Okay

Okay! Next Chapter Up! Hope the last one was enjoyable and that this new one will be as interesting! I posted a colored version of the motorcycle scene, in case anyone's interested. Done real quick…but I think it's alright. Now…The story shall take a different route, new adventures! YAY!! I've been waiting for this chapter! Well, I'll get typing now! Please review!

-Annubis

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Squaresoft Does.

Chapter 11

'It's a dream…all a dream…' Aeris fluttered her eyes. 'My shoulder hurts…my chest feels like its on fire…' She tried moving and winced as she felt pain jolt through her upper body.

"And that is about it. I came here to find Sephiroth and then everything led to this."

'That voice!' Aeris' eyes shot open. A man with dark hair and magnificent blue eyes was holding her and looking up at her friends.

"OH MY GOD!!" Aeris squirmed and removed herself from the man's arms. The man turned his view quickly to her.

"What's wrong!?" He stood up and reached for her as she crawled away from him.

"I…YOU!" Aeris looked around, seeing all the shocked faces. Cloud was in Tifa's lap, unconscious. They looked so pitiful. Tifa had blood all over her hands and lower arms. A few specks were on her cheeks. Cloud was wrapped up with Vincent's now blood soaked cape. Aeris gave a sigh of relief when she noticed he was still breathing.

"Aeris, its okay…It's me…" The man lowered his hand and kneeled in front of her. "…Zack." He gave her a reassuring smile.

"…" Aeris' eyes widened with shock. She began to sob. "…Zack!!" She hopped up and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Don't move too much! We just cured those wounds! We wouldn't want you to break them open again." He smiled at her; his eyes were shining more brightly than ever.

"Where?" She leaned back and looked at him. "Where have you been?" A few tears streamed down her cheeks.

"In Hojo's lab…" Zack leaned forward and picked the flower girl up. "I'll explain everything to you soon."

"I missed you!" She hugged him again. "I missed you so much! You have no idea!" She began sobbing again.

"We should go…" Vincent said out loud. He turned towards Tifa and lifted Cloud from her lap.

"I agree." Red padded to the edge of the platform, looking at the water below him. It seemed endless to him.

"Come on…let's get going…" Cid lit a cigarette. "Ya know, I promised to give her a ride in the Highwind. Just glad things weren't worse. Wouldn't wanna break a promise…" He puffed and began walking out into the city. He looked back at Aeris, a look of concern on his face.

"Where to now?" Tifa stared at Cloud. His head was flopping back and forth with every step Vincent took.

"Maybe we should look for her mother." Cait Sith added.

"No…" Zack replied, not looking at anyone. "We can do that later. Right now, let's get everyone to a safe place, far away from Sephiroth."

"I think that is a marvelous idea…" Yuffie skipped next to him.

"Besides, you all look like you could use the rest…am I right?" He looked down at Yuffie and smiled.

"Totally! But where?" She looked at the group.

"I have an idea…" Zack smiled and led the group through the forest. "We gotta pick up my chocobo. He can carry Cloud and Aeris. Then we can move faster." Tifa turned towards Zack. She waited for him to get beside her and then continued next to him.

"Is he going to be okay?" Tifa blinked a few tears away.

"Yeah…he'll be fine." Zack frowned and slid on his sunglasses, leaning his head forward into the frames since he was holding Aeris. He frowned and looked back at Tifa. "Back then…you said you hated me." Tifa gasped at what Zack just said.

"I..." Tifa sniffed.

"I bet you hate me even more now…" Zack was not looking at her anymore. "Sorry, Tifa. I shouldn't have been so rough."

"No one can blame you…he was going to kill her…" Vincent joined in, his voice eerie in the silence of the forest.

"I can't believe him! Why would he!?" Yuffie glared in Cloud's direction. Tifa lowered her head, not making eye contact with anyone. "We shoulda just left him there!" Yuffie folded her arms and stuck out her chest.

"What!?" Tifa stopped walking.

"There's no tellin' what the spiky haired weirdo will do next." Barret walked beside Tifa.

"But…Cloud…" Tifa's eyes began to well up with tears once again. Zack saw she was about to break down and stopped.

"No. It's Sephiroth. He's the cause of all this." Zack looked around him. "He's controlling Cloud. He's making him do his dirty work. I think…it may have something to do with Jenova's cells. It makes it easy for him to manipulate. Don't blame him…I think things will get harder, but as for Sephiroth controlling him, it should get easier for Cloud to control himself. I hope…" Zack continued walking.

"I see…" Red XIII looked up at the blonde haired man. "It would make sense. And now that you're around, he won't think that he is you…then he can have more self-awareness…and then…this is so confusing! I can't wait to tell grandpa about all this." The creature continued pacing, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Almost there…my chocobo's just outside waiting for me." Zack smiled.

'What happened?' Cloud thought to himself. 'We were in the City of the Ancients…looking for Aeris. I walked down the long staircase…and around the small buildings that were around the platform…' An image of Aeris praying flashes through his memory.

'Aeris! She was there, praying. And I…I don't remember. There was yelling…I couldn't move…but I was? Then everything stopped. And the pain…' Cloud squirmed. He thought of the metal that flew into his body. 'It was so sharp…Sephiroth? No…' An image of the bright light that floated above the platform went through his brain.

'Zzzzz…Ack!' Cloud shot up, his body flying forward. He opened his eyes to find himself in a small room. The walls were a light pink; flowers were lying on all the dressers and in tables.

"Where am I?" He muttered to himself. "Ow…" He leaned forward as he touched the bandages wrapped around his midsection. He felt the tight restriction around his stomach and waist. He was without a shirt.

'New dressings…how long have I been here?' Cloud looked around the room; the sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh!!" A sound of surprise called. A moment later loud, quick footsteps came in his direction. "Cloud!! You're awake!" Tifa wrapped her arms around Cloud.

"Ugh…Tifa…" Cloud smirked at the young woman.

"I was so worried…everyone was!" She let go of him and stared. A warm smile crossed her face. Cloud leaned back against the headboard of the bed.

"Where are we?" He laughed quietly.

"Oh…at Aeris' house!" Tifa giggled. "Must have been something waking up in a room like this!"

"Aeris…Is she okay!?" Cloud tried sitting up but failed when the pain shot through his torso.

"Stay down! You're not healed yet." Tifa leaned forward. She checked the bandages. "Aeris is fine. She's been up and about for a day and a half now. She's mostly been tending to her gardens and cooking for everyone. You've been out for two days now. Are you hungry at all!?" She stood up.

"Um…A little…" Cloud slowly sat up. "I wanna get up." He looked up at Tifa. Her hands were on her hips, like a scolding mother.

'Uh oh…here comes the lecture.' Cloud smiled innocently, raising his eyebrows.

"You should rest! You just now are starting to heal!" Tifa continued ranting. She went on and glanced down at Cloud. She met his blue, sparkling eyes. That was the look he used to have. He was back to his old self again. "And…you…Oh, OKAY!!" She laughed and slowly helped Cloud out of the bed.

"Thanks..." Cloud sighed as he slowly walked towards the door. The two took small steps down the stairway. Tifa pulled him towards the couch and sat him down.

"Just take it easy okay? I wouldn't want you falling and hurting yourself again!" Tifa shook her head and stared at the blue-eyed boy for a minute. A loud cry came from outside.

"What was that?" Cloud looked behind him in alarm.

"Oh! Don't worry. Everyone's been training. They're all out back. They're getting prepared…for Sephiroth. We've all been hanging around here, even Vincent. I think we're getting through to him." Tifa giggled. "They're waiting for you to get better…we've heard nothing about Sephiroth." Tifa's tone got serious.

"Nothing…" Cloud looked at her.

"And Zack…he's staying with us." Tifa bit her lower lip.

"Zack…" Cloud lowered his head, he squint his eyes and frowned.

"He's been in and out the last couple of days. He trains by himself. He's been friendly though, just doesn't hang around long. And Aeris…she's been holding up pretty well. It's just that…well she is kind of stressed. She got quite a scare back at the City of the Ancients." Tifa wrung her hands. "She pretty much stays by her flowers. She'll be okay though. I've talked to her quite a bit and she keeps improving by the day."

"Does he talk to her?" Cloud did not move.

"Y-yes…why?" Tifa had a confused expression.

"About what?" He asked coldly.

"Uh…I don't know. They had a long talk yesterday, but for the most part they aren't near each other." Tifa sighed. "Are you okay, Cloud?"

"Huh? Oh…yeah…" He gave her a fake smile. "Just tired." The front door opened. Aeris walked through.

"You should talk to her…" Tifa stood up and waved Aeris in. "He's awake, Aeris!" Tifa's mood changed and was very chipper.

"Oh, is he!?" Aeris stuck her head around the corner, glancing at Cloud. Tifa leaned in and whispered to her.

"Well Cloud, I'll get some food ready." Tifa walked into the kitchen, leaving the two alone.

'I told you! And you didn't listen to me!' Jenova hissed.

'Mother! Please! I…I didn't think that-' Sephiroth was cut off.

'Exactly! You didn't think! You should have killed the man and the girl yourself! This is not a game! You're wasting my time!' Jenova clawed at Sephiroth's ears.

'Mother…I-I am sorry. I didn't realize how strong he was! I was not paying attention. Forgive me!' Sephiroth hung his head low, hoping not to receive anymore mental damage from Jenova.

'You're pathetic! Just like them all! Why should I trust you!? You do nothing but play with them! YOU SHOULD BE KILLING THEM! We need to make it to the Promised Land! And because of you're mistakes, we're back to the beginning! All of our plans are ruined!' Jenova clawed through Sephiroth's brain.

'M-Mother! What do you want me to do now?' Sephiroth winced in pain.

'Get the materia! Get that girl's materia! With that, we can possibly find a way to counter her prayer! And then, kill her. Kill her and the other power, and the puppet! Kill them all!' Jenova's cries echoed through Sephiroth's head.

'Kill them…all. Wait!' Sephiroth shouted. Jenova made no sound, she was listening. 'What if…I can get the Ancient to join us and the other power?' Sephiroth smiled as he thought of the new game he could play.

'Just kill them! I don't want to take any risks!' Jenova growled. All went silent. The conversation was over.

"Mother…you're just no fun…" Sephiroth laughed to himself.

"Hello…" Aeris stood in the doorway.

"Hi…" Cloud rubbed the back of his head nervously. He looked at Aeris. She was wearing a new outfit. She had a white shirt with pink sleeves that lowered to her elbows and white and red clam diggers. She was wearing her hair up in its usual fashion, her materia glowing brightly. She also wore her boots. She had smudges of dirt across her face and arms; obviously she was busy in her garden.

"My dress was covered with blood…" Aeris shifted her weight.

"Huh? Oh! Well…that's just as nice…" Cloud smiled, turning red in the face. She did not say anything but stayed by the door. "I understand…you must really hate me." Cloud hung his head.

"No…not that…" Aeris shook her head and walked up to Cloud. "I'm just worried about everyone…" She softly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I've messed up…real bad." He sniffed. "I'm afraid that Sephiroth will do it again…"

"You have to be strong. We all do. Things are going to get harder." Aeris turned and sat next to him.

"Are you okay?" Cloud looked at her; his eyes had dark circles around them.

"Yes…you didn't do a thing. Sephiroth was the cause." She pulled her shirt over her shoulder, showing Cloud the bandage.

"I see…I'm sorry." He tore his gaze away from the bandages.

'She could have been killed…I could have killed her…if it wasn't for…him.' Cloud shook his head.

"Everything will be fine. I know it." She laid a hand on his shoulder again and stood up.

"What about…Zack." Cloud murmured. He laid a hand on his bandages.

"You should talk to him…" Aeris turned and began to walk away. She looked back once. "You be nice though…I don't want you boys fighting, now." She gave him a big smile and left, going through the front door. She stopped and held it open for Yuffie.

"Hey! Feelin' better!?" Yuffie asked her as she ran into the house. Aeris smiled and nodded her head. She closed the door and headed for her garden.

"Eww!! Cover yourself up!" Yuffie hid her eyes as she walked by Cloud. "Why doncha put on some clothes! Ya know…we bought you some new ones." She pointed to a box on the coffee table in front of Cloud.

"Oh?" He reached for the box and stood up.

"Yeah…" Yuffie walked into the kitchen. Without looking back, she continued. "Glad you're up and about." She waved her arms in the air. Cloud smiled and headed up the stairs to change into some clean clothes. He heard Yuffie talking to Tifa.

"Whatcha makin'? OHHH!!" Yuffie was heard.

"NAH eh eh! Don't touch it! Wait for dinner!" A loud slap was heard.

"Ow! Sheesh! I just wanted a taste!" Yuffie rubbed her hand.

Zack watched Aeris walk back into her garden. She leaned down, picking up her water pail. He sighed.

'What am I going to do now? I didn't think it would be this awkward.' Zack sat on a metal scrap. He was in the alley across from the house.

"How long are you going to mope around?" A low voice called behind Zack.

"Hmm? Oh, how's it goin' Vincent?" Zack waved a hand. Vincent walked next to him and leaned against the nearby wall of the abandoned building.

"You've been watching her for hours…It's a little weird, don't you think." Vincent's expression remained blank.

"Yeah…but I don't know what to say. What would you do?" Zack looked over his shoulder at the tall man.

"What?..." Vincent remained quiet for a while. "I never thought about that…" He closed his eyes.

"How long are you gonna mope around?" Zack stood up and smiled. "Don't you think you've done it long enough?"

"Possibly…But I can't just…hmmmm." Vincent looked at the plate above the slums.

"It's hard to forget about her isn't it? That's what my problem is. I had to find her and now that I have…I can't do anything." Zack leaned against the wall next to Vincent.

"Yes…It is hard to forget about the one you love. And…I have no idea what I would do either." Vincent pushed himself off of the wall.

"I'll try it…I'll talk to her…" Zack looked at the man. He was a few inches taller than Zack. "…later. When I'm ready…"

"When she's ready." Vincent smirked. Vincent walked away towards the house.

"I'll let you know how it goes!" Zack sat back down and stared at the girl across from him.

"Aeris…dinner will be ready in about half an hour." Tifa called though the kitchen window.

"Okay…Guess I'll get cleaned up and ready." Aeris stood up and brushed herself off. She trotted to the front door. Zack watched her. He stayed where he was, thinking of what he would say to her.

'Should I tell her about the ring? Should I tell her that I was going to ask her before I left? Would everything be the same? I should've asked her then!' Zack sat for ten minutes before finally standing up.

"It's now or never! Just do it! What can go wrong?" Zack took in a deep breath and walked towards the house.

Aeris washed her hands and face off in the bathroom. She gently dried them on the yellow towel. She stared at her reflection.

"What am I going to do? How am I going to…decide?" Aeris whispered to herself. There was a knock at the door.

"Oh?" She opened the door to find Cloud in the hall.

"Uh…hi." He looked on either side of him. Aeris walked into the hall. She giggled to herself.

"New shirt…looks nice." She smiled as she looked Cloud up and down. He had on new dark pants and a dark grey long-sleeved shirt. There were Zipper pockets on the sleeves.

"Yeah…it's okay." He smirked. "Don't know the reason for the zipper pockets. I guess I could squeeze something in there." He chuckled.

"Yuffie…she wanted to give you some style. Apparently, it's a new craze in Wutai." Aeris laughed.

"Yeah…also has a matching jacket." Cloud scratched an eyebrow.

"Well…the bathroom's yours." Aeris pointed to the sink. She turned to leave.

"Oh…yeah." Cloud walked in and washed his hands. He quickly ran out. "Aeris!?" He called loudly.

"Yeah?" She ran back around the corner. Her face was pink.

"Can we talk?" Cloud looked at his feet.

"Sure…privately?" She looked around.

"Um…yeah." Cloud bit his lip.

"Okay…let's go in the study. We have a few minutes before dinner is ready." Aeris led him down the stairs and into the large room next to the living room where they had talked earlier. There were bookcases and potted plants. The room had soft furniture.

"Now…what is it you wanted to talk about?" Aeris sat on the comfy couch.

"Well…the other night." Cloud scratched his head.

"At…the Gold Saucer?" Aeris asked quietly.

'Oh no…here we go. He's gonna say something. Maybe, we should not have done that. Does he regret it? Does he not want to have anything to do with me? Does he…' Aeris' mind went wild on all the possibilities that the conversation could lead to.

"Yeah…and our date." Cloud took a deep breath. "Uh…what do you think?"

"What do you mean?" Aeris looked at him, shocked.

"I mean…do you regret that night?" He avoided eye contact with her.

"NO!" She sighed. "I mean…no. why would I? Do you?" She looked at him closely.

"No. I…liked it." He smiled shyly. "It's just…I want you to know that I would never hurt you." Cloud looked at his boots.

"I know that…" Aeris gulped.

'Wait…Aeris! You're forgetting something…someone.' Aeris rubbed her eyes. 'ZACK!'

"I mean…not willingly. I'm scared that Sephiroth will get me…one of these days. And I'm afraid he'll get you." Cloud looked at Aeris. His eyes were full of sadness. "I dunno what I would do if anything…bad happened to you." Aeris grabbed his hand.

"Cloud…No matter what happens…" Aeris couldn't finish the sentence. Her heart told her not to. Cloud finished it for her.

"I love you…" Cloud smiled. His eyes beamed. He sighed, full of relief. "I think I am in love with you, Aeris…"

"Oh!...I…Cloud…" Aeris' eyes darted around the room. She bit her lower lip and looked into Cloud's eyes.

'Any girl would melt when they saw those eyes…' Aeris sighed. Cloud leaned in. Aeris took a deep breath, preparing herself for the embrace. They both leaned in close to each other, staring into one another's eyes. Cloud brought his face to hers, readying for the kiss.

"Aer-…" Another voice called out. Cloud and Aeris jumped, letting go of each other.

"Whoa! Heh…sorry! Didn't know anyone was in here." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Uh…I'll leave now." He turned to walk out of the room.

"Wait…"Cloud stood up and walked towards Zack. "Hey man, I'm sorry. I shouldn't-…" He was cut off.

"Oh, no! NO! Don't mind me! I'll let you two be alone." Zack put on a smile and started for the other room.

"Zack…" Aeris also stood up. "I'm so sorry…It's just…I thought…" Zack held a hand up.

"Eh…don't apologize. I understand. I realize…" He looked at Cloud who was red with embarrassment. Cloud opened his mouth to say something but Zack continued. "I'm old news. I shouldn't impose." With that Zack walked out of the room. Aeris ran after him, through the living room and next to the front door. Cloud followed and stopped in the living room.

"Where are you going?" Aeris asked him with concern in her voice.

"Aw…I'm jes going for a walk." He turned.

"When will you be ba-…" Aeris was cut short when the door was closed behind Zack.

"Whew! Well…that was awkward." Cloud said as he turned and headed up the stairs to his room.

"But…" Aeris kept quiet. She noticed Tifa was in the kitchen and heard the whole thing. She was staring at Aeris. "Oh, Tifa…" Aeris lowered her head and sat on the couch.

"Don't worry about it." Tifa walked into the living room and sat next to her.

"What am I going to do!?" Aeris covered her face.

"I don't know. You know men…I'm sure it'll be fine." Tifa knew it was not going to be okay though. She knew the battle for Aeris would continue and that she would be there to witness it all. She would watch as Cloud hung onto Aeris like his life depended on it and that is what hurt her most.

'Oh, stop it, Tifa! Who cares if Cloud likes Aeris! What am I getting so uptight about!? Besides, there is a friend who needs help. It's a tough situation. Aeris didn't know he was still alive. She thought that he was dead. Neither of those boys have a right to be angry with her. I don't know what I'd do…' Tifa thought to herself.

"Tifa?" Aeris poked through her thoughts. She was staring at Tifa.

"Oh, nothing! I was just zoning out! Come on! Let's get dinner ready!" Tifa rushed out of the room as quickly as her face had turned red with embarrassment.

Cloud walked upstairs to his room. He knew what had happened.

'Sorry buddy…but you are old news. I'm the new guy in her life. Besides, you were dead. You're supposed to be.' Cloud hit himself in the head.

"Goddamn, Strife! What the hell are you thinking!? He's your friend; he was the only friend I ever had." Cloud paced around the red and gold rug that lay across the wood floor.

'But he's got to understand that things can't automatically go back to the way they used to just because he's back.' Cloud fell backwards onto the bed. He groaned as he felt the pain from his wound shoot through his body.

Zack sat in the garden watching the butterflies by the waterfall. His pale blue eyes were full of tears.

"I'm too late…I should've talked to her sooner. I shouldn't have wussed out!" Zack sighed as he watched the butterflies head for shelter.

'Must be the weather or something…Maybe I'll go take a look.' Zack rose to his feet. Patting the dirt off of his pants, he left the garden and headed towards the gate.

"Wark…" A familiar call came from the other side of the fence.

"Sorry Hector…I'll be back later okay? I'll ride you tomorrow, alright?" Zack reached through a hole in the backyard fence and pet the bird on its face. The bird jumped with joy and ran to its feed and began eating. Zack wandered to the edge of Sector Seven. Since the plate fell, the sky was visible. Unfortunately, so many had died for this view.

"Wow…what a dump." Zack climbed over the rubble. He wanted to get as high as possible so he could get a good look at the sky. "Looks like rain…man. How could people live here? How could she live here? She's like a goddess among thieves here. She's as beautiful as the flowers she grows…" Zack muttered aloud. He looked up at the sky. Large black clouds covered the blue space around it. They moved and grew quickly.

"Jeez…I'm talking to myself again." He continued to climb, using the old beams that were stuck upright for support. It was a steep climb. "Heh…how the hell am I gonna get down?" His grin widened. "You know me…Mr. Dangerous…" His grin faltered as he heard a loud clang beneath his feet. Below him was a metallic sign with a familiar symbol.

"Shinra…" He held up the rusted red sign bearing the symbol he now hated most. "Why did I even bother? I can't believe the turn they've taken. Punk-ass, Rufus." Zack scoffed as he lifted the sign and threw it down the mountain of rubble. Satisfied, he looked back up at the clouds. Pellets of rain began falling down his face. He stood in place, letting the rain wash over him.

"Ack!" Zack suddenly fell to his knees. A loud bang sounded. Zack reached for his left shoulder which was now bleeding. "I…was shot!?" Another sound rang out, ricocheting above Zack's head. Another sound blasted and he tried to dodge, only to slip and crash onto the steep side of the mountain of rubble. He tried to get his bearings straight but the metal was slick from the rain. Zack tried to reach for the vertical beams. Another bullet sounded, followed by many more.

"Shit, they must be everywhere!" Zack was caught in an ambush. He slid down the side. Another loud sound and the whirring of a bullet flew through his side. There was a flash of pain and then more blood. His hands slipped from the beams and he fell backwards, falling through the air, the only thing to break his fall were beams, pipes, and if he was lucky the ground.

'This feels like the time Seph…No time to think!!' Zack crashed down onto the side of the debris, sliding only for a moment before taking flight again. He hit the spikes of metal, tearing through his clothing, opening new and old wounds. He finally met the pile of broken concrete and rebar below. One jagged, broken rod came to meet Zack's stomach, impaling him.

Tifa and Aeris passed the bowls around for everyone to get their share. Thunder roared outside. It was always funny to Aeris because only the tiny spot above her garden got any sunlight. On occasion, there would be rain. You could always hear the thunder underneath the plate.

"Where is he?" Aeris looked at Tifa. Tifa looked as worried as Aeris. Cloud looked out the window of the kitchen.

"Vincent isn't here either…" He mumbled.

"Oh…he's always late. He never likes to be early." Tifa shook her head.

"Yeah he likes to be fashionably late!" Yuffie laughed with her mouth full of food.

"Manners!" Tifa shook a spoon at Yuffie.

"Ugh…" Zack held onto the rebar on either side, trying to pull himself off. Blood dripped from his stomach, covering his hands. It poured down the rebar, mixing with the rain on the ground. Zack felt himself falling down the pole; its spiraling texture rubbed and punctured him further. Zack was losing consciousness.

"Where'd he go?" One Soldier called out.

"He's over here!" One called next to Zack. The cool metal of the soldier's gun pressed against his temple.

'This is it…I'm done for…' Zack closed his eyes as he heard the hammer click back. A second later, a loud 'BANG' shot out, ringing in his ears.

Alright…this one is a little shorter than my last few but I had to leave it at an interesting part. Please review. I love hearing from you! Thanks for reading!

-Annubis