Zack's Angel
A.N.: This is the original version of Masks that was written at least 3 years before Masks was written. In that in-between time, I managed to lose the notebook that I had written several stories and summaries in, so I wrote Masks based off of what I remembered of my original story. However, that rewrite changed a bit of the focus and tone of the original story. So, finally relocated and polished up, the original version.
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Cissnei picked her way through the broken weapons, discarded armor, and water puddles stained with blood. Turks were supposed to be devoid of emotion, but this was the first time she had truly felt that void.
He was dead, the Light of Shinra, the one she had had a crush on but had grown to love as an exasperating older brother, was dead. If she had not arrived when she did and heard his final words to his young blond companion, she would have accused him of pulling a prank just to try and make her jump when he suddenly sat up.
A small chuckle, barely more than a release of air, to her right pulled her out of her rambling thoughts and focused her attention on the impeccably dressed long-haired Wutain beside her.
He answered her unspoken question with a wry smile, "He died with a smile on his face, that would have made him even happier."
That simple statement shattered the empty feeling in her heart and released a torrent of emotion, too strong and tangled for her to figure out. So instead of trying to sort them out and continue her charade of calm, she launched herself at Tseng and cried until she was reduced to hiccups and the occasional sniffle. Tseng let her cry, never commenting about the dignity of a Turk or the fact that she was ruining his suit.
When she was done, Tseng simply handed her a handkerchief and turned back to the body, held out of the Lifestream by unholy experiments and copious amounts of Mako, lying on the ground. If she saw tears glittering in his black eyes, then she knew better than to mention it.
By the time Cissnei had her emotions back under control, the two mourners could hear the rapid approach of another helicopter. The rhythmic Thwump, Thwump, Thwump of the helicopter clarified Cissnei's thoughts and strengthened her resolve on the decision that she had made when it was revealed precisely who the escaped test subjects had originally been.
"Hojo will most likely switch his sadistic attention back to finding the Centra now that his favored test subjects are gone." Tseng glanced back at Cissnei over his shoulder before turning once more to watching the city that they could see on the horizon and attempting to ignore the slowly dissolving body by his feet.
Cissnei grinned the smile that Tseng had dubbed her "cheeky, impertinent, 'I'm a small entirely innocent woman, why would you suspect me of doing anything ever' smile" and waved a goodbye over her shoulder as she headed towards her motorcycle. In that brief glance from Tseng, she had seen his acceptance and encouragement for her plan, as well as his desire to not know her exact plans.
Tseng sighed and let the noise of the motorcycle fade away as the noise of the helicopter grew to drown it out. As he looked upon the body of his one time friend, the packet of letters that he had been tasked to deliver felt heavy in his hands.
When Reno and Rude arrived a short time later, it was to find a cold-eyed Tseng who ordered them with clipped tones to see the body disposed of properly and all survivors of the battle were collected, debriefed, and no word of what had occurred on this plain went any further than an official report.
Years down the road, after the destruction of Shinra and the events of Meteor, Reno and Rude would recall this day on the plateau overlooking Midgar and wonder is this day was not just the death of the "Light of Shinra," but also their boss.
**Page Break**
Cissnei walked in the back door of the Sector Seven Church and silently watched the young woman tending the strange flowers that only grew here under the gentle encouragement of the angelic, young flower girl. Gone was the childlike blue sundress, instead a she wore a bright pink dress with a short red jacket and sensible brown boots, the pink of the dress matching the pink ribbon containing her light brown curls in a high ponytail. With a resigned sigh, Cissnei stepped out of the shadows of the church and into the light surrounding the young woman.
Aerith started and rose from her garden, looking towards the door with a look of such hope in her sharp green eyes that Cissnei had to take a moment and push the bitter feeling of regret back. When she realized that the person invading her quiet haven was Cissnei and not him, the hope dimmed in her eyes, but the smile gracing her features did not change.
The two women stood for a time, clear green looking down into guarded re-brown until green closed and their owner turned back the garden, releasing the red-brown from the "spell" that had held her captive. With another wearied sigh, Cissnei settled on the front pew of the church and waited. She had a feeling that Aerith should be the one to control the coming conversation.
"Reno?"
"Annoying and annoyed."
"Rude?"
"Amused, Reno caught his ponytail on fire on the their last mission."
"Kunsei?"
"Still thinks he's all-knowing. Though honestly that kid might be," muttered Cissnei.
"Tseng?"
Cissnei felt that sighing was become her go to form of communication, "still Tseng and pretending he doesn't have emotions. Aerith…" Cissnei started, wanting to let Aerith build up to the real question, but also not wanting to relay the awful news, when she was interrupted by the creak of the door at the back of the church opening and the pad of little feet rapidly approaching where the two women sat having their stilted conversation.
Cissnei had a thought that one of the many street kids who adored Aeirth as their 'big sister' was approaching, but habit caused her to take a step and habitually reach for the large shuriken that was normally on her back. Although the movement had been small, and not even completed, the child skidded to a halt from her mad dash into the church and examined Cissnei with wide green eyes that held innocence and wisdom and felt as though they bore into her very soul, seeing every dark and wretched corner. The feeling passed as soon as the young girl smiled, a blindingly joyous smile, and launched herself into Aerith's skirted knees. The moment felt so intimate and private that Cissnei found herself unable to watch and instead turned to watch the front doors of the church.
A small hand gripping hers tightly, caused Cissnei to look down into solemn green eyes and a blinding smile A smile filled with such mischief and joy that it caused Cissnei's eyes to widen and snap up to Aerith's with shock and amazement.
"She was born seven months after his disappearance."
Cissnei's eyes grew wide with shock and swiveled between the child still attached to her hand and Aerith's downcast eyes. Her mouth opened but for once, Turk training or not, no words were forthcoming.
Details-small, seemingly insignificant details-from the past five years, that if she was not a Turk night have gone unnoticed, started to finally add up. Tseng becoming quieter and even more secretive than usual, even more so than becoming Commander of the Turks could explain away. The taking of Reno and Rude off of guarding Aerith and placing the much calmer Katana and Gun as her guards, one of whom was formally from Gongaga if Cissnei was remembering correctly. His almost obsessive need to know where the Professor was at all times. At the time, those actions had seemed inconsequential and normal considering the chaos caused by Shinra losing both their General and his more personable Lieutenant at the same time. Now though, those small actions seemed more important than anything else that had happened in the last five years.
A sharp jerk on her hand dragged her from her musings and brought her attention back to the present and now angry green eyes.
"Are you gonna listen now? Or you gonna get lost in your head again?"asked the young child with a pout. Cissnei felt the corners of her mouth twitching as she knelt in front of the small child.
"Yes, I…" but was stopped by a small hand placed over her lips.
The child looked over her shoulder at Aerith, "Sis will take good care of me, and I'll always love you." Turning back to Cissnei, she gave another one of her blinding smiles, "I'm ready to go whenever you are. We are leaving aren't we?" she asked, tilting her head to the side like a small puppy.
For the third time in as many minutes, Cissnei found herself at a loss for words. Then she saw the resignation in Aerith's eyes, the curiosity and barely contained excitement in the child's eyes, and overlaid over that the quiet acceptance and flicker of hope that had been in Tseng's blank, black eyes on the plateau. Without her input, or even her consent, Cissnei's plan, that was only partially formed was being completely taken over and rearranged by a barely five year old.
Cissnei sighed and shook her head before giving Aerith a wry smile, "I think this one may be more like her father than you, Aer."
Aerith laughed and hugged the child close to herself, before holding her by her shoulders and giving her a small shake, "You behave and I'll always love you."
"Love you too, Momma!" exclaimed the young girl, reclaiming Cissnei's hand and dragging her toward the back door of the church.
"Is that yours?" the youngster yelled, looking up at Cissnei with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide with amazement, pointing at the motorcycle parked behind the church. With a small smile, Cissnei nodded and watched as the child excitedly rushed over to the motor cycle and started examining it. Cissnei found her smile growing wider as she watched the child clamor over the motorcycle and chatter aimlessly to herself.
"What should I call you?"
"Hmm… oh, my name's Angel!"
Original A.N.-You can take the comment about Tseng's "death" however you want to, I've just always felt that the Tseng in Crisis Core was very different from the Tseng in FFVII. Cissnei originally planned to take Aerith and run, but decided(or well Angel and Aerith decided) that she and the child would have a better chance since no one know of the child's existence and Aerith is stubborn and knew she was still needed at her church (you know helping Cloud, saving the Planet, that kinda thing). And yes, Angel's name is a play on Angeal's name because Aerith knows how much he meant to Zack and her and Zack's first meeting when he called her an angel.