Disclaimer: I really…REALLY don't own Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, and all that jazz.
A/N: Thank you to my readers and reviewers! As a reply to Aurenare, I am aware that Zack is dead (the reminder makes me cry), and you read right. Zack and Shera (not as a coupling). I'm really taking a twist on the series, so it's gonna seem a little loopy and not at all congruent with the series. Hope this doesn't bother anybody.
Anywho, please continue to read and review. Your support is most welcome!
So from now on, I'll be writing my stories in order of importance. If you want to see more of this story, please review and tell me so, or vote in the poll on my author's page. Thanks much!
\/\/\/
Stand By Me
Chapter Two
The Woman From Rocket Town
\/\/\/
Zack skid around the corner, almost not making it. He let out a loud, "Whoooo!" as the adrenaline from almost crashing overtook him. He loved a good ride. But he liked them even better when it was attached to a personal issue.
Besides, could she let me go if I don't do something? After all of this, it wouldn't be right. It would be like me handing her over to someone like him.
He sharply turned the bike and the Daytona slid off to one side. He spotted the vague shape of the carriage pulling around the back. It was silly, really. He didn't even know how he was going to get in.
And I sure as heck ain't dressing up like a woman. He knew she would be amused at the thought, though. Or maybe you're looking to get some action? He instantly chided himself for that ridiculous thought.
He parked the vehicle in front of the tent, yanked the keys from the ignition, and leapt off of the seat, jingling the keys in one hand. He followed the corner around until he caught sight of the carriage being unloaded by two burly men, one who was balding and the other who had a rather large tattoo on his right arm.
Zack wandered down to the sight, forcing a rather large grin upon his face. A woman was being unloaded from the back, hunched over and shivering. Her clothes were rather ordinary, just a simple lab coat and tan pants. He couldn't see her face over her messy, brown ponytail. Whatever the case, this woman did not appear to be the instigator in the ordeal.
A hostage? Who knew that my intuition would serve for me a purpose? Very well, then. Let's see how far I can get with these guys.
The youth cracked his knuckles, still approaching the two men who held the woman by each arm. And I don't have to break into the joint. This is my lucky day.
"Yo," Zack called out. They looked up at him. "How much for the woman there?"
"She ain't for rent," the balding man retorted, almost spitting out his words. "She ain't for sale neither."
"Aw, come on, fellas. If we can't negotiate, then what do I have left?"
"This here is property of the Don. Can't deny him his rights."
Zack stood awkwardly, placing his hands on his tan pants. Two dog tags rattled against his neck, and he inattentively brushed off invisible dust on his black tank top. His arms were cut with shapely definition, several scars lined around them. Removing the glasses from his eyes and placing them on top of his porcupine styled hair, his feet slid into a defensive stance, and he brought his arms up, hands fisted, to his face.
"It's been three long years for me," the youth replied. "The military does that to ya. It depletes your brain cells and makes a soldier go mad. Now, can't we come to an agreement on something?" A silly thought came to his mind and he added, "Before I kill again…"
There was a slight twinge of fear in the eyes of the two men, but it quickly vanished before they released the woman mirrored Zack's stance.
"Yeah, Hot Stuff?" the man with the tattoo snorted. "You and what army?"
The balding man withdrew a long chain with a lock on the end while his partner pulled a knife, the blade chipped near the edge.
"Man, you guys are stiff. But that's okay. This'll take three seconds."
"What? You arrogant punk!"
The man with the lock charged forward, swinging the chain. He lunged forward, hurling the chain at Zack's face. The youth skillfully dodged and snatched the chain with amazing speed. Ripping the chain from the man's hand, he quickly wrapped it around his own fist, securing the lock within the palm of his hand.
"Now let's have a real party," Zack smiled, dancing around the chainless man. Still keeping his eye on the man with the knife, the youth threw a weak kick that diverted his opponent's eye before throwing a punch with the fist that held the lock, giving the attack more weight with the steel, and enhanced the strike. The man toppled backwards, which prompted the man with the knife to attack from behind.
Zack dropped to one knee as the air was disturbed above him with a glimmering blade attached, and he used his other leg to propel his body and sweep the man off of his feet.
"Outstanding, gentlemen!" Zack exclaimed, the two men crumpled upon the ground and slightly turning over to regain their focus. Looking to the man with the knife, he kicked the weapon out of his hand and it skittered across the ground some odd distance away. "Anyway," the youth flicked the cowlick from his eyes, "I have some other business to attend to, so if you'll excuse me…"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man who had held the knife struggle to stand. Shrugging, Zack lifted his leg high and came crashing down upon the head of the man like a hammer. Giving a loud grunt, the man was back on the ground.
"Three seconds," Zack repeated, then tossed the chain and lock to the ground. He wandered over to the frightened woman, who had apparently seen everything, shivering with her hands held to her face. "My lady," the youth bowed low, extending a gentle hand in her direction, as though he were asking her to dance.
She stared at it, and then vehemently shook her head, her cheeks pink and flustered. He continued to smile, gingerly took her hand, and began to lead her back to his motorcycle.
"N-No," she whimpered, pulling against him.
"I won't hurt you," he promised. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe." He could tell that she was debating from the puzzled look in her eyes. Zack decided to give her a little nudge, "Or, if you'd prefer, I can leave you with these guys."
She didn't hesitate for long after that and gave a small nod, shuffling her feet behind him. He stepped over the fallen thugs, holding her hand in his. Zack directed her to his motorcycle, and he flicked his glasses over his eyes. Helping her onto the seat, the youth positioned himself in the front and placed the keys into the ignition.
"Hold on tight," he ordered and he could feel her tiny hands clutch at the fabric of his shirt around his waist. Zack pushed up the kickstand and revved the engine before speeding away.
\/\/\/
"Here we are," Zack said once he had successfully pulled up in front of the rather large house set back from the road, surrounded by yellow daffodils. The young woman was busy gazing around as he stalled the engine, removed the keys, and set the kickstand down.
He hopped off to the left and reclaimed her attention as he took one of her hands and offered to help her off the seat.
"Is…this your place?" she quietly asked.
"Well…sort of," he shrugged. "Lately, I've become more of the caretaker here." He, too, turned to gaze at the flowerbed set high on a hill, a little ways from the house. A shimmering, clear waterfall was running behind the house, and the woman turned to it. The breeze whistled by them and the aroma of flowers tickled their noses. Zack caught a free petal in the air and held it in between his fingers. After a moment, he let it go.
His attention shifted to the house. He had finished painting it recently, and reminded himself that the shingles had to be fixed. Reaching out, he used the bottom of his shirt to wipe away a smudge on one of the windows. When he looked back, the woman was peering over the brown picket fence at the cool stream running below.
"This is…very pretty," she observed. She wasn't shaking now, Zack noticed, but her voice was still very quiet and slightly hinged with fear. He couldn't quite blame her. Her eyes trailed up to the lively flowerbed on the ledge above them. She met his eyes, as though asking for approval. "May I?"
"Be my guest," he responded, nonchalantly.
She wandered past him, slowly making her way to the stepladder on the opposite side of the house. He followed her, watching as she climbed up to the top.
"Don't hurt yourself," he said before he began to ascend after her.
"I won't." She brushed herself off and stood upright, gazing at the marvelous care that had been put into the flowerbeds. Pointing to them, she asked, "Did you do all of this?"
"Me? No. It was started by someone I knew and…" he pushed himself from the ladder and arched his back to trail her focus, "…when she wasn't around to take care of it anymore, I decided to look after the place." Zack forced a grin.
"Not…around?" The woman looked to him, eyebrow quirked. "I always knew that flowers couldn't grow in Midgar. I…I grew up here, too. But, there was one woman I knew that could miraculously obtain that beauty." Zack noticed that she was rubbing her arm with anxiety. "She…died though."
"Was she from here?" he crossed his arms.
"I believe so," she nodded. Then, after a moment, "Yes. I'm sure of it. Her name was Aeris."
It was Zack's turn to knit his eyebrows. So, a woman who knew her? The world was indeed a small place.
"Then I'll have you know that this is her house," he admitted, "and these are her flowers."
The woman looked at him with disbelief. "You were acquainted with her, too?"
"I was."
Her disbelief was replaced with a look that was unreadable. Zack wondered what was troubling her.
"She never mentioned you."
"Ha," Zack laughed. "But you don't even know my name."
The woman flushed slightly and adjusted the glasses on her petite nose. It gave him time to finally look her over now that she was not hanging her head with shame or fright. She was a dainty, little thing. Cute, in an odd sort of way, yet lacked the beauty that his beloved once had. However, she came off as intellectual and matured beyond her years, a trait she made up in that Zack wasn't quite sure Aeris had.
But maybe she did, under that exterior of freefalling.
"That's true," she replied. "So…uh…may I ask what it is?"
"Hmm…" he extended a hand. "It's Zack Terrain. Yours?"
"Shera," she replied, her voice acquiring a little more volume, as though she were becoming more comfortable with his presence.
"That's a pretty name," he said. "So, you say she never mentioned me?"
"Zack…" she repeated and then shook her head. "It's unfamiliar to me. I'm sorry."
"No biggy," he shook it off.
It really was no surprise. When he had come back to town, he had been hurt to learn that she had given up on him, saying that her relationship with him hadn't been serious at all. He heard that from several of her friends who recognized him right off the bat. It was also from them that he learned of her death. That was after I went to her house, too. After that, he dropped the military act, changed his last name, and began work at the grill house. He blamed himself mostly for taking off so often, never really staying in touch, and running off to Costa Del Sol for as much time as he had.
It was a shame, too. He had bought an engagement ring to give to her after he had gotten back from Nibelheim. He had already thought of where to live and what he wanted to do. He was going to quit SOLDIER, maybe become a blacksmith or something silly like that. It would've made her laugh.
He had loved it when she laughed.
"You okay?" Shera broke him from his thoughts, touching his arm gently.
"Fine," he said. "Anyway, I've been staying here for a while—in Midgar that is—and I was living in Sector Six until not too long ago. I've been dealing with some vandalism from punk kids who like to come here and wreck the flowers. So I moved into her old house." He laughed, "I don't think she'll mind now. Her mom moved out and I know how much those flowers meant to her. Can't give them up, now can I?"
"I suppose not," she replied, her voice quiet again.
"Anyway, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like," Zack invited. "It's no problem to me."
At the thought, she tensed. "I…I was actually looking for someone."
"Ah," he gestured back to the house with his thumb. "But it's getting late, now. How about I take you where you want to go tomorrow?"
Again she seemed uneasy, but agreed after a moment. There wasn't any place she could go, anyway. Obviously, she had been gone from Midgar too long to realize its changes.
On the other hand, so had Zack.
"All right," she said.
"Great," he walked back towards the stepladder. "I'll fix us something to eat. Anything you prefer?"
"Ah…it doesn't matter." She followed after him. "Um, do you like tea?"
\/\/\/
Yeah, I know Zack's last name is Fair, just to be clear. And more about the Crisis Core plot will come into play as well. Sorry about the slow start. I'm pretty shaky coming into this. Please let me know what you think!
ML
