack's eyes. The other boy seemed content enough to listen. In fact, he seemed to be waiting for an answer of some sort. Sephiroth suddenly got the feeling that Zack would have waited all night long, if that's what it took for him to answer. It was this thought that finally enabled him to speak.
"Yes."
Zack blinked. "Yes, what? … Oh, you're listening. Well, good." Sephiroth laughed softly, and Zack looked offended. "What?"
Sephiroth just let the laughter fade away into the night. "It's just that I've never really talked to anyone like this before." Zack remained silent, a first. Sephiroth hesitated at first, then continued. After all, he might not ever have another chance to talk to someone like this. "I don't really know what to say. I feel like I should talk to you about something, but my thoughts are all confused. I can't think straight."
Zack shrugged. "That's okay. Just say what you want."
Sephiroth looked away from him and out into the night. The cold air blew around him, lifting his hair up from it's resting position. He looked at the silver locks floating in front of him. They were faintly luminated by the distant golden streetlights. Then the wind died and his hair fell once again. He picked up a stray piece and twirled it in between his fingers, a nervous gesture that was rarely witnessed by anyone other than himself.
Zack watched his movements with uncharacteristic scrutiny. For some reason, he was sure that Sephiroth was opening up to him. The kid whose blood ran cold in his veins could actually feel emotions, and express them, if given a chance. It was something worthy of remembering. He was probably one of the only people who ever tried so hard to get close to him. The barriers he put up around himself were difficult to breach. But, looking at Sephiroth standing there, shadows creeping up around him, Zack felt that it was more than worth it. This was someone who would be worth the trouble. Finally, this was someone who would be able to give him good advice, and who wouldn't belittle his own troubles, no matter how inconsequential they seemed.
"It all seems… I don't know. Everything seems so wrong, you know?" Zack listened in silence, determined not to interrupt until Sephiroth had said whatever he wanted to. "Nothing seemed wrong this morning, but then… everything just sort of… fell apart…" He stopped and swallowed audibly. "I… I just don't know what to do anymore…" A silence descended, and neither spoke for a while. Then Sephiroth continued. "It's my mother… she-" He stopped, and looked away from Zack. "She's dead."
He turned his head so he could see Zack's reaction, but oddly enough there was nothing there. Zack's face betrayed no emotions he might have been feeling, which somehow encouraged Sephiroth more than a look of pity and shock would have.
"I… found her lying there, in a pool of blood… It was…" He shook his head, to signify that he couldn't explain exactly how that had felt. How it had felt to see his own mother lying there, drenched in blood and staring blankly up into the sky. There were no words. "Blood was everywhere. There was so much of it… I'd never known someone had so much blood inside of them before. She looked the same as always, almost as if she should just get up and say 'Ha ha! Only teasing!' But I knew she couldn't do that. Her hair was all over the place, and there were big chunks of it lying in blood. It was staining red… I wanted to take it out, to wash it, and make sure she would look good when I saw her tomorrow… but then I realized… that I wouldn't see her… not tomorrow… not the day after that, or the day after that." A single tear escaped, and made a trail down his cheek. He looked up and pressed his head back against the wall. "I knew I'd never see her again. She'd never hold me again, or tell me that she loved me. No more good-bye hugs. No more goodnight kisses. She'd never be able to-" He choked suddenly, unable to hold back the tears for longer. They coursed down his face, leaving him gasping for breath. He sobbed uncontrollably, with Zack looking on, unsure of what to do.
Sephiroth knelt down and placed his hands on the ground. The tears that fell from his eyes made two small puddles on the ground. He fisted his hands into the hard dirt and bent his head down. He felt completely lost, unable to think or function. Even breathing was becoming difficult as his sobbing became more and more ragged. It was hopeless. There was nothing anyone could do. He was alone, just as he always had been. He should have known the day would come eventually. Why, then, did it hurt so much?
A warm hand rested lightly on his shoulder. Zack knelt down, pulling Sephiroth closer to himself. He lightly touched the top of his head in the comforting way that mothers did. He let Sephiroth cry himself out, and kneeled there next to him. If this was what had been bothering him, Zack was surprised he hadn't let out these emotions before. Maybe it was shock and disbelief holding the tears at bay, but they would have come eventually. Zack was just glad that he ad been here when it happened.
Sephiroth slowly began to clam down, and eventually moved from kneeling to sitting against the wall. He leaned back against it, staring straight ahead. He cleared his throat and said, "Sorry." His voice was still thick from crying. "I usually have more control than this." He leaned his head back against the wall and stared up at the plate above him. "I don't know what came over me."
Zack shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He might have said more, but any other words he had died at the look Sephiroth was giving him. He was studying him, and it was making Zack uncomfortable. But he sat still and forced himself to have patience. Sephiroth apparently found what he was looking for, since he stopped his scrutiny moments later.
"In school today," Sephiroth continued, then laughed shortly. He shook his head and put a hand over his face. "God, you were so irritating. I thought I'd never want to talk to you. And now look at me. Sitting here, talking to you as if we're friends or something…"
"But, Sephiroth," Zack said. The use of his full name made the other boy look up. "We are friends."
Sephiroth looked into Zack's eyes. The dark depths were friendly, welcoming, unobtrusive. But there was an understanding in them that he had not seen anywhere else. It made him feel somewhat comfortable in this boy's presence, knowing that Zack did not question him. Just acceptance of him for exactly who he was. That was all he found in Zack's eyes.
"Yeah," Sephiroth replied, letting his gaze drift from Zack back to the darkness. "I guess we are."
Only the still night air replied.