Chapter 19: Powers and Mistrust
Cautiously, Zack took a small step into the darkness, admiring the tanks that lit up the other side of the room.
Aeris quietly followed him holding to his hand that was tightly clasping hers.
Zack steadied his breathing as he pulled her to his side and let go of her hand, slipping it around her waist instead, as he moved towards a large opening on his left. It glowed calmly worth the flames of candles that lit the sides of the large hall.
Books laid still, with mount after mount of dust that covered over their opened pages and standing covers in the black selves that were carved into the walls.
He peered down the silent hallway with his large bright mako blue eyes and could make out a polished oak brown desk that was on the other side of the hallway.
A green velvet cushioned chair was placed on the opposite end and books were nearly arranged in small stacks on each side of it.
Soft footsteps echoed off the empty walls but neither Zack nor Aeris had moved to make them.
The deep black shadow of a man was pacing the area in front of them, sighing in anger, and inpatients.
Zack turned to Aeris as she parted her lips to speak but was quickly silenced by Zack's forefinger as it pressed against them and then moved his own mouth to her not say a word.
He dropped his hand from her side and started towards the room.
Aeris began to follow but he placed his hand out behind him to stop her from taking another step. He faced her and mouthed to her "stay." And her face dropped into fear. She didn't want him displease him either, so she took in a deep breath and watched him fiercely.
The figure took another turn and started back towards the door again. Zack noticed it as well and pushed himself against the bookshelf, not realizing that the shelf was loose.
The board quickly snapped from the sides and the books poured onto the floor slapping loudly against the cold stone floor.
Aeris's eyes widened as Zack slipped on one of the opened, fallen books and flipped towards the floor, groaning in pain as his head smacked against it, hard.
"Zack!" Aeris screamed as she ran to him covering her mouth after she to him covering her mouth after she called to him in regret.
He through his hand up quickly to get her to stay back from him, but she ignored him and continued towards him to help him up.
"Who's there?!" Came a deep voice and Zack's eyes grew wide in reaction.
"H- Hojo?" Zack asked weakly as he laid there with his eyes partly closed.
Hojo appeared around the corner of his eye, his face locked in deep anger.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" He yelled as he made his way towards them, his footsteps seeming to stomp against the floor to release his rage.
"I don't know! One minute I'm on the top floor of the Shinra Mansion, the next I'm here! I didn't even know this placed existed!" Zack screamed as he reached up and grabbed Aeris's shoulder. He pulled himself up as he looked up at Hojo trying to balance himself with Aeris holding to his arm.
"Weakling…" Hojo muttered to himself as he surprisingly kicked Zack in the side, causing him to cringe in pain.
"What are you doing!?" Zack yelled as he got to his feet and held to his side and pushed Aeris behind him in protection.
"Get out of my sight…" He commanded as he turned away and started back into the slightly lit room.
"Where's Lucrecia?!" Aeris hollered as she pushed passed Zack's left arm and glared at Hojo awaiting an answer.
He stopped and turned to her pulling down his glasses to his nose glaring back at her evilly and then turned back, continuing to the back down the hallway without saying a word.
"Where is she!? Answer me!" Aeris demanded again as she started after him, her fist shaking with rage.
After the first few soft footsteps from her, Hojo swiftly turned, and pushed back his lab coat quickly. He pushed his hand between the unbuttoned clothing and reached to the side of his pants and then ripped out a black carefully polished revolver and pointed it to her stomach.
"That is none of your concern…" He mumbled and she daringly took another step towards him, causing him to set the gun to fire with a quick click.
Zack quickly ran to Aeris and yanked her back behind him, holding to her waist to keep her still.
"Now get out…" He commanded to them, moving his pointer finger to the trigger.
Zack scowled at him angrily as he began to back up, slipping slightly again as he moved, but Aeris gripped his arms tightly to hold his balance. Hojo never seemed to blink as he watched them slowly leave and Zack turned to Aeris as he left his sight, taking in a deep sigh.
"What was that all about?" Aeris asked quietly as she held to Zack's arms still.
"He's probably on drugs or something…" Zack told her as he gripped her hand and began to lead her through the other door, turning and closing it slowly.
Another click sounded next to Aeris's temple and she shuddered in fear as his hot breathe brushed across her neck.
"Missing something?" He whispered into her ear as he placed his hand in front of her eyes, with her black roped necklace, resting in his palm.
"It would be beset if you didn't move, Zack…" He started, anger rising in his voice as he pulled his hand back from her face after placing it on her shoulder and sliding it down around her chest and around her hips with his body against hers as he slipped his arm around her waist then.
"First you leave me to die, then you fuck around with her… what's next!? You gonna kill me too?!" He shouted as he swung at the back of Zack's head, knocking him into the door.
Dyne's face came into view of Aeris's gaze. Sweat, poured down his face and blood dripped silently down the sides of his temples. His eyes were wide with rage pulsing through his veins as he spoke.
"No!" Aeris shouted as she lunged for Zack to protect him from another violent swing from Dyne's fist but was slammed back into the wall furiously after his grip tightened around her and pushed her.
"Bitch! Don't get into the way!" He screamed as he shot his gaze to her, pulling his gun front of her, between her eyes, his expression threatening.
Zack stirred and jumped to his feet quickly and kicked Dyne in the side quickly.
"What the hell is your problem?!" Zack screamed as he reached to Aeris pulling her up and stood before her, acting as a shield as he looked to Dyne.
"You fucken tried to kill me and then you stole her from me!" Dyne hollered as he painfully lifted himself up to his feet and glared at them.
"What the fuck!? I didn't steal her from you! You're just being an ass about this! And I didn't try to kill you!"
"Well you fucken left me there at Rocket Town to die!!" Dyne screamed back quickly as he shook his fist with fury.
"What else could I do, Dyne?! What?! You left US!" Zack screamed slowly moving his hand to his back for his sword in pain.
"Us?! US!? So you care more for a girl that you met about a week ago but you don't give a damn for your childhood friend?!" Dyne yelled as he clutched his fist tightly, ready to throw it into Zack's face at any moment it seemed.
"Damn straight!"
"Well I hope you fucked her good last night because you're never getting that chance again!" He announced as he slammed his fist into wall on his right side, making a deep imprint and then shot his gun towards them.
Quickly, Zack yanked his sword in front of him from his back and the bullet reflected from the hard steal.
"Damn you! You'll never change!" Zack called out as he held to his sword tightly, looking to Aeris for a split second and then back to Dyne.
"Stop it!" Aeris begged as she tried to move from behind Zack.
"Fucked up bitch! What I tell you!?" He called as he shot another bullet towards them, only to have it bounce of the swords metal again.
"Leave her alone…" Zack told him as he narrowed his eyes down at him, "If you want to continue this, then get out of here, what kind of place is this for you to die in?" Zack asked sarcastically.
"Leave her alone eh? Well how much did she suck your dick to get you to say that, Zack?"
"Shut up! You don't know what happened so keep your mouth shut!" Zack commanded as he slightly lowered his sword in front of him.
"Oh.. I don't do I? I bet you gave her a couple shoves to make her scream… That's the only way to make a girl scream you know… You should have kept her quiet…" He said calmly as he lowered his gun and chuckled to himself.
Zack took in a deep breath as he glared at him, lowering his sword slightly. Aeris put her hands on the sides of Zack's arms to relax him while turning her gaze to the floor.
"My god… I thought I was the only one up at first from her calling for you, but when I took a step into the town the lights of house around the Inn started coming on… it was really quite amusing… You really gave it your all for her…" Dyne said continuing to chuckle at them.
Suddenly, he thrusted his weapon up and fire a shot at them. The bullet flew silently and quickly towards Zack but he swerved his head to the side letting it brush beside his cheek. Aeris looked up quickly but was to in shock to move. Instead she fell backwards shooting her hands up in front of her in a panic and a swirl of bright neon yellow light exploded from the center of her palms as she pushed her right hand behind her left.
A quick bolt of lightning shot towards the bullet and caused it to explode the moment it struck it.
Dyne's eyes lit up quickly as the light created a blinding flash in front of him as he started to back up in shock.
Aeris seemed just as surprised as they were as the light died down letting little sparks flutter down to the ground around them.
Zack seemed to lose his focus and stumbled backwards. The winds began to gather from her feet and push up around her body in a tight spiral. They whipped her hair back in the wind, pushing her bangs to and from in front of her eyes.
"What the-…" Dyne whispered as another blasted through her palm, inches behind her last lightning bolt and within a split second, struck Dyne's chest.
Dyne stayed still after the impact, his eyes still filled with disbelief. Slowly, he then began to take a few steps back after lifting his hand to his wound on the left side of his chest.
He seemed to slip on his last step and dropped to his knees silently. His gunned arm clanked nosily against the stone floor beside him, to tired and injured to shoot it any longer.
Placing his hand carefully to his mouth, he coughed heavily into it. As he moved it away deep, darkened, blood, revealed itself to them on his fingers and palm, as it streamed down his arm.
Aeris hit the wall behind her in shock after as she attempted to back away from Dyne, to frightened to move for what she had done to him.
"Dyne?" Zack whispered as his sword dropped to the floor and clanged heavily against it, the noise echoing loudly through the hall.
Dyne kept quiet as he quelled over and dropped into the floor, his head smacking loudly against the stone, as blood began to drip to the cold floor.
Shuddering, Aeris stood completely still, half expecting Dyne to suddenly rise and blast his gun at them in an attempt to kill them in revenge. But he remained still on the floor, not looking to be breathing.
Slowly, Zack lifted his hand back behind him and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, sliding them gently into her hand's grasp.
"Come on…" Zack whispered as he softly tugged on her hand to get her to move but she was still to deep in disbelief to move from her spot.
"Please…we have to get out of here…" Zack pleaded to her as he pulled on her again to make her leave.
"What was that…?" She asked herself acting as if she hadn't heard a word he had said to her.
"It's ok, Aeris…come on…" He begged again, trying to decide whether he should pull her harder or lift her and run.
"What have I d-do-done…?" She stuttered as she looked to her hands noticing that they were shaking, even her one with Zack's black leather gloved hand clasped around it shook in fear.
"Aeris…it wasn't your fault…" He tried to tell her to calm her down.
"W-What have I-I-…" She started again but was stopped by Zack's gentle hand pressed against her lips.
"It's ok… come on…" He told her looking deep into her eyes, his face inches from her own. He wanted to kiss her fiercely, hug her tightly and stay there telling it her it was alright, over and over again, but at the same time, he wanted to get out and run as fast as he could to the next town over to hide from everyone there in that town with her.
Aeris slowly took a few steps forward towards Zack as he reached down and grabbed his sword. He placed it silently behind his back and then reached out to her with it, slipping it under her arm and around her waist as she got closer to him.
She kept her gaze to Dyne's lifeless body as Zack started to lead her away towards the spiral stairs.
Quickly, Zack noticed that Aeris seemed still focused in fear at what she had done. He lifted his hand and placed his palm on the side of her face as he pushed her gaze from Dyne's corpse to him.
He lowered his head to her and started to shake it slowly as he continued to walk quietly towards the first step.
"Don't…" He started, but was hushed by Aeris's sudden push against his lips with her own as tears began to stream down her pale cheeks.
As she pulled away she continued to sob as she buried her face into his chest gripping his purple sweater as she cried.
"I killed him… I killed him… What I have I done? What…?" She mumbled and he wrapped his arms around her tightly in comfort as he lowered his head into her hair softly, rocking her back and forth.
"It's ok…you did nothing wrong…" Zack told her, his grip tightening around her waist as he held back his own lump in his throat.
He slipped his one hand down to the back of her knees and scooped her into his arms, letting her continue to mourn Dyne. He himself knew it was not her fault, but his own. If he hadn't pushed his relationship with Aeris, he wouldn't have had to worry about Dyne.
But he had, and he didn't regret it until now as he slightly turned back to face his childhood friend's broken body.
As quietly as he could he made his way up the stairs, praying that the towns people wouldn't go and hunt them down and kill them as well.
Cautiously, Zack took a small step into the darkness, admiring the tanks that lit up the other side of the room.
Aeris quietly followed him holding to his hand that was tightly clasping hers.
Zack steadied his breathing as he pulled her to his side and let go of her hand, slipping it around her waist instead, as he moved towards a large opening on his left. It glowed calmly worth the flames of candles that lit the sides of the large hall.
Books laid still, with mount after mount of dust that covered over their opened pages and standing covers in the black selves that were carved into the walls.
He peered down the silent hallway with his large bright mako blue eyes and could make out a polished oak brown desk that was on the other side of the hallway.
A green velvet cushioned chair was placed on the opposite end and books were nearly arranged in small stacks on each side of it.
Soft footsteps echoed off the empty walls but neither Zack nor Aeris had moved to make them.
The deep black shadow of a man was pacing the area in front of them, sighing in anger, and inpatients.
Zack turned to Aeris as she parted her lips to speak but was quickly silenced by Zack's forefinger as it pressed against them and then moved his own mouth to her not say a word.
He dropped his hand from her side and started towards the room.
Aeris began to follow but he placed his hand out behind him to stop her from taking another step. He faced her and mouthed to her "stay." And her face dropped into fear. She didn't want him displease him either, so she took in a deep breath and watched him fiercely.
The figure took another turn and started back towards the door again. Zack noticed it as well and pushed himself against the bookshelf, not realizing that the shelf was loose.
The board quickly snapped from the sides and the books poured onto the floor slapping loudly against the cold stone floor.
Aeris's eyes widened as Zack slipped on one of the opened, fallen books and flipped towards the floor, groaning in pain as his head smacked against it, hard.
"Zack!" Aeris screamed as she ran to him covering her mouth after she to him covering her mouth after she called to him in regret.
He through his hand up quickly to get her to stay back from him, but she ignored him and continued towards him to help him up.
"Who's there?!" Came a deep voice and Zack's eyes grew wide in reaction.
"H- Hojo?" Zack asked weakly as he laid there with his eyes partly closed.
Hojo appeared around the corner of his eye, his face locked in deep anger.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" He yelled as he made his way towards them, his footsteps seeming to stomp against the floor to release his rage.
"I don't know! One minute I'm on the top floor of the Shinra Mansion, the next I'm here! I didn't even know this placed existed!" Zack screamed as he reached up and grabbed Aeris's shoulder. He pulled himself up as he looked up at Hojo trying to balance himself with Aeris holding to his arm.
"Weakling…" Hojo muttered to himself as he surprisingly kicked Zack in the side, causing him to cringe in pain.
"What are you doing!?" Zack yelled as he got to his feet and held to his side and pushed Aeris behind him in protection.
"Get out of my sight…" He commanded as he turned away and started back into the slightly lit room.
"Where's Lucrecia?!" Aeris hollered as she pushed passed Zack's left arm and glared at Hojo awaiting an answer.
He stopped and turned to her pulling down his glasses to his nose glaring back at her evilly and then turned back, continuing to the back down the hallway without saying a word.
"Where is she!? Answer me!" Aeris demanded again as she started after him, her fist shaking with rage.
After the first few soft footsteps from her, Hojo swiftly turned, and pushed back his lab coat quickly. He pushed his hand between the unbuttoned clothing and reached to the side of his pants and then ripped out a black carefully polished revolver and pointed it to her stomach.
"That is none of your concern…" He mumbled and she daringly took another step towards him, causing him to set the gun to fire with a quick click.
Zack quickly ran to Aeris and yanked her back behind him, holding to her waist to keep her still.
"Now get out…" He commanded to them, moving his pointer finger to the trigger.
Zack scowled at him angrily as he began to back up, slipping slightly again as he moved, but Aeris gripped his arms tightly to hold his balance. Hojo never seemed to blink as he watched them slowly leave and Zack turned to Aeris as he left his sight, taking in a deep sigh.
"What was that all about?" Aeris asked quietly as she held to Zack's arms still.
"He's probably on drugs or something…" Zack told her as he gripped her hand and began to lead her through the other door, turning and closing it slowly.
Another click sounded next to Aeris's temple and she shuddered in fear as his hot breathe brushed across her neck.
"Missing something?" He whispered into her ear as he placed his hand in front of her eyes, with her black roped necklace, resting in his palm.
"It would be beset if you didn't move, Zack…" He started, anger rising in his voice as he pulled his hand back from her face after placing it on her shoulder and sliding it down around her chest and around her hips with his body against hers as he slipped his arm around her waist then.
"First you leave me to die, then you fuck around with her… what's next!? You gonna kill me too?!" He shouted as he swung at the back of Zack's head, knocking him into the door.
Dyne's face came into view of Aeris's gaze. Sweat, poured down his face and blood dripped silently down the sides of his temples. His eyes were wide with rage pulsing through his veins as he spoke.
"No!" Aeris shouted as she lunged for Zack to protect him from another violent swing from Dyne's fist but was slammed back into the wall furiously after his grip tightened around her and pushed her.
"Bitch! Don't get into the way!" He screamed as he shot his gaze to her, pulling his gun front of her, between her eyes, his expression threatening.
Zack stirred and jumped to his feet quickly and kicked Dyne in the side quickly.
"What the hell is your problem?!" Zack screamed as he reached to Aeris pulling her up and stood before her, acting as a shield as he looked to Dyne.
"You fucken tried to kill me and then you stole her from me!" Dyne hollered as he painfully lifted himself up to his feet and glared at them.
"What the fuck!? I didn't steal her from you! You're just being an ass about this! And I didn't try to kill you!"
"Well you fucken left me there at Rocket Town to die!!" Dyne screamed back quickly as he shook his fist with fury.
"What else could I do, Dyne?! What?! You left US!" Zack screamed slowly moving his hand to his back for his sword in pain.
"Us?! US!? So you care more for a girl that you met about a week ago but you don't give a damn for your childhood friend?!" Dyne yelled as he clutched his fist tightly, ready to throw it into Zack's face at any moment it seemed.
"Damn straight!"
"Well I hope you fucked her good last night because you're never getting that chance again!" He announced as he slammed his fist into wall on his right side, making a deep imprint and then shot his gun towards them.
Quickly, Zack yanked his sword in front of him from his back and the bullet reflected from the hard steal.
"Damn you! You'll never change!" Zack called out as he held to his sword tightly, looking to Aeris for a split second and then back to Dyne.
"Stop it!" Aeris begged as she tried to move from behind Zack.
"Fucked up bitch! What I tell you!?" He called as he shot another bullet towards them, only to have it bounce of the swords metal again.
"Leave her alone…" Zack told him as he narrowed his eyes down at him, "If you want to continue this, then get out of here, what kind of place is this for you to die in?" Zack asked sarcastically.
"Leave her alone eh? Well how much did she suck your dick to get you to say that, Zack?"
"Shut up! You don't know what happened so keep your mouth shut!" Zack commanded as he slightly lowered his sword in front of him.
"Oh.. I don't do I? I bet you gave her a couple shoves to make her scream… That's the only way to make a girl scream you know… You should have kept her quiet…" He said calmly as he lowered his gun and chuckled to himself.
Zack took in a deep breath as he glared at him, lowering his sword slightly. Aeris put her hands on the sides of Zack's arms to relax him while turning her gaze to the floor.
"My god… I thought I was the only one up at first from her calling for you, but when I took a step into the town the lights of house around the Inn started coming on… it was really quite amusing… You really gave it your all for her…" Dyne said continuing to chuckle at them.
Suddenly, he thrusted his weapon up and fire a shot at them. The bullet flew silently and quickly towards Zack but he swerved his head to the side letting it brush beside his cheek. Aeris looked up quickly but was to in shock to move. Instead she fell backwards shooting her hands up in front of her in a panic and a swirl of bright neon yellow light exploded from the center of her palms as she pushed her right hand behind her left.
A quick bolt of lightning shot towards the bullet and caused it to explode the moment it struck it.
Dyne's eyes lit up quickly as the light created a blinding flash in front of him as he started to back up in shock.
Aeris seemed just as surprised as they were as the light died down letting little sparks flutter down to the ground around them.
Zack seemed to lose his focus and stumbled backwards. The winds began to gather from her feet and push up around her body in a tight spiral. They whipped her hair back in the wind, pushing her bangs to and from in front of her eyes.
"What the-…" Dyne whispered as another blasted through her palm, inches behind her last lightning bolt and within a split second, struck Dyne's chest.
Dyne stayed still after the impact, his eyes still filled with disbelief. Slowly, he then began to take a few steps back after lifting his hand to his wound on the left side of his chest.
He seemed to slip on his last step and dropped to his knees silently. His gunned arm clanked nosily against the stone floor beside him, to tired and injured to shoot it any longer.
Placing his hand carefully to his mouth, he coughed heavily into it. As he moved it away deep, darkened, blood, revealed itself to them on his fingers and palm, as it streamed down his arm.
Aeris hit the wall behind her in shock after as she attempted to back away from Dyne, to frightened to move for what she had done to him.
"Dyne?" Zack whispered as his sword dropped to the floor and clanged heavily against it, the noise echoing loudly through the hall.
Dyne kept quiet as he quelled over and dropped into the floor, his head smacking loudly against the stone, as blood began to drip to the cold floor.
Shuddering, Aeris stood completely still, half expecting Dyne to suddenly rise and blast his gun at them in an attempt to kill them in revenge. But he remained still on the floor, not looking to be breathing.
Slowly, Zack lifted his hand back behind him and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, sliding them gently into her hand's grasp.
"Come on…" Zack whispered as he softly tugged on her hand to get her to move but she was still to deep in disbelief to move from her spot.
"Please…we have to get out of here…" Zack pleaded to her as he pulled on her again to make her leave.
"What was that…?" She asked herself acting as if she hadn't heard a word he had said to her.
"It's ok, Aeris…come on…" He begged again, trying to decide whether he should pull her harder or lift her and run.
"What have I d-do-done…?" She stuttered as she looked to her hands noticing that they were shaking, even her one with Zack's black leather gloved hand clasped around it shook in fear.
"Aeris…it wasn't your fault…" He tried to tell her to calm her down.
"W-What have I-I-…" She started again but was stopped by Zack's gentle hand pressed against her lips.
"It's ok… come on…" He told her looking deep into her eyes, his face inches from her own. He wanted to kiss her fiercely, hug her tightly and stay there telling it her it was alright, over and over again, but at the same time, he wanted to get out and run as fast as he could to the next town over to hide from everyone there in that town with her.
Aeris slowly took a few steps forward towards Zack as he reached down and grabbed his sword. He placed it silently behind his back and then reached out to her with it, slipping it under her arm and around her waist as she got closer to him.
She kept her gaze to Dyne's lifeless body as Zack started to lead her away towards the spiral stairs.
Quickly, Zack noticed that Aeris seemed still focused in fear at what she had done. He lifted his hand and placed his palm on the side of her face as he pushed her gaze from Dyne's corpse to him.
He lowered his head to her and started to shake it slowly as he continued to walk quietly towards the first step.
"Don't…" He started, but was hushed by Aeris's sudden push against his lips with her own as tears began to stream down her pale cheeks.
As she pulled away she continued to sob as she buried her face into his chest gripping his purple sweater as she cried.
"I killed him… I killed him… What I have I done? What…?" She mumbled and he wrapped his arms around her tightly in comfort as he lowered his head into her hair softly, rocking her back and forth.
"It's ok…you did nothing wrong…" Zack told her, his grip tightening around her waist as he held back his own lump in his throat.
He slipped his one hand down to the back of her knees and scooped her into his arms, letting her continue to mourn Dyne. He himself knew it was not her fault, but his own. If he hadn't pushed his relationship with Aeris, he wouldn't have had to worry about Dyne.
But he had, and he didn't regret it until now as he slightly turned back to face his childhood friend's broken body.
As quietly as he could he made his way up the stairs, praying that the towns people wouldn't go and hunt them down and kill them as well.