What Lies Beneath

Chapter 6

A Promise I Will Keep

"Zack, who is Zack exactly?"

Cloud stared at Aerith, her back was to him. Upon hearing Cloud's question she turned around and the look on her face seemed off. She looked as if she were daydreaming.

"Oh, he's nobody," she responded trying to brush off the entire thing.

She looked at her arms which had mild scratched on them that she wanted to clean up. She also noticed her green dress was torn from the tumble that she took. Aerith sighed.

"I suppose I should go home and clean up."

Cloud did not like the response. "You called me Zack. Why would you call me Zack?"

Aerith looked up at Cloud. "It's because you look like him."

Cloud gasped. Eyes wide, he nearly dropped the sword in his hand. Cloud did not know how to react to this. If he looked like someone that she knew then perhaps it could be easily to mistaken them but no matter how much someone looked like someone else there would always be ways to tell them apart. What about him reminded her of Zack? Not to mention why would she simply give him Zack's sword? She never even asked for him to return it after the fight with Kadaj in the first place. Did this Zack guy even matter to her?

"But... you said this is his sword."

Aerith who had begun to leave turned around. Cloud stepped back, surprised as Aerith looked at him with gentle smile on her face. She nodded her head and without saying a word she walked away.

When Aerith was gone, Cloud found himself in a daze. He returned home to clean himself up and change his clothes that were filthy from the fight into something clean. He chose a pair of navy demin pants and sleeveless turtleneck with a zipper at the collar. As he changed, Cloud looked down at his arm and found Aerith's ribbon still attached to his arm from the wound he received. He would have changed the ribbon had he any bandages in his house but seeing that he still had not gone shopping for groceries or unpacked, he would make due with the ribbon.

When he was done dressing, Cloud noticed the sword leaning up against his wall. The idea that he was carrying someone's sword around bothered him. Especially since Aerith said he looked like him. What bothered him even more was how obscure she was on the details of Zack. Cloud could not sit still without answers. He had to go see Aerith again and he would demand answers if he had to. God knows he had many of them. He took hold of the sword and strapped it to his back.

Cloud did not know where Aerith lived nor was he able to ask anyone of her whereabouts. Reno and Rude were no where to be found, which hardly surprised Cloud. Cloud did not know any of the other tenants in the apartment complex and he doubted they even knew who she was. He did not want to go seek out Kadaj or his brothers because he was one hundred percent positive they would start another fight with him. Yet, the only place he knew that Aerith was and has been every time he goes there is her church. Cloud made his way to the church. Once outside he climbed the steps and noticed a white feather on the ground. He watched as the wind carried it away. He found it odd since it seemed like there were no animals in Midgar either, especially since there were no plant life aside from the flowers that grew inside this church.

Cloud entered the church and approached the center where, sure enough, Aerith was attending to her flowers. For once she did not seem to noticed him entering the church. She quietly did her work as if in a trance. Her outfit was different, it was pink and white strapless dress with a skirt and flared out. Cloud noticed she was still wearing those brown boots as before. Her hair was still in its braid but it looked off without the pink ribbon to which he was use to seeing in her hair.

"Will you tell me who Zack is now?"

Cloud did not waste time with greetings. He wanted to get down to the point.

Aerith did not seemed startled by his presence. Perhaps she did hear him enter and opted to pretend not to hear him. Maybe she hoped to avoid the question. She got up from her work and turned to look up and face Cloud.

"Yes," she replied.

Cloud arched an eyebrow. He was expecting her to dance around the question like before. Perhaps now that they were in the confines of this church she felt more at ease to speak to him about it. She stood in the middle of her flower patch and turned away from Cloud. The sun peeking through the roof spilled over her making her look ethereal. As if she did not belong here.

She clasped her hands together, lifted her head to look through the holes in the roof, and spoke out, "At first, I thought you were Zack."

Cloud nodded, "Oh, I see."

Perhaps on a first glance she saw some resemblance.

"Zack," she continued, "use to carry that sword around. He was strong and brave. He wanted more than anything to be a hero."

Cloud watched her head drop to her folded hands. "He promised he would protect me..."

The drop in her voice's pitch made Cloud curious. Yet he was almost hesitant to ask his next question.

"What happened?"

Aerith lifted her head back up, her eyes looking sad toward the sky as if recalling something. Cloud held a breath and then watched as the girl let out a breath that she too was holding in.

"He left me alone."

Cloud eyes widened softly. It did not make any sense. If she said that this Zack person wanted to be hero then why would he leave a defenseless girl to fend for herself? Was he once a player in this strange game that he was now apart of? Did he simply give up on Aerith and decided it was not worth protecting her from people like Kadaj?

"Why," Cloud asked. "Why would he just leave?"

Aerith shrugged, "I don't know."

Cloud noticed Aerith was trying to sound casual, as if Zack leaving her did not mean anything but the slight change in her voice did not go unnoticed to him. It tugged at his heartstrings. Did people like Kadaj come after all the time? Was Zack leaving her to fend for herself the reason why she was sought after by such a vile man? What would give someone such a good reason to go off, especially, if they wanted to become a hero?

Aerith dropped her hands and stared down at her flowers. It seemed like the only comforting thing for Aerith, in Cloud's eyes. Flowers brought happiness to people. Living the life she did, Cloud wasn't surprised she spent so much time here. The flowers had to have been her only solace.

"I'll protect you."

Aerith looked up, gasping slightly. Cloud broke into a rare smile almost hoping to comfort her by these words. However, Aerith did not seem comforted by them at all. She looked away, upset by it. This reaction puzzled Cloud.

"Cloud, don't say such lies."

"But I am not lying," Cloud stated firmly. "Aerith, I'll protect you now."

Aerith moved toward Cloud. She looked up into his eyes trying desperately to see if he was lying. Cloud stared at her, no lies nothing.

"You mean that? Promise?" she wanted his promise.

Cloud looked at her and nodded. The affirmative response on his gentle face made Aerith feel at ease. Her smile returned to her face.

"Cloud... thank you."

Cloud reached out to touch Aerith when a gunshot sounded. Cloud and Aerith both jumped back from another as a shower of bullets spray between them. Cloud's heart began to slam into his chest as he saw the smokey bullet holes in the wooden floor. He looked around trying to determine what happened. However, it was Aerith who spotted the person first.

"LOOK!" she yelled loudly.

Cloud looked over to see her pointing up into the rafters. Cloud's eyes followed her pointing finger and his eyes found the person who had fired the round of bullets. The sound of empty shells clinked as they hit the wooden church floor and rolled away. Next, a clicking noise echoed through the church. The man had reloaded his gun which startled Cloud. It had three barrels and had a intricate design to it.

"Who are you?" Cloud demanded to know.

The man jumped down from the rafters and landed on the ground in a crouching position. Cloud stood in front of Aerith at the same time grabbing the hilt of his sword in case the man were to strike again. The man stood up at full height. He was easily much taller than Cloud with long black hair and pale skin. He clothe were black but the cloak and headband he were were red. On his feet he wore odd gold color boots that were pointed and on the hand he was not holding a gun with had a golden colored claw. Yet, what most disturbed Cloud were the pools of crimson that were his eyes.

"I have come to challenge you."

A feeling of dread washed over Cloud. It was then he knew this was far from over.