Okay, sorry about the delay, don't hate me please
Okay, sorry about the delay, don't hate me please! Thanks for all the reviews last chapter, you all make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Tee hee. Anyways, homework is rough and today I was at the zoo looking at crazy wild animals, saw a lion press against the chain link fence during a show and was inches from the ladies face wanting to eat her. It was so crazy! It growled and stared her right in the eyes, drool coming from his mouth. That thing didn't want chunks of meat for doing tricks, this guy wanted her and it so coulda easily ripped that fence down if it wanted to! Haha! Sorry…I thought it was freakin awesome to see a lion actually move and do something at the zoo and it rocked! Okay tangent…I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. I've been getting deeper into more characters storylines than I had originally expected, but I hope you all still enjoy the aerisXZack scenes. Ill shut up now, thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis
Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy vii, Squaresoft does.
Chapter 30
Vincent's boots squished in the thick mud. He looked at the city streets disapproving of the mess from the vicious storms that occurred over the last few nights. He stared up at the bright blue sky. Today it appeared as though the weather may brighten up. The birds chirped quietly among the trees surrounding the small town. He made his way towards the center of the town, ready to leave and prepare for the battle ahead. He stared at the well, remembering the dreadful day he was rejected. He paused. What was it he saw atop of the well? He moved to the side to get a closer look. He jumped with surprise and ran towards the ladder, his gaze never leaving the body on the well. He felt his heart racing.
"Tifa!" He shouted as he pulled her wet body into his arms. He shook her and called her name repeatedly.
'She was here. She had to have been here last night; her body is so cold…' Vincent lifted her and leapt from the top of the well. He hurried across the thick mud towards her old house. He felt as if his heart was going to burst through his chest. It took seconds as his thoughts racked his brain.
'Why would she do it? Why was she out there in the cold rain all night long? How long had she been there? More than a day? What if she was there since I left…' Vincent gasped at the thought as he charged through the front door and headed up the stairs. 'What have I done? Look who I hurt…' He felt ashamed as he stared at her pale face, setting her on the soft bed.
"Tifa…" He called again, brushing a hair out of her face. She was like ice. He almost thought she may have been dead. He looked at her frail form, she looked skinny and weak. He shook his head.
"You need to take better care of yourself." He frowned noticing her outfit; she was wearing her traditional clothing, not a whole lot of protection from the weather. He sat next to her on the bed and slowly began peeling the icy garments from her body. He was going to take care of her, protect her from herself.
"I'm sorry…" He muttered as he wrapped her naked body in the thick quilt on her bed. He would need to get warm food and water. Vincent stood, his gaze never leaving her face. 'I lost one a long time ago…I'm not going to loose another one.' He turned and made his way down the stairs. He was on a mission and that was for fire wood.
Zack yawned noisily as he tugged the blanket tighter around him.
"I said get up!" He felt a hard tug on the blanket.
"Hrm!" He growled and rolled over, pulling the blanket even more.
"Zaaaaaack!" His name echoed in his head. "Get up! We have to leave, or we'll never get there!" Aeris tugged on the blanket again. Zack could not see her face but he smiled, knowing she was flustered and red in the cheeks. He felt her body leap onto him.
"I will pull you from this bed!" She hissed.
"EErrrrrm!" He squirmed underneath her.
"This is ridiculous! Do you not want to see your parents?" Aeris snatched the blanket. Zack felt all warmth and protection leave his body. He curled into a ball and shivered. "NOW!" Aeris threw her pillow at him.
"Aeriiiiiissss…" He groaned and sat up slowly. He rubbed his eyes and then glared at her like a child.
"Don't give me that look." Aeris shook a finger at him.
"What time…is it?" He yawned and slumped out of bed. He snagged the blanket from her again and wrapped it around himself.
"Six in the morning." She sighed.
"That early?" He whined.
"Zack, we have a loooong ride ahead of us and I want to get there early so we can actually see you parents before we got to leave for the crater." Aeris lectured him. He stared at her, she was dressed, and her hair pulled back like it always was. Her cheeks were red from irritation and her chest was heaving from the struggle with the blanket. He smiled.
"What?" She asked. This time her cheeks turned red from embarrassment.
"Nothing…" He shrugged and continued to stare.
"Stop staring…I hate it when you do that." She fidgeted under his gaze.
"You're just beautiful." He sighed and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Don't sweet talk me mister! We have to go, we're already behind schedule." She wrapped her arms around the blanketed body and kissed the man on his forehead.
"Hrm…okay…" He rolled his eyes and scuttled towards his clothing and armor in the chair. He stared at the mess for a second. He really hated that uniform and wished he had his comfortable clothing with him. Today he would have to suffer, wearing the armor and sword once again.
"Hurry…" Aeris tapped her foot. "I'm going to pack some food and then we're off." She waggled her fingers at him as she walked out of the room.
'I don't wanna go…' Zack sighed. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his parents, he just liked the dream he was having and the warm bed. He looked at it lovingly and closed his eyes. Today was going to be a long, tiring day.
"Hector's going to be fussy…" Zack sighed and grabbed his clothing.
Tifa slowly opened her eyes. She wiggled her toes and smiled. She felt so warm and comfortable. She was pleased that she was finally able to sleep. A small noise came from her throat as she turned onto her side. She blinked a couple of times before the image in front of her registered. There was a chair pulled up next to her bed, a familiar red cloth hung over the back. She could hear the crackling of fire and smelled something like warm soup. She smiled to herself, feeling like a child being taken care of by her father. Her eyes drifted back to the red cloth.
'Vincent…' She wondered why he was there and why he was supposedly taking care of her. She felt sleep overcome her once again. 'Doesn't matter…so comfy…' She took a deep breath and snuggled under the covers. She heard the soft trickle of rain on the windows followed by a low rumble in the distance. It was raining once again.
Soft footsteps made their way up the wooden stairs. There was no voice, but a warm hand soon was placed on her head. Tifa shuffled a little under the covers and dozed off.
Reno stared at that heaping plate of noodles and meatballs. He grinned at the sight and drooled at the smell. It had been a long time since he had a homemade meal. He stabbed a chunk of meat with his fork and shoved it into his mouth. Elena set a plate of bread onto the table and grinned at Reno.
"Good?" She asked him.
"Urm Hrm!" He nodded and reached for his glass of wine. Hell it wasn't scotch, but it was a lot better than coffee. He chuckled as he swirled the burgundy liquid. Reno was full of bliss, he never felt better.
"Rufus…would you like some bread?" Elena's voice echoed in her silent apartment. The place still looked like shit but their next project was to clean it up and then get Rufus' motor skills back to the norm. The President stared at her with empty feeling. Elena felt tears sting her eyes. She reached over him and placed the fork in his hand.
"I'll help you, if you want me to." She whispered. His dull eyes turned towards her. A corner of his lip curled upwards. She took that as a yes.
"He should be able to have all normal functions within the next day. For now he may need help." Lucrecia stared at the food on her plate. She had not eaten in what seemed like an eternity. She found out even Jenova wouldn't allow starvation. On occasion she would gather some fruit and nuts from the plants nearby but she never really needed to.
"You not hungry?" Reno pointed his fork at her plate.
"No…I mean I am. It's just that, it's been so long." She smiled and shook her head.
"I think you should eat, even if you don't think you really need to." Tseng eyed the woman. She nodded her head.
"I will." She picked up her fork and began spiraling the utensil. She wanted to laugh at herself. She almost forgot how to eat.
"Thanks for the food, Elena." Rude shoved some bread into his mouth. Elena grinned. "It's delicious!" He made a strange growling sound as he shoveled more food into his mouth.
"Glad you like it." She smiled. She looked tired as she helped Rufus with his food. 'Maybe I should have made something easier to feed the president…'
Rufus' fingers twitched as she placed the utensil in his hand. He opened his mouth slowly. The food looked like the most beautiful thing at the moment. A million thoughts racked his brain. He hadn't realized he was dead when he awoke in the lab. It wasn't until he noticed the rubble and dead soldiers surrounding the now destroyed Shinra Co. that all his memory had returned. He remembered the pain and the deafening sound of the walls crushing in on him. It took a long time to let the story sink in. It was going to take a while, but he was going to make it up to everyone he hurt.
'I was a monster…I was no better than Hojo…' Rufus let out a deep breath. Things were going to change as soon as he was back to his old self. He looked down at his legs. He wondered if they would ever work right again. The wheelchair beneath him seemed like a part of his body already. He stared at the Turks around him. He was going to make it up to them, no matter what it took.
"Erm…Cloud." Aeris muttered in her sleep. Zack looked back at her and shook his head. This Cloud business was really getting to him. He nudged her and she shook violently.
"Wha-!? Are we there?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. Zack looked back at her again.
"No…not yet." He yawned. "But I think we may be close." Zack pointed towards a forested area. A mountain in the middle of the trees popped into view. It was in view but they still were crossing the ocean. They still had a long way to go, but at least the target was in sight. Golden chocobos certainly were a mystery in this world. Zack stared at the bird's feet as it trailed over the top of the deep water.
"Thank goodness." Aeris stretched her arms.
"Aeris…" Zack changed the subject.
"Yeah?" She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him.
"What do you dream about?" He asked quickly.
"…Nothing really." She turned her head, not looking at him. The chocobo raced across the water. "Why?"
"Well, you keep mentioning Cloud in your dreams. And it's not every now and then, it's constantly. I was just curious as to what the dreams were about." Zack shrugged his shoulders, trying to be as patient as possible.
"I dunno." She lied again. "I don't remember my dreams."
"Aeris, please, you can tell me." Zack said with a little edge to his voice.
"What does it matter? It's not like I am going to run away from you." she said quietly.
"I wasn't afraid of that. Why do you say that? What kind of dreams are they?" He looked behind staring at the pink bow in her hair. She was hiding her face from him.
"They're nothing, really. They're nothing to worry about." She sighed.
"So you do remember."
"Zack, please. I don't want to talk about it."
"I'm just curious, I mean, they can't be all that bad." He laughed. "Or…are they?" He glanced behind him once again.
"…" She was silent.
"Aeris?" He pried again.
"No…" She shook her head.
"So it's not dreams about him being hurt then?" the man asked.
"No. He's fine." She answered.
"You sure?" Zack asked again.
"What's with the interrogation?" She looked up at him. Zack opened his mouth but didn't say anything. "At first they were dreams about him fighting Sephiroth, now they aren't. It's nothing to worry about, they're only dreams." Aeris lowered her head. She knew Zack could see right through her and it was making things difficult. There was no way she was going to tell him what the dreams were about.
'Zack…I'm so sorry. I can't control my dreams. It's nothing about you.' Aeris closed her eyes. 'Why can't I get Cloud out of my head? I'm so worried about him, but I love Zack.' She wanted to cry but knew it was useless.
"Okay. Fine." Zack sighed and slapped the reigns on Hector. He warked loudly and picked up speed. "Sorry I pried." He apologized.
"Zack…" Aeris squeezed his midsection. He looked down at her arms. "I love you." She mumbled. He placed a hand on hers and smiled.
"I know…" He grinned, but he couldn't help but think she had feelings for the blonde man as well. Things weren't like they used to be. Aeris was a different woman, and he hated himself because of it.
'If I hadn't gone on that mission…or if I had asked her then…things would be different.' Zack lowered his head. 'What can I do to get the old Aeris back?' He turned his head upwards, looking at the clouds above. They were getting dark and puffy. He imagined it would rain again later in the day.
"Damn meteor…" Zack cursed the giant abomination in the sky. "I'm getting sick of the rain." He also cursed it for causing so much tension and blamed it on the changes Aeris had gone through. He then blamed Sephiroth as well.
The sound of clattering dishes woke Tifa. Her eyes opened slowly. Vincent was next to her, picking up the empty dishes next to her bed. She furrowed her brow, trying to remember everything that had happened but everything was a blur.
'Did I really eat that much?' She sighed. She didn't know for sure but she definitely felt a lot better. She wanted to call out to him, but couldn't find her voice. He never looked down at her, but instead concentrated on the stacked dishes in his hands. He turned quickly and headed down the staircase.
'Thank you, Vincent.' Tifa grinned and let sleep overtake her once again. Life was good at the moment, and she never wanted this feeling to go away.
She rotated, lying on her stomach and then her eyes popped open. She slowly brought her drowsy gaze under the blankets. She was too tired to feel shock but still held her breath when she noticed her body.
'I'm naked…' She closed her eyes. Things seemed so funny right now but she didn't care. What she did care about was that someone was taking care of her and that someone was Vincent. Her mind traced through the memories of the dark haired man and their kiss in the shadows of the Nibelheim Inn. She then thought of their argument and how it ended in a heated, passionate kiss. She felt a shiver down her spine at the thought. She never imagined that would ever happen between her and that man. She always wished it had been Cloud.
'Cloud…' Tifa smiled at the thought of the blonde hero. She grinned at the fact that he never came to her when she was in a pinch, but it was Vincent instead. 'Weird…how things turn out…' Tifa yawned and pulled the covers around her tighter.
"Where are you?" Tifa's voice called out. "I've been waiting for you…but you never came." Her voice was heartbreaking.
"Tifa…I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do." Cloud pulled his knees to his chin.
"There's just too much to handle right now…." Cloud felt a shiver.
"Am I not important to you?" Tifa placed a hand on his shoulder.
"No…it's not like that. I do worry about you. In fact, I can't stop thinking about you." Cloud's blonde spikes covered his eyes.
"Really?" He felt her sit next to him.
"I…promise…" Cloud looked towards the woman, but she wasn't there.
"Promise? You make too many promises Cloud, some day you're going to break one." Tifa's voice was like a warning.
"I don't want to break any promises." He shook his head.
"I bet you will, but it's alright Cloud." Tifa's voice was now reassuring. "It's not your fault."
"My fault…?" He lowered his head again. "Tifa…what's going to happen?"
"How should I know!?" Tifa giggled. "I'm not Aeris."
"Aeris…" Cloud muttered.
"She knows everything, didn't you know. That's just part of her." Tifa mumbled. "I like that though."
"She knows?" He tilted his head.
"Why don't you ask her?" Tifa leaned against him.
"How?" He questioned.
"Maybe her dreams." Tifa suggested.
"But…what about your dreams?" Cloud whispered.
"My deams?" She scoffed. "I don't have any, Cloud." This statement was chilling.
"W, why not?"
"I lost them a long time ago." He felt Tifa shrug.
"A long time ago?" He looked back but she wasn't there.
"When papa died." He heard her sniff.
"Tifa, please. I was there, let me help you." Cloud stood up and stared at the invisible Tifa.
"No! There's nothing you can do to bring him back…or anyone else for that matter. No one comes back, Cloud. There's no way you can bring any of them back." Her voice was deadly.
"What are you hinting at, Tifa?" Cloud backed away. He didn't like the tone in her voice.
"They're gone, alright. They aren't coming back." Tifa shook her head. Cloud didn't see it though.
"Tifa…" Cloud wrapped his arms around himself.
"Why don't you ever look at me Cloud?" the question hit him hard.
"I…can't see you, Tifa." He muttered.
"It's because you don't try to." She hung her head; Cloud still didn't see it though.
"Don't try?" He looked around the darkness surrounding him.
"Why don't you try?" Her voice was by his ear.
"Try?...Try?" Cloud squeezed his head.
"Or are you too afraid to, Cloud?" Her voice was further away. Was she leaving?
"Don't go!" He reached out for her. "Tifa!"
"…" There was no sound.
"Please Tifa. Time… that's what I need." He stared in front of his hand that was held out.
"Time!" He heard her laugh. He felt her grab his hand. "Like I haven't heard that one before!" Cloud squint his eyes.
"Tifa…" He grinned at her small hand in his. He saw her brown eyes looking up into his.
"Yes?" She tilted her head. Cloud saw her hair flow over her shoulder. He then saw her grin.
"I'll come for you. I promise." He nodded.
"Promises, Promises…" She sighed. He watched her as she pulled away from him, her grin never faltering. "You remember what I said, alright?"
"…" Cloud nodded slowly. Tifa waved at him. "You remember what I said." He pointed out. He liked to see her smile, and she was smiling more than he had seen in a long time.
"I'll remember, can you?" She turned away. A second later she was over taken by the darkness.
"…Yeah…" Cloud turned away and walked in the opposite direction. He felt a weight off of his chest.
"Tifa." Cloud stirred in his sleep. He sat up quickly and looked out the window. His nap had been longer than he wanted. The sun was already beginning to set. He sighed and watched the streets below. Midgar was still in a frenzy, he was lucky enough to find a room available to stay in. Most of the week he had been helping the people clean up the streets and fix their homes. It helped take his mind off of everything.
'These people have no homes…' Cloud looked down at his hands. 'Like me…and Tifa…' He glanced at the glowing sky. After tonight there will only be two more days of freedom before returning to the Highwind.
Cloud made his way across the small room. He stared at the dying flowers in his vase and felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He thought of what Aeris would say to him if she saw those flowers. What was it about her that made things so different? He was happy around her, even though he never understood why. His heart ached thinking about her with Zack. He frowned. Zack was a good man, but Aeris never seemed as happy around him. Was she stressed? Did she still have feelings for him?
"No…" Cloud shook his head. "She loves Zack. She told me so. She wouldn't lie." Cloud smirked.
"Zack, you deserve her, she's an amazing girl." Cloud spoke out loud; his voice was quiet and raspy. He glanced outside once again and noticed one twinkling star. He closed his eyes.
'I promised her.' He turned his attention to his clothing and armor. He trudged over to them and scooped them up.
'Let's go, Strife. You have work to do.' He smirked and made his way to the bathroom. 'I can't drag around forever…'
"Mom? Dad?" Zack opened the door to his old home. He never felt more nervous. "I'm home!" He called out. Silence greeted him. Aeris followed him inside the house. The lights were off and the house seemed dead.
"Mom!?" Zack walked quickly throughout the small home. He made his way into every room and stopped at his bedroom door. His fingers tingled as he turned the knob to the door and pressed it open slowly. He immediately noticed the smell. He walked into his room and flicked on the switch.
All of his things were still the way he left them before he left for Midgar. His posters covered the walls and even his bed was still a mess. There was clothing and shoes covering the floor along with magazines about Soldier and Shinra. His room smelled of cookies and cologne.
"Whoa…" He gawked at the sight.
"Are they not here?" Aeris poked her head inside. She giggled. "I take it that this mess is your room."
"Yeah." Zack rubbed his head. "I can't believe it looks the same. Mom was a clean freak."
"Maybe she felt like you still lived here every time she was in your room." Aeris wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"I guess." He turned his head and walked out into the hall. "But…where are they?"
"They were here when we all came." Aeris shrugged. "Do you have any other family around here?"
"No…just us." Zack sighed. "But I don't understand…why wouldn't they be here?" He made his way to the living room of the house.
"Maybe they'll be back in the morning." Aeris sat on the couch.
"Oohh…" Zack muttered as he lifted a pamphlet of papers. "Are they on vacation!?" Zack groaned and sat next to Aeris on the couch.
"Huh?" She looked over his shoulder. Zack was holding a packet of colorful pamphlets describing the sights and pleasure of Costa del Sol and the Gold Saucer.
"I bet they did." Zack smirked. "But I wonder where they went." He pulled on another pamphlet containing a brochure about Wutai.
"Did they ever mention vacationing before?" Aeris leaned against the soft cushions.
"They always talked about it, but they never actually did." Zack pulled out another pamphlet about Cosmo Canyon and another from Icicle Inn. "Damn…they could be anywhere." Zack rested his chin in his hand.
"Zack…I'm sorry. Maybe we can look for them?" Aeris suggested. She already knew his answer.
"No. we don't have the time or money to go all over the world looking for my parents." Zack shook his head. "I'll just have to see them when this is all over!" He gave a reassuring grin and headed for the kitchen once again.
"Zack…" Aeris felt terrible about all of this. "I'm sorry. Maybe if we went here first, we may have been able to see them."
"Don't worry about it!" Zack chuckled. "They waited over five years, what's a couple of days, right?" He wrote on a piece of paper and rummaged through the drawers. Soon he headed for the front door.
"What's that?" Aeris stood up.
"A note for mom." He opened the front door and pulled on the tape dispenser he pulled from the drawer. "They'll see it first thing when they get back." He grinned.
"They're going to be so excited!" Aeris clasped her hands together. She then frowned.
"What's with that look!?" Zack closed the door and walked over to her.
"When…I talked to your parents…they asked about you." Aeris lowered her head. "I told them I didn't know you…"
"Why?" Zack gave her a curious look.
"Cause…I was afraid you were dead. They seemed so full of hope that you were coming back that I was too afraid to tell them you were missing." She sniffed. "Your mother looked so happy just thinking about you."
'Hope…mom was always full of hope.' Zack grinned.
"It's alright Aeris. Mom will love you!" He wrapped his arms around her slender waist. He touched his nose against hers.
"I hope so…" She sighed. The two closed their eyes and held each other. They moved slowly, almost dancing in the dark house. Zack opened his glowing eyes slowly. Aeris almost leaped from his arms.
'His eyes…' Aeris held her breath. His blue eyes were glowing in the darkness, much like Sephiroth's had the night he intruded her room.
"You alright?" He whispered as he ran a hand through her hair.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Her voice was soft and clam. She shivered as he took her coat off.
"I don't like this coat." He chuckled. "It hide's your shoulders." He mumbled softly.
"I don't like this armor." She replied and brought her hands to the straps that were keeping the armor in place. She liked it when they played their games, taunting each other, tempting one another.
"You know what else I don't like?" He ran his hand to the bow in her hair. His fingers slid over the glowing materia and in one pull he removed the tie and orb. He dropped the items onto the in table next to the couch and brought his hands back to her hair. He slid his fingers through the curls as he made his way for the lower tie. He undid her hair and ran his hands through it repeatedly feeling its soft, silky texture.
Aeris bit her lip as her hands removed the heavy armor and it dropped to a loud 'thunk' on the floor. Her hands lowered to his belt. He stared at her face. He adored that mischievous look. Her eyes looked up into his as the belt dropped to the floor as well.
"We'll stay here for the night…" He grinned and kissed her on the lips. She could see the desire in his eyes as he scanned her body.
"Sounds like plan." She smiled and kissed him back. Her hands lowered to his pants she began to slide them into his pockets. Zack's eyes widened and he pulled them out quickly.
"Mrmm!" He mumbled into her mouth as they kissed. Alerted he broke the kiss.
"What's wrong?" Aeris asked, surprised.
"Nothing!" He kissed her again. "It just tickled…" He replied, glad she didn't feel the box in his pocket.
"Tickled?" She giggled. "And where else are you ticklish?" She ran her hands under his shirt. Zack rolled his eyes. Her touch was intoxicating.
"Hmmm…I wonder…" He grinned at her and lowered her hands.
"We're finally alone." Aeris licked her lips as she looked back up at him.
"Uh huh…" He sighed as he kissed her neck. Aeris wrung her hands around his shoulders. He leaned forward, pushing her backwards into the couch. She squealed with delight. His glowing eyes were ghastly, but it excited her. It was something to get used to, but for now it gave her goose bumps.
Zack trailed kisses across her collarbone as he carefully undid the buttons on her dress. His kisses trailed down, following his hands. Tonight was going to be a blast and he never wanted it to end. This is what he remembered about her. Her loving touches, her mischievous looks and giggles. This is what he loved about Aeris. She was a random girl and often would try anything new. He liked her when she was spontaneous.
"You're bad." She giggled and ran her hands through his hair. Tonight was going to be a long night.
Zack tumbled over a few rocks. He looked down wondering how he had gotten to this strange location.
"Aeris!?" He called out. "AERIS!!" He was on the verge of tears. He couldn't find her and he couldn't help but feel there was something terribly wrong.
"Please…Aeris…" He fell to his knees, ready to give up on his search.
"Zack!?" Her voice called out. He stood up quickly.
"Aeris!" He ran in the direction her voice had come from.
"Get away! GO!" She called out. "Cloud, go!"
Zack's thoughts were jumbled. Had she just called him Cloud?
"Cloud! Help him!" her voice called out again.
"Zack!" Cloud's voice rang out.
"Cloud?" He asked.
"Zack, don't leave without us!" Cloud called.
"Aeris! Where are you!?" Zack ran around the corner of the dark cave he was in. At least, he thought it was a cave.
"Zack! Don't go!" Cloud shouted.
Zack skidded across the dirt. The sight was disgusting. Sephiroth stood in the corner, sword in hand pointing at Zack. His arm was wrapped around Aeris. His grin was wide and manic.
"Let go of her!" Zack drew his sword and grit his teeth. He was seething.
"You want her? You can have her. I'm done." Sephiroth smiled and threw the woman towards him. Zack caught her frail, cold body.
"Aeris! Aeris…Aer…" He whispered. His blood ran cold. Aeris was lying in his arms, bleeding. Her eyes were lifeless and the materia in her hair was gone.
"Seph…Sephiroth…" Zack's breath was ragged.
"Are you upset?" He smiled.
"Zack!" Cloud darted into the room. "What are you doing!?" He pulled Zack off the ground.
"Cloud!" Zack turned around, his arms out. Tears stained his cheeks. "He killed her…" he stifled a cry.
"Zack? What are you talking about!?" Cloud stared at the dark haired man. "There's no one here, but you!"
"No…" Zack looked at his empty arms. He turned his gaze to where Sephiroth had been. He was gone. "I, I don't understand." He felt weak. In a second he was on his knees.
"Zack! Oh shit! Zack! What happened to you!?" Cloud stood over the man.
Zack brought a hand to his face. He stared at the red stains on it. He felt a pain in his stomach. Had he been wrong this entire time? He felt himself fall forward.
"Zack!? ZACK!" Cloud's voice echoed. Everything went dark.
"Agh!" Zack sat up straight.
"Zack?" He felt a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" Aeris' voice was sweet in his ear.
"Nightmare…" He mumbled and twisted his body to face hers. He gave her a hug.
"Are you alright?" She sounded concerned.
"Yes…just a little…" He didn't finish the sentence.
"It's okay. It was only a dream." Aeris pet his hair. "Zack…you're sweating!" She sat up on her knees and pulled the covers off of him.
"I'm alright, really." He caught his breath. "It was just a weird dream. You know…one of the ones that seem so real. I could taste the dirt…smell the musty air." He stretched and took a deep breath.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" She kissed him on the cheek. Zack looked down at her. She was beautiful. Her hair was a tangled mess and her cheeks were rosy. He imagined he looked just as lousy. But she looked good that way. He grinned and kissed her on the lips. The thoughts of the early night ran through his head.
"Let's just go back to sleep." He whispered and tugged her down with him. She lay mostly on top of him, snuggling against his chin. He liked these moments. He kissed her on the forehead and watched her fall into slumber once again. The thoughts of the nightmare wracked his brain.
Tifa awoke feeling refreshed and ready to get up for once. She sat up in bed and stretched. She groaned and squealed as she did so, feeling the muscles stretch and her bones pop. She sighed and pulled the covers off of her. She blushed wildly and wrapped the blankets around her once again. She was still in the nude.
'What happened? Why am I here?' Tifa looked around the room. 'I was outside, wasn't I?'
She reflected on the night she had seen cloud outside. It wasn't real though. She yawned and scratched her head.
'Was I sick?' She looked out the window at the well. 'I don't remember ever coming back into the house. Or anything else for that matter…' She stood up slowly and heard a noise in the kitchen.
'What!?' She felt her heart stop. Was there an intruder in the house? She looked all over the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Tifa made her way slowly down the stairs. The stair creaked loudly underneath her. Her heart stopped again.
"Are you awake?" A man's voice called out. It sounded unfamiliar to her. Tifa wanted to die of embarrassment. She finished her trail down the stairs and walked silently to the kitchen.
"I thought so." The man in the kitchen was the owner of the house.
"…I am so sorry!" Tifa stared at her feet.
"It's alright darlin'. The man explained everything to me." The older man grinned.
"Man?" Tifa questioned.
"Yeah. The man that found you. Kind of a scary lookin guy. He found you on the well in town and carried you here to take care of you. He cooked you food and kept you warm. A real nice guy, but kinda quiet." The man was cooking something. Tifa's nose tingled at the smell.
"I hope you're hungry, cause I made a lot of this soup!" He grinned at her. Tifa blushed and nodded her head slowly.
"The man. Did he say his name?" She asked.
"I don't think he left a name, actually. He said he knew you though." The man stirred the pot of soup. "He was tall, had long dark hair and wore a red cape."
Tifa's heart pounded. Was it Vincent? She tugged at her thoughts, trying to remember something…anything.
"The interesting thing about him was the claw." The man turned to her. "He had this metallic claw on his left hand."
'Vincent!' Tifa grinned.
"Vincent, you coulda at least given me some new clothes." Tifa whispered to herself. She remembered her room. There was no chair next to the bed. Vincent's cape was no where in sight. She had forgotten all about him.
'Is he not here?' She felt hurt a little by the thought.
"Is he coming back?" Tifa bit her lip.
"No…I'm afraid not." The man shook his head. "Said he had to leave on a mission."
"Mission! What day is it!?" Tifa panicked.
"Don't worry! He told me you would ask!" The man went to the cupboard and pulled out to large bowls. "You have two days." The man smiled as he poured the hot soup into the bowl.
"Two days…" Tifa sighed with relief.
"He also said something about a plane and Midgar. I think that's where he was heading."
"The Highwind…" Tifa thought about the mission to stop meteor and Sephiroth.
"That's it!" The man pointed his spoon in the air. "I'm glad you know what's going on. I can't make any sense out of it." He chuckled and set the bowls down on the table.
"Please, eat." He smiled and pulled a chair out for her.
"Thank you." Tifa smiled and sat down. "I still feel bad about intruding…"
"Don't worry about it honey!" The man sat across from her. "I needed a young lady like you to 'intrude'." He smiled.
Tifa remembered this man. The first time she returned to Nibelheim he was here in her house and refused to admit that it was Shinra's doing. He was rude and very angry about it.
"My name is David." The man picked up his spoon. "We've met before, but I'm sorry. I was rude then."
"I remember…" Tifa grinned. She pulled the blanket tighter around her. "Shinra…" She frowned.
"It's true. It was all Shinra's doing." The man nodded. "They rebuilt this place exactly as it was over five years ago." The man sipped his soup. Tifa tried it as well.
"I don't know how they did it, but it is perfectly accurate…" Tifa looked around the house.
"Indeed. I heard they had once placed cameras around the home, found the old blueprints and also dug through the debris from the fire." The old man nodded. "Cruel but very effective."
"It's unbelievable. The things they can do…the cover ups." Tifa ate more of her soup.
"I was surprised when I walked into the house. I felt like a stranger for a long time, but eventually grew quite attached to it." He had a sad look in his eyes.
"Why…would you live here?" Tifa asked.
"I had a family once too. My wife died giving birth to our daughter. I raised my daughter until she was five. She grew very sick then. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't afford the hospital bills and medication. Things grew worse…and…" He took a breath. "She died…"
"I'm sorry…" Tifa lowered her head.
"Shinra brought me here. I could live here for free, received a paycheck monthly. The only thing I had to do was act like nothing happened here five years ago." He grinned. "It sounded like a great deal so I agreed to it. I'm sorry dear, but I had no choice. I had no other family…I lost everything…"
"I understand…" Tifa smiled. "It all makes sense now."
"You see…" He pointed at the wall. A photo hung over the fireplace. "It was the only photo they found in the fire…"
Tifa turned her head and gasped. She knew that photo. It was a photo of her and her mother when she was about five. They were sitting on a large log by the mako pool in the mountains. They looked very happy. Her father had taken the photo. Tifa felt tears in her eyes.
"You became my daughter…" David smiled. "You were so beautiful, much like my own daughter. I often imagined that day… me taking that photo and being a part of your life." He rubbed his eyes. "I know it's your life, but living here made everything more bearable in life…"
"You thought of me as a daughter?" Tifa looked at her soup.
"Indeed. I often wondered what happened to you. They said you weren't killed in the accident but were missing. They presumed you to be dead. I had hope though. And when I saw you that day with your friends, I had thought about you ever since you left. You looked so much like that little girl in the photo; I knew it just had to be you, especially since you were asking about the accident five years ago. You gave me knew hope! I imagined you growing up, the trips we took to the theme parks, hiking trips in the mountains. I imagined the boy you would marry and me at the wedding walking you down the aisle…and you're just as beautiful as I imagined!" The man let tears fall down his cheeks. Tifa herself began to cry.
"I'm so sorry!" The man covered his face.
"I understand…" Tifa sniffed. She placed her hand on his. He looked up at her. "Dad…" She smiled. The man smiled and returned to his soup. The rest of the meal was in silence. Tifa felt comfortable with the man. He needed a family and Tifa would be his daughter. She needed a father as well. It was a mutual feeling.
"May I use your bathroom?" She asked when she was finished with her meal.
"Of course! It's more yours than it is mine!" The man chuckled. Tifa smiled and entered the bathroom. "Your clothes are already in there. They're clean." He called from the kitchen.
"Thanks!" Tifa called out and closed the door. A shower sounded wonderful right now. She turned on the shower pulling the knob to the left, making the water as hot as possible. The mirrors steamed over instantly.
'Things will get better…' Tifa grinned and slid into the shower. The water pelted her skin.
Tifa undid the towel around her head and reached for her comb. She ran it through her long hair as she opened the door slowly. She was in her usual outfit, barefoot and missing her accessories. She took a step out feeling the warm air of the fire place. She heard loud thunder and heard the rain pouring outside.
"Tifa!" David's voice called out cheerfully.
"There's a young man here to see you!" David entered the other room where Tifa was. "He's upstairs." He grinned and grabbed her hand, leading her to the other room.
"Oh? Who is he?" Tifa felt nervous. Had Vincent come back?
"I'm not telling you!" He laughed and pushed her towards the staircase. She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "Just go!" He waved at her.
"I'm goin'! I'm goin!" She giggled and trotted up the stairs. She looked back once and shook her head at his grinning. 'What is he up to?' She turned the corner into her room and yelped.
There was a drenched figure in her room. His clothes stuck to his body as water dripped onto her rug. He shuffled nervously and brought his gaze slowly to hers.
"Hello…" Tifa smiled. "Cloud."
That's it for tonight! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope you all liked this chapter! I'll post again next weekend, hopefully sooner than Sunday. -Annubis