words and meanings
"Happy birthday Aeris" he emblazoned on the card. He couldn't quite believe it. She was twenty-two… that meant it had been fifteen years since they first met. He sealed the envelope and wrote her name on it. Aeris… he savoured every stroke of the pen. Writing her name made him feel alive… He picked up his keys and exited the hall of his spacious Shinra-owned home. He had been given so much by them; was he really willing to give it up for one girl?
"Yes." he said to himself, locking the door firmly. Aeris Gainsborough was worth more than any riches or prowess. If he had her at is side, he would gladly give up everything in the world.
The town centre was bustling with life as Tseng stepped up to the theatre where she stood, selling her flowers as she did everyday. "Happy Birthday, Aeris" he whispered softly into her ear. The young woman spun round. "Tseng! You scared the life out of me!"
"I'm sorry." he said sincerely, holding the blushing young woman's hand. "I have your present at my home, if you would like to see it."
"If it's for me, then why didn't you bring it?"
He smiled at her ruefully. "it is something you must experience, not something I can just give."
She gave him a look of mock-concern. "How can I possibly trust that!" she laughed, packing up her flowers and taking his arm. "Where do you live?" she asked inquisitively as they walked to his car. "You'll see."
"Oh, Tseng! It's wonderful!"
Aeris danced around the apartment, glee sparkling in her emerald eyes. Tseng watched her in awe as she lithely swept over his drab surroundings, bringing her undeniable beauty to everything that Shinra had formerly dominated. "It's not your present Aeris!" he laughed, watching as she settled in front of the window. "It could well have been though! I have never seen this world before! It is amazing…"
"Would you like your present?"
She turned, her eyes strangely filled with joyful tears. "Yes, I would love it Tseng. No-one has ever done this much for me before."
He smiled and took her hand. Unquestioningly she followed him into his study where he sat at a handsome black piano. She frowned as she looked at it. "Tseng?"
"Just listen, my dearest." he replied, lifting the lid and positioning the music in front of him. She moved to his side and looked at the music, only to see one word emblazoned at the top in his distinctive hand. It read "Aeris".
She jumped back as he started with a loud and passionate chord, sinking into a loud, heartfelt tune. There was a moment of silence, and then he continued with a sweet and tinkling melody, stroking the keys as if they were delicate as lace. She looked into his eyes, only to see they were squeezed shut, not in concentration but in absolute ardour. He opened his eyes slightly; Aeris noticed they were wrought with sorrow and pain. Memories filled her head; memories of her mother, of her time in Shinra, of her beloved Zack and of her saviour… the planet called to her and she wept. The tears rolled one by one down her face as she watched him play for her… or maybe even about her. His words came back to her- "Just listen, my dearest." she tried to, but everything about it brought back memories.
Finally he stopped and looked at her. "I hear that melody every time I look in your eyes." he whispered quietly, still staring at the music in front of him. "It's everything I think of when I think of you… it's haunting, beautiful, spiritual… just like you Aeris."
He turned and looked at her. She choked on her tears as she saw his smile. "Tseng-"
"Aeris please don't say it. I know you don't love me like I love you. Just… let me pretend, just for a while."
She looked at him and nodded slowly. She wrapped her arms around him and held him gently running her fingers through his silky black hair. "You know I've been meaning to ask you something."
"mmmm?" he murmured, drawing her closer and sitting her on his knee. "Why have you got that dot on your forehead?"
He laughed slightly "It is a symbol of my family, we all have it put there as a christening of our souls."
"Oh. So it is Wutai tradition?"
"Yes, all of the rulers of Wutai have it put there. I will never rule though."
"Why not?"
"I have been away too long. They will have forgotten me."
"They could not forget someone like you Tseng."
He looked up at her eyes, still red and blood shot from her mixed-emotion tears. Even in such despair she looked untouchably beautiful, like a celestial being, something not made for this harsh world. Slowly inching forward, he let their noses touch; such a small yet unbelievably intoxicating contact. He shuddered as a sigh emitted from her rose lips, a single tear running down his face. "Aeris…"
"I could never forget you."
"Please, promise me that is true."
She leant in further, her lips brushing his so slightly. "I promise." she whispered almost inaudibly as their lips met. He let out a cry of relief and ecstasy as he drew her closer, savouring ever last part of her… she was everything to him…
"Tseng." she sighed as she pulled away, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly to her bosom. "My saviour…"
He picked her up and carried her lovingly in his arms. "Where to now?"
She flushed and looked away. "I suppose…"
"Is it what you want?"
She stayed silent, looking downwards almost as if staring into her own soul. "I don't know Tseng. But I want to try. Its hard because…"
She still feels for Zack Tseng thought to himself. He couldn't take advantage of her, not like this, on her birthday…
"I want to learn to love you."
He looked at her. Her eyes were serious and wanting. He kissed her forehead, the third eye of the precious one, and carried her into his bedroom.
"Good morning, Tseng. You look cheerful."
Tseng looked up from his seat in the boardroom to see the face of Reeve smiling down at him. "Thank you. To be honest Reeve I don't think I could be happier."
"It's good to see someone with some joy in their lives." the meek man muttered, taking his seat next to him. "We've got some rough times coming up Tseng. I just know it. Why else would they have summoned you to a board meeting?"
Tseng frowned. Indeed it was unusual…
"Gyaa-haa-haa! Good to see you, Tseng!"
Tseng stood up suddenly, bowing to his boss absently before taking his hand. "Good to see you too, Sir." he lied. He honestly could not think of anything worse than being in the company of his sweaty, hairy, foul-smelling boss. "I was wondering Sir, why was I called to this particular meeting?"
"Gyaa-haa-haa! No idea! Just sit back and enjoy yourself, they do a great coffee up here!"
Tseng smiled curtly at his boss as the giggling mass of stench took his place further up the table. He turned to accost the next person in line- immediately his eyes were ravished by the lady in red. "Scarlet, its good to see you." Indeed, it was no lie. It was always good to see a beautiful woman like Scarlet… but as for hearing her…
"Kyaahaahaa! Glad to hear it, Tseng!" she barked, shaking his hand roughly. "And how are things with you?"
"Good, Scarlet. Better than good. The best they have ever been."
"Good! 'Bout time you removed that stick from up your ass and had a good time." Ah Scarlet… never a classy word had spilled from those berry-lips. She took her seat also, and the meeting began.
"Gentlemen-" the president was immediately interrupted by a rather large scale coughing fit from Scarlet. He scowled deeply. "I shall start again. Ladies and Gentlemen, please open your files and regard item one on the agenda concerning the current situation of the Turks."
Tseng flipped open his manual and regarded it thoroughly. So this was why he had been summoned…
"Due to recent events, the structure of the Turks has been revised. Rather than the previous set-up of ranks of Turks we have been forced to cut the secondary and tertiary ranks, creating a select elite that will be referred to in documents as the TARX from now on."
Tseng smiled slightly to himself. He wondered how Reno would take to the new name… there was something about the name which always got the ladies…
"The next subject: the JENOVA project"
Tseng's throat tightened. They could possibly be re-opening it, could they? They couldn't, not with things as they were at the moment…
Hojo stood, smiling sardonically at the executives. "As you know for the last five years the Jenova project has been on hold after the disappearance of Sephiroth. However, I do believe our research has to be continued. Mr Xu, you shall fetch me the Ancient."
He suppressed the urge to gag… why now? Why, when everything seemed so perfect, did it all have to be ripped away? Everything he had he had sacrificed to Shinra. His Wutan heritage, his family, his freedom… now was the last love of his life going to be snatched untimely too? Hojo's smirk played in his mind; all he wanted to do was rip his face off. Aeris…
"Mr Xu? I trust that is within your power?"
Tseng looked up, a forced smile playing on his lips. He could not betray them now. He was sworn. "Yes."
