Chapter 27: Reunion or fake?
Slowly, Aeris gently opened her large emerald eyes but her vision was still blurred so she couldn't make out anything around her.
To weak to even slide her arms to her waist, she laid sprawled across the cold floor.
The silence was deathly, and a cold shiver ran through her body as she lied there quietly.
She curled her fingers carefully to form a fist hoping it would help her move her to sit up but she still could not move an inch from her spot.
Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness now, as she started to examine what she could see of the room. Trying to get as much as she could so she could know whether she was in danger or not, she slightly turned her head from side to side to get a better view.
Taking in a deep breath, she started to slip her right hand steadily to her side, it shook in pain violently as it moved as well. She clenched her eyes shut to drown out the shock of each of her moments as it stung her as she then slowly began to pull her left hand back with her right.
The room was nearly pitched back excepted for the dimly lit candles that gently glowed only in the corners. They were nearly worn down to their metal stands that they were placed in as well as looking to go out at any second.
Painfully, she pushed herself to her knees and groaned as the blood began to surge back throughout her quickly now, causing her to become dizzy.
A cold rush of wind suddenly washed over her followed by a loud creek to her right side.
Cautiously, she twisted her head to face the source of the noise, her bangs draped over her eyes as she took in several deep breathes to steady herself.
A bright white light emerged down the deep damp hall and Aeris squinted intensely to avoid from its emitting brightness but seemed to fail greatly. She leaned back and quickly placed her hands behind her before she could collapse back onto the floor.
Aeris felt to out of breath and to stared to move but mustered up the strength that remained in her and began to pull herself to her feet, using the side of the wall as a banister.
Stumbling a little, she then tried to make her way over to a bookshelf that she could barely make out.
Soft footsteps began to echo behind her and she quickly began to pick up her pace and pretty much lunged at its side.
Gripping it tightly she yanked her weak body toward it's back where a small opened crack was that she could barely get through. She collapsed breathlessly when she finally made it through and began to listen to the continuing footsteps against the hard wooden floor.
Aeris continued to stay as silent as she could after the footsteps finally ceased but an eerie feeling came over her as she sat quietly.
The person nearby had to be a man, as she listened to him groan and take in a deep sigh. She carefully continued to try and hear anything else to see if he was going to leave but the soft sound of footsteps did not return to comfort her.
"Damn. Aeris where are you? I know there's no way outta this room so give it up already, please." he told her as he let loose another deep sigh.
Her eyes grew with shock and her body began to gently shake in fear but she remained in her spot not daring to move.
"Come on, you're only making it harder on yourself, and I don't want to find you, ok? Can't you even make out who I am?" he asked after releasing another long final sigh.
Aeris sat quietly, thinking of what he meant and Zack's name rushed through her mind and she quickly jumped from her spot and rushed out from behind the shelf, lunging at him without thinking.
Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her slowly seeming to be confused and Aeris noticed how cold he felt.
Quickly, she released him and backed away, stumbling tiring backwards in fear it was someone else she was holding but as she looked to him, she noticed it was Zack. Something came over her as if it was warning her that something wasn't right but she couldn't tell what.
Carefully, she examined him and when her eyes met with his, she noticed that they were a much brighter blue then before. like Cloud's even. instead of his warm chocolate brown.
Slowly, she stretched her delicate pale hand to the side of his face, starting to move a bit closer to him to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
"What happened to you?" she asked gently as he raised his right hand from his side and placed it over hers.
"The lifestream, it does this to everyone.." He told her calmly and she quickly turned her head back to a broken mirror that she had spotted earlier. As she looked she noticed her eyes were still their bright emerald green.
"But mine haven't changed.." Aeris explained to him, confusion high in her voice.
"Well, I've been exposed to this ever since I was placed in that tank by Hojo over in Niblehiem." He told her and it sent a shock through her body.
Aeris never remembered that though Vincent and Dyne in that town were chasing all she could remember down.
"What are you talking about? You were never in a tank.." She told Zack, her voice growing weak.
"Yes I was, with Cloud." Zack informed her and her eyes started to grow wide with fear.
"Wait. You told me you had no idea who Cloud even was before."
"Wha? When did I ever say that? He was the only guy I could save after Sephiroth burned the city down.
Aeris now became extremely confused, nothing was making sense anymore, she felt as if she didn't belong and he wasn't Zack to her.
Carefully, she began to back away from him and he started to look hurt with each step she took.
"Aeris.?"
"Stay back! You're not Zack! Who are you?!" she demanded to know and he took one step towards her, holding out his arms to her.
"I am Zack. Aeris, I'm alive, the Shinra never completely killed me."
"Shinra? They weren't even at Costa Del Sol when the weapon attacked."
"Weapon? But they've all been destroyed," he told her shouldn't very confused himself now.
"No! You fell into the lifestream with me after the weapon attacked! If you can't remember that, then you're not Zack! At least not the one that I know!" Aeris screamed as she turned towards the opened door and started to run towards it.
"Aeris! No! Stop!" he begged as he started after her, pushing all his strength to transform into his speed.
Aeris ignored him, hoping only that her haste spell remained on her but she felt to seem so much slower then before.
She was pushing herself now, trying hard to get away from him but her luck wasn't holding as he began to draw closer to her.
Zack raised his arms up, out stretching them as far as they could go to grab her and as she paused to turn so not she couldn't slip, he dove towards her, knocking her to the floor quickly.
"Aeris what's wrong with you!? Don't you recognize your own first love at all?" He asked her as he gripped her wrists tightly so she couldn't get away again.
"You're not Zack! It's not possible! You don't even look like him!" She screamed trying to fight him off.
"How can you say that!? I look just the way I did when I left for SOLDIER!" He told her as he struggled to sit up and pull her up with him.
"No! You never left, something's. not right. I'm so confused. " She told him, finally giving up the fight against his strength and let herself fall limp from exhaustion into his arms.
Softly, Zack released her wrists realizing how tired she felt now and let her fall into his chest. He took in several deep breaths heavily, trying to regain his strength as he gently slipped his arms around her waist and held her calmingly.
Carefully, he slipped his black-gloved left hand under her knees and pulled her to the side slightly so she'd be more comfortable while pulling his arm to her side with his other hand resting over her silky brown hair, indented at her neck.
She curled her fingers around his shoulder while she pressed the side of her face half way into his chest praying that everything that had happened was only a bad dream and she would wake from it soon.
"Everything. will be alright soon." he told her trying to sound comforting but Aeris knew what he had said could never be true.
Instead of arguing with him about his remark, she remained quiet hoping to just fall asleep in his arms in that moment, not caring whether he was the Zack she knew or not.
"Aeris?" He whispered as he stroked the back of her neck gently.
"Hmm?"
"Have you calmed down now?" He asked her, opening his eyes to down at her.
"I.. I don't know." she told him softly, refusing to move.
"We have to see the others soon. They're all worried about you." Zack told her and Aeris shook her head slowly against his chest.
"No. the others. are not here."
Zack confusingly, reached over and grabbed her shoulders and began to gently tug her away from him.
"What do you mean? They're just over Mt. Nibel."
"Mt. Nibel.? But. didn't I just come from Costa Del Sol?" She asked him, her mind beginning to riddle with questions once again.
He chuckled at her as if she was just joking to him and then shook his head wildly at her.
"Of coarse not! You were over in Rocket Town!" He said, surprising her instantly.
Aeris pushed herself to her feet in that second he spoke and started towards the door.
"Where are you going?" He asked her as he started to get up himself.
Aeris quickly placed her hand out in front of him to stop him from getting up and kept going the rest of the way out the door, hesitating greatly.
Zack sat stunned looking to her last piece of her fingers as it slipped out the door.
He then tried to arise and follow her but something held him down and he began to fiercely try and pull himself up.
Forcefully, he tried to yank his hand free from the binding but it was if it was glued to it.
"Damn it!" he cried as he attempted again to break free from the binding but was still held down.
Zack squinted his eyes to see any part to Aeris, hoping to get her attention so she could help him but then another thought crossed his mind. Was she was the one who did this? No. Can't be! He thought to himself as he continued to struggle.
Outside, Aeris continued towards Costa Del Sol, praying to find the real Zack she knew and loved there instead.
"Zack. please wait for me." she whispered.
Slowly, Aeris gently opened her large emerald eyes but her vision was still blurred so she couldn't make out anything around her.
To weak to even slide her arms to her waist, she laid sprawled across the cold floor.
The silence was deathly, and a cold shiver ran through her body as she lied there quietly.
She curled her fingers carefully to form a fist hoping it would help her move her to sit up but she still could not move an inch from her spot.
Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness now, as she started to examine what she could see of the room. Trying to get as much as she could so she could know whether she was in danger or not, she slightly turned her head from side to side to get a better view.
Taking in a deep breath, she started to slip her right hand steadily to her side, it shook in pain violently as it moved as well. She clenched her eyes shut to drown out the shock of each of her moments as it stung her as she then slowly began to pull her left hand back with her right.
The room was nearly pitched back excepted for the dimly lit candles that gently glowed only in the corners. They were nearly worn down to their metal stands that they were placed in as well as looking to go out at any second.
Painfully, she pushed herself to her knees and groaned as the blood began to surge back throughout her quickly now, causing her to become dizzy.
A cold rush of wind suddenly washed over her followed by a loud creek to her right side.
Cautiously, she twisted her head to face the source of the noise, her bangs draped over her eyes as she took in several deep breathes to steady herself.
A bright white light emerged down the deep damp hall and Aeris squinted intensely to avoid from its emitting brightness but seemed to fail greatly. She leaned back and quickly placed her hands behind her before she could collapse back onto the floor.
Aeris felt to out of breath and to stared to move but mustered up the strength that remained in her and began to pull herself to her feet, using the side of the wall as a banister.
Stumbling a little, she then tried to make her way over to a bookshelf that she could barely make out.
Soft footsteps began to echo behind her and she quickly began to pick up her pace and pretty much lunged at its side.
Gripping it tightly she yanked her weak body toward it's back where a small opened crack was that she could barely get through. She collapsed breathlessly when she finally made it through and began to listen to the continuing footsteps against the hard wooden floor.
Aeris continued to stay as silent as she could after the footsteps finally ceased but an eerie feeling came over her as she sat quietly.
The person nearby had to be a man, as she listened to him groan and take in a deep sigh. She carefully continued to try and hear anything else to see if he was going to leave but the soft sound of footsteps did not return to comfort her.
"Damn. Aeris where are you? I know there's no way outta this room so give it up already, please." he told her as he let loose another deep sigh.
Her eyes grew with shock and her body began to gently shake in fear but she remained in her spot not daring to move.
"Come on, you're only making it harder on yourself, and I don't want to find you, ok? Can't you even make out who I am?" he asked after releasing another long final sigh.
Aeris sat quietly, thinking of what he meant and Zack's name rushed through her mind and she quickly jumped from her spot and rushed out from behind the shelf, lunging at him without thinking.
Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her slowly seeming to be confused and Aeris noticed how cold he felt.
Quickly, she released him and backed away, stumbling tiring backwards in fear it was someone else she was holding but as she looked to him, she noticed it was Zack. Something came over her as if it was warning her that something wasn't right but she couldn't tell what.
Carefully, she examined him and when her eyes met with his, she noticed that they were a much brighter blue then before. like Cloud's even. instead of his warm chocolate brown.
Slowly, she stretched her delicate pale hand to the side of his face, starting to move a bit closer to him to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
"What happened to you?" she asked gently as he raised his right hand from his side and placed it over hers.
"The lifestream, it does this to everyone.." He told her calmly and she quickly turned her head back to a broken mirror that she had spotted earlier. As she looked she noticed her eyes were still their bright emerald green.
"But mine haven't changed.." Aeris explained to him, confusion high in her voice.
"Well, I've been exposed to this ever since I was placed in that tank by Hojo over in Niblehiem." He told her and it sent a shock through her body.
Aeris never remembered that though Vincent and Dyne in that town were chasing all she could remember down.
"What are you talking about? You were never in a tank.." She told Zack, her voice growing weak.
"Yes I was, with Cloud." Zack informed her and her eyes started to grow wide with fear.
"Wait. You told me you had no idea who Cloud even was before."
"Wha? When did I ever say that? He was the only guy I could save after Sephiroth burned the city down.
Aeris now became extremely confused, nothing was making sense anymore, she felt as if she didn't belong and he wasn't Zack to her.
Carefully, she began to back away from him and he started to look hurt with each step she took.
"Aeris.?"
"Stay back! You're not Zack! Who are you?!" she demanded to know and he took one step towards her, holding out his arms to her.
"I am Zack. Aeris, I'm alive, the Shinra never completely killed me."
"Shinra? They weren't even at Costa Del Sol when the weapon attacked."
"Weapon? But they've all been destroyed," he told her shouldn't very confused himself now.
"No! You fell into the lifestream with me after the weapon attacked! If you can't remember that, then you're not Zack! At least not the one that I know!" Aeris screamed as she turned towards the opened door and started to run towards it.
"Aeris! No! Stop!" he begged as he started after her, pushing all his strength to transform into his speed.
Aeris ignored him, hoping only that her haste spell remained on her but she felt to seem so much slower then before.
She was pushing herself now, trying hard to get away from him but her luck wasn't holding as he began to draw closer to her.
Zack raised his arms up, out stretching them as far as they could go to grab her and as she paused to turn so not she couldn't slip, he dove towards her, knocking her to the floor quickly.
"Aeris what's wrong with you!? Don't you recognize your own first love at all?" He asked her as he gripped her wrists tightly so she couldn't get away again.
"You're not Zack! It's not possible! You don't even look like him!" She screamed trying to fight him off.
"How can you say that!? I look just the way I did when I left for SOLDIER!" He told her as he struggled to sit up and pull her up with him.
"No! You never left, something's. not right. I'm so confused. " She told him, finally giving up the fight against his strength and let herself fall limp from exhaustion into his arms.
Softly, Zack released her wrists realizing how tired she felt now and let her fall into his chest. He took in several deep breaths heavily, trying to regain his strength as he gently slipped his arms around her waist and held her calmingly.
Carefully, he slipped his black-gloved left hand under her knees and pulled her to the side slightly so she'd be more comfortable while pulling his arm to her side with his other hand resting over her silky brown hair, indented at her neck.
She curled her fingers around his shoulder while she pressed the side of her face half way into his chest praying that everything that had happened was only a bad dream and she would wake from it soon.
"Everything. will be alright soon." he told her trying to sound comforting but Aeris knew what he had said could never be true.
Instead of arguing with him about his remark, she remained quiet hoping to just fall asleep in his arms in that moment, not caring whether he was the Zack she knew or not.
"Aeris?" He whispered as he stroked the back of her neck gently.
"Hmm?"
"Have you calmed down now?" He asked her, opening his eyes to down at her.
"I.. I don't know." she told him softly, refusing to move.
"We have to see the others soon. They're all worried about you." Zack told her and Aeris shook her head slowly against his chest.
"No. the others. are not here."
Zack confusingly, reached over and grabbed her shoulders and began to gently tug her away from him.
"What do you mean? They're just over Mt. Nibel."
"Mt. Nibel.? But. didn't I just come from Costa Del Sol?" She asked him, her mind beginning to riddle with questions once again.
He chuckled at her as if she was just joking to him and then shook his head wildly at her.
"Of coarse not! You were over in Rocket Town!" He said, surprising her instantly.
Aeris pushed herself to her feet in that second he spoke and started towards the door.
"Where are you going?" He asked her as he started to get up himself.
Aeris quickly placed her hand out in front of him to stop him from getting up and kept going the rest of the way out the door, hesitating greatly.
Zack sat stunned looking to her last piece of her fingers as it slipped out the door.
He then tried to arise and follow her but something held him down and he began to fiercely try and pull himself up.
Forcefully, he tried to yank his hand free from the binding but it was if it was glued to it.
"Damn it!" he cried as he attempted again to break free from the binding but was still held down.
Zack squinted his eyes to see any part to Aeris, hoping to get her attention so she could help him but then another thought crossed his mind. Was she was the one who did this? No. Can't be! He thought to himself as he continued to struggle.
Outside, Aeris continued towards Costa Del Sol, praying to find the real Zack she knew and loved there instead.
"Zack. please wait for me." she whispered.