2. The Stranger
"I Just don't know about him anymore Aeris. Everyday it seems as if he's getting worse. Just today he made our whole Platoon run through the whole city, and I simply told him to take a break and he exploded on me..." Zack paced back and forth in the old church observing the yellow flowers in the path way. Aeris truly was an enigma. Never before he met her had he seen such beauty in the city.
"Watch your step Zack."
Zack looked down and saw a yellow flower now trampled under his boots. He backed up and stood on the worn wooden floor. "Sorry. Didn't realize I was steppin' on them."
Aeris planted a few more seeds and stood up. "It's alright. Have you ever thought that maybe he is not the type that likes constant attention? Do you think that is why he is getting short with you these days?" Aeris saw the distant look in his eyes and felt concerned.
"No. He's always put up with me...I even got him to smile once. Now he's threatening to kill me if I even talk to him. He even left the platoon with me and marched off! I think there is something on his mind, and it just nerves me because it's pointless to get him to talk!" Zack kicked one of the fallen wooden ceiling boards.
Aeris grasped his shoulder and he slowly turned to meet her face. "I'm sorry Zack. I didn't know you two were so close."
"Heh. It's alright Aeris. At least I have you. I don't exactly know what I'd be doin' now if I didn't have you." He gave her a mischievous smile and picked her up, twirling her around and around.
"He, he, he! Stop it Zack! Stop! You're making me dizzy!" She giggled and held on to him for dear life.
"Oooh, okay." He reluctantly set her back down. She kept her firm hold on him to balance herself, her face wearing a big smile. He loved it when she used him for support. He pulled her close to his body and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They swayed back and forth as if there was some kind of sweet melody echoing in the walls of the long abandoned church.
"Do you hear the steady rhythm of the music, or is it my heart singing out to you?" He whispered in her ear. She was like cradling an angel. The look on her face was priceless. It was as if she were in a fantasy. A content smile carved into her lips as she leaned her head against his chest where his heart beat, and closed her eyes.
In a nearly low whisper she told him, "I love you Zack."
He felt his blood rush to those very words. The heart she was listening to was probably 10 beats faster than it had been before. He wanted to marry this girl. He wanted to share a future with her for the rest of his life. She loved him, and gods, he loved her.
"I love you too, Aeris. More than anything." He rested his chin atop her hair. It smelled of Vanilla or jasmine.
Her grasp around him tightened and he returned the grip to her. They held each other for what seemed hours.
Suddenly realization kicked him in his black spiky head.
"OH SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!! Aeris!! How long have I been here?!"
She didn't understand why all of the sudden he was so shaken up. "You've only been here about an hour and a half, why?"
"Sephiroth gave me orders to take the Platoon back to the barracks. If they aren't back there by the time he gets there, I am in a shit load of... shit!"
He grabbed his sword and dashed to the door of the church, quickly backtracking to Aeris to kiss her goodbye. "I'll see ya soon, okay!"
And he was gone. Aeris shook her head and giggled at the door as if there was an invisible person mimicking Zack's movements. "Sometimes I think he thinks his job is more important, but I can't help but fall for his silly quirks." She giggled and went back to her garden and prepared flowers for work.
He had been running for hours now. If he cared, he would have been back to the SOLIDER quarters on the upper plate, to make sure Zack followed orders. He was more concerned about how he was going to murder the president. Sephiroth could easily kill him, but then all his devotees, including Hojo, would strike him down in the process. He may have been stronger than Hojo, but that damned professor had toxins in his lab that could kill nearly anything, even the Mako enhanced general himself. He'd have to convince people that the president wasn't in fact trying to make their lives better, but trying to make nothing more than a profit from them to fit his personal needs and ambitions. It was because of him the city remained dark, polluted and poor. All the SOLDIERS would be on Sephiroth's side, but his SOLIDERs vs. the whole city would be a pretty bloody battle, and he did not want that. He didn't want to repeat another Wutain War. Then a thought crossed his mind.
The President's birthday was coming up. He always gave presidential speeches and had huge parties on his birthday. He would invite Sephiroth to the party. He always did. That's when he'd take care of business. Hojo didn't make public appearances and he could kill anyone else who got in his way. It was perfect. It would be spontaneous. It would be Shinra's birth date, and his death date. An evil grin crept across his lips.
Sephiroth slowed his pace and gradually started walking. People who passed him by looked up at him in deep respect and awe. That is how it should be. No respect should be paid to Shinra at all. He observed the area. He was in Sector 5. Sector 5 was known for Hell houses, thieves and poor people who lived in pipes. There were puddles underneath his boots from the run-off of the upper plate. The upper plate had gotten bad rainy weather that day. There were days when people up there could see a hint of sunshine through the smog that was the sky. But these people down here only got the scraps that ran off underneath the table and a big plate for a sky. The air was muggy and the smell gave him a headache. It smelt of rusted metal and human wastes. He needed to get out of here. This was definitely no place to gather thoughts.
Just as he was about to turn to leave, a hint of light shone out the corner of his eye. He fully turned around to see natural light coming from a direction towards the east of the area. Ignoring everyone's gazes, he walked over to the source of light. Following the path, he came to a colorful house, radiant with sunshine and planet life. The thing he noticed next caught his attention. A garden that contained flowers of many colors covered the dull ground as far as he could see. There were pinks, yellows, reds, purples and even colors he never knew flowers could be. He never in his life had seen such beauty in Midgar, even living on the top plate. It must have been an area at the edge of the plate where no smog attacked it; either that or some kind of unknown force was causing these things to grow, and the air to be fresh. The air felt invigorating and a soft breeze radiated from the plants. It whipped his hair back and he found himself going near the garden, whether anyone was in that house watching him or not. He touched the flowers to make sure that they were indeed real. He picked one from a long stem and plucked the petals off and watched them flutter to the ground.
It truly looked like a painting he'd seen somewhere. He just couldn't pin point where. As much as he wanted to take a few with him to remind him that there was life somewhere in this city untouched by that vile bastard, he didn't want his SOLIDERS to think he was some kind of Nancy-boy who collected flowers. He walked up on what looked like a homemade ramp that barely held his weight and studied the daisies growing from there. He felt rejuvenated. He sat down with his knees folded to his chest and meditated. The scent of the flowers were filling his nose, intoxicating his mind. He'd never forget the smell. It was so sweet and unfamiliar. For a moment, albeit a short one, he forgot his troubles and drifted into oblivion.
"Wow. That is weird. Where is Sephiroth? Usually he is on my tail for my every mistake."
Zack was now at the barracks, showing the platoon where to bathe, where to get wash uniforms, etc. It was not a job for one man to do, but his help was missing. He figured as soon as he opened the door, Sephiroth would be standing at the door waiting to impale him on his blade, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Lt. General Ames, Sir, Will General Sephiroth be returning?" A spiky Blonde haired guy asked.
"Call me Zack. You only have to address me formally when the big guy is around. I don't know where he is at the moment actually, and I do not know when he'll be back." Zack scratched his head. In the time he was spending waiting for Sephiroth to return, he could be kissing Aeris and talking about his future.
"What do you need him for anyways?"
"Oh nothing. I was just going to ask for a challenge. For Weapon practice."
Zack inwardly laughed. "Are you sure you want to do that? The General doesn't go lenient on anyone. One missed move, you would be butchered meat and he wouldn't care." Zack did some squats. "Hmmm... You could always practice with me. I'll go easy on you if ya want."
The Blonde smirked. "Alright, but please don't go easy on me. I'll never learn to fight hard if you treat me like a woman."
"Deal.—What is your name again?" Zack was never good at remembering names.
"Strife. Cloud Strife. Don't forget it!" A confident smirk perfectly described his facial expression.
"RIIIGHT. Well Strife. Let's begin. Only weapons. No Materia. Not even curative materia. You will only be inclined to use your weapon. It is both your offense and your defense. If you don't know how to use both, you are in deep dog shit."
"Ooo-kay."
Cloud pulled out his sword and took battle stance. Zack drew out his "Buster Sword" and took a similar stance.
"Not bad, Strife. You musta been watching." Zack circled Cloud and gave a quick swipe. Cloud blocked it with the flat of his sword.
"I learn quickly." Cloud growled as he pushed himself up and plunged his sword at Zack, only to be blocked by his wide sword.
Every strike Cloud took, Zack averted and swiftly countered.
"Damn! So that's why that sword is so fucking big!" Cloud had always wondered why the buster sword was so wide. Now he knew. It could serve as shield also.
If it were a real battle, Cloud would have been dead a long time ago, but Zack didn't care. He was having fun being easy on him. By the time Cloud had become so out of breath he couldn't pick himself up, Zack came up to him hardly sweating and gave him a fake stab.
"AHHHH you were killed! I win, I win, I win" Zack was doing a little victory dance that looked a little like the Funky Chicken. Other SOLDIERS in the barracks watching them fight started laughing at his little dance.
Defeated, Cloud shook his head at the dancing General.
"Ah, I'll get better. I'll get as good as you, if not better!" Cloud picked himself up and put away his sword. He was not offended by the other's laughing. He was actually brave to challenge a General—something most of them wouldn't dream of yet.
All those years practicing paid off. He had just left Nibelhiem a year ago to join SOLDIER and become someone. His mind thought of that one girl who made him do this. That one girl was popular, and hardly noticed him. Maybe if he got famous like Zack or even Sephiroth, he could make her notice him. He would befriend Zack and learn from him. It was the best thing he could do. Reach out above the rest and aim for the best.
"Hey Zack, you think you could give me a few pointers on bushido strategy?"
Zack was amused. The first Solider to ever want to learn from him and not Sephiroth. Of course he would.
"Sure dude. We'll practice more when we are off duty, though. If Sephiroth knew we were fighting in the barracks, he'd wet his panties."
"Good. Well I'm going to hit the showers...again. I got a pretty good workout from that and I stink now."
"Ight. See ya dude."
It was getting late by Aeris' watch and she hurriedly walked home. There was even more danger out in the slums when people weren't around to stop it. As paranoid and scared as she was, she would not quit her job of being a flower merchant just because she was afraid of the dark. Even though the plate blocked the sky view, one could tell it was starting to get dark. The gray atmosphere slowly got darker. She wanted to make it back home before the pitch black set in and all the evil faces crept out.
When she came up to the door of her house, her mother hurled her in the door way, hand covering her mouth, totally shocking the flower merchant.
From her mouth in Elmyra's hands, escaped a muffled yelp.
"Shh... if you say something, he'll know we live here." Elmyra slowly removed her hand from Aeris' shocked face.
She silently shut the door and led Aeris to the window. Her voice was a whisper. "Look in your flower garden."
Aeris shot her an accusing glance then headed to the window. She jumped back in shock. "MOM! How long has he been here? Has he seen you? Are you alright? Why is he here? He wasn't looking for me was he?"
"Slow down Aeris. I can only answer one question at a time. He has been here since this afternoon, and no he has not seen me. I saw him approaching the house, and immediately hid whenever I recognized who it was. Besides, he didn't look like he was coming to talk. It looked like your garden was his purpose for coming here. He picked up your flowers, child. He looked at them like he's never seen them before. He scared me half to death. I silently went to get the pepper spray, just incase, but by the time I found it, he was asleep. I don't know if he expected to fall asleep here, or what. All I know is I'm not going to sleep well with the infamous Shinra General sleeping in your garden."
"It's alright Mom. I'm sure he'll be gone without bothering us. Zack said he wouldn't kill anyone unless they provoked him."
"Heh. I wonder what his definition of 'provoke' is." Elmyra glued her eyes to the window, making sure the General in her daughter's garden didn't move a muscle.
"Mom. As long as we stay out of his way, we'll be all right. Go and get some sleep. I'll keep watch." Aeris hoped Zack told the truth about Sephiroth, because if he didn't and Sephiroth decided to waltz into their house and murder them, Aeris would come back from the dead just long enough to castrate him.
"Are you sure dear?" Elmyra was hesitant to leave, but once Aeris made up her mind, she didn't change it.
"Yes, Mom. Goodnight." She kissed Elmyra on the cheek and returned to the window. She smiled at the slumbering man surrounded by her special flowers.
He didn't look as vicious as Zack described him. Perhaps it was because she had never seen him in action. She wanted to get a better view, but she was afraid of him. Zack said he always wore a frown. He was right about that. Maybe he did it so much, his face molded to that expression. It was quite hard for her to think of how bad life could possibly be to permanently wear a frown. He had the wealth, the respect...Was it respect, or was it fear? Her mother was definitely afraid of him. She herself didn't respect him so much, because of all the killing he had done, but she certainly didn't hate him. She had no reason to.
She quietly opened the door to Elmyra's room to find her sleeping peacefully. She closed the door and grabbed her rod that rest on the table just in case she'd need it if he attacked her. Glancing out the window one last time, she made sure he was still asleep. He was, so she went to the door, and silently opened it.
Being deathly quiet, she tiptoed over to her garden. She didn't bother with her boots; the ground she was walking on was soft. That and if she wore them, he would be able to hear her for a mile away. The breath escaping her lips was so faint she could only hear her heart beat. Placing her rod in her hands she walked up to the sleeping form. When she came within 5 feet of him, she quietly placed the rod down and walked up to him. His face was placed on his arm, which limply hung over his knees. He was so still he looked like a statue. Aeris slowly knelt down to his level and just stared at him. His features were remarkable. He had not one scar or blemish on his face. His hair looked extremely soft, and faintly glowed in the blue darkness. Tracing the outline of his body with her eyes, she concluded he was way more built than Zack, and definitely stronger judging by the huge sword sitting on the ground next to him. It was twice as long as Zack's Buster sword. She wanted to touch this statue, but was afraid it would come alive and kill her, so she just looked. She noticed a bunched up flower stem in his limp hands, which was missing the petals.
He had drifted into sleep through his meditation. It was the most relaxing meditation period he ever experienced. He was startled though when he heard whispers with his acute ears. He knew people occupied the house, but as long as they didn't try him, he'd leave when everything was peaceful and quiet with no harm done. When the lights had went out, he was about to leave when he heard the door creak open. He sat completely still and pretended to be asleep. Through nearly closed eyelids, he watched the lone figure approach him, weapon in hand. He thought he was going to have to kill the figure, but it stopped and placed the weapon down a few feet away. What he didn't understand, was why the figure, now coming closer, just looked at him. With each closer step he confirmed it was a girl, at least seventeen, with hardly any muscle at all. He wouldn't have to defend himself after all. Though he didn't express it, it startled him when she knelt down in front of him and stared intently. It was as if she were reading his soul. Darkness took away all the colors, but he could tell she had long dark hair and radiant eyes. Her figure was slim, but not bone skinny. She had the features of a classic beauty. The fantasy women in famous paintings. If this was her garden, then she was a woman that only existed in dreams. Was he dreaming?
A/N: I'll stop there. If you haven't begun to realize it, this is going to be an Aeris/Sephiroth story. Hmm...That does not mean Sephiroth is going to be soft and fluffy. The plot still stands. He is still going to try to get rid of Shinra and do things his way...
Feel free to review and tell me what you think. The first chapter was quite boring; I will try my best to not make you yawn while you read it from now on.