Hi, I suck. I know. But a voice came to me the other day and said to just... sit down with these babies and love them again. Turns out this one has been done for months on end. Enjoy.
Words: 3,536
We came to a stop, my blue eyes scanning the area. We weren't alone here. Something wasn't right, I could feel it. There was a destroyed building that looked like a reactor. I recall Zack mentioning that there was one out here. This was destroyed however, briefly I wondered what had happened to it. The grim expression on Zack's face said that he might have a clue. I was silent however, as I had taken a liking to being as of late.
It put into perspective why everyone else was always so quiet. There was always something to observe, to think about, and to analyze. We stopped towards the outer edge of the city, somewhere in the ruins of the reactor. Zack turned the motorcycle off, and I took to soaking in my surroundings. This was Zack's home town. I wondered what it was like to have a hometown.
With crossed arms, and a scowl on his features Zack mumbled to himself, mulling over what to do. I certainly was getting tired of just sitting around doing nothing while he ran off and experienced all the adventure. I stood from the motorcycle and began walking ahead of him.
"H-Hey!" He called after me. I paused to turn with a raised eyebrow. "Where are you going?"
"I'm not sure, but this is your hometown right?" he didn't respond. "I was hoping to explore a little, maybe meet your family."
"No, stay here. I don't want you to get hurt," he said softly.
"Zack, I can handle myself. I'm a SOLDIER." He seemed reluctant but he gave no opposition to my decision. I walked ahead of him, using the tree covered area to my advantage. I was never good at this hiding thing, but I managed to get close enough to the town to see a few people in black suits walking and talking. Closer to where I was hiding was more people in black suits. An ambush of sorts.
I swallowed my saliva wondering which house could have been his. I wanted so desperately to find out who his parents were and where they were. I had an overwhelming urge to do something stupid. I was so desperate to know who these people were, and what they looked like that I was willing to risk our chance of slipping by unnoticed for it. I backed away from the area eyeing the houses nervously. Another time. Another time Evie. Now is not the time.
It was calling to me, wanting to know so badly it was almost starting to hurt. I risked getting closer to the homes, just enough to peek in through one of the houses windows. It was a home, towards the edge of the village in the very corner of the town. I was risking so much just for a glance. I was screaming at myself to not do it, but I couldn't help it. There was Shinra troops and Turks all over, something must be very important for things to be getting this crowded. I prayed to Gaia none of them would see me.
My eyes roamed around the home, a stairs and a kitchen just barely in my view. Suddenly a couple walked into the view, looking worried. I followed them as they walked and noticed a few picture frames. One of the pictures I recognized.
It was…. Of me. There was the cover of a magazine in it and next to my picture was a framed letter. It was hard to read with the glare and the distance. I looked around me to make sure I hadn't been caught yet and cupped my hands to try and get a better look.
I could make out the words best friend. Some other useless words, and I quickly gave up as I saw movement. I turned away from the window and satisfied enough to be on my way, began to leave. Just before the shadow of the forest enveloped me, I turned to gaze back at the window with sad hope. My gaze became locked with a beautiful woman. I recognized those eyebrows and chin anywhere. Zack's mother. Her hair was as black as his. A man joined her side, and her lips said my name. I stared silently at the two. The man was handsome, graying hair, strong jaw, warm smile and broad shoulders. There was no doubt who his son was.
They smiled at me, as if hope had been restored for them. I smiled and bowed lowly in respect. I gave them a soft look, trying to silently convey to them that I would never let anyone take their son away, I loved him more than anyone else and would die to protect him. I knew a single look couldn't convey all of my feelings, but I hoped they understood. I heard a voice and my eyes snapped to see a familiar Turk enter the town slowly. I returned my gaze to the couple and nodded once before speeding off. I had to leave before they knew I had even dared to enter the village.
My boots stomped against the ground, my blood pumping, and the tree made numerous amounts of red marks spread across my body. Someone had heard me. I could hear them following me. I turned to fight them, but nothing. I growled and kept running, knowing better than to run to Cloud. Towards the edge of the small town I made my stand waiting for whatever was following me to fight me.
There a few infantrymen came running towards me. A hail of bullets rained towards me, but dodging them was the easiest thing about them. Slicing them down wasn't difficult to do, and once they were glowing with the Lifestream I left running towards safety. I nearly regretted my decision. But I got to see them. His parents. For a moment, I saw them. Nothing was more important to me than them, than him.
It was silent now and I almost wished I had the company of Cloud to keep my mind at ease. I don't recall ever being so dependent on anyone before. I felt like I needed the company to keep me safe. It was a weird feeling. I shook my head running for the reactor where I knew Cloud would be sitting.
I was in the reactor… somewhere. I couldn't find my way back to Cloud. Then I saw it, a familiar white wing. An audible gasp fell from my lips. Angeal?! I watched him die…
I tried to run out of where I was and find him, but the ruins were blocking every way I tried to go. I was getting lost somehow, and my frantic need to find Cloud, Zack and Angeal was starting to fill me. Then I heard it. Fighting. This gave me somewhere to head towards, I followed the sounds and found Hollander. Another person that was supposed to be dead, fighting Zack. Behind him was Angeal fighting two genesis clones off…. Rather pathetically.
I ran past Zack's fight to slice down the back of one of the clones, easily defeating him and drawing the attention of the other to allow Angeal time to kick it in the head. This distracted the clone long enough to allow me time to run it through with Harpenger. I threw my sword on my back and locked eyes with Angeal, who was smirking. He seemed to be thinking something.
The sound of boots hitting the pavement reached my ears and that handsome face came into my view.
"It's been a long time you two…" I moved to stand alongside a happy Zack who was playing with a Dumbapple.
"So, what happened? That things wasn't so tough!" A cocky grin fell across his features and my heart swelled to see the old Zack come out. I couldn't stop the smile that fell on my features. Just seeing Angeal had managed to change our entire demeanors.
"I certainly can't fight like a 1st." Angeal stood slowly, my eyes now falling over his clothing, his voice changing into another familiar voice. "I'm just an Angeal copy."
"Copy?" asked Zack.
The voice changed completely, "It's Lazard." My eyebrows rose in surprise and the avid talking began. More words came from the two of us in this one day than we had since we woke up in Nibelheim a few months earlier. We talked until the sun went down, deciding the reactor was safe enough place to start a fire and keep warm.
"So it was you who helped Hollander out of Junon?" My gaze turned to land on Zack who was still talking about Hollander. Lazard and I had opted to sit, I was starting to feel tired even after a well rest. I listened to his words silently, as I had found was the only thing I did as of late. My thoughts turned to Cloud, and my gaze flicked to his sitting form.
"I never dreamed I'd be turned into an Angeal copy," Lazard said as we watched him.
"Does anyone dream of being a copy?" I asked softly, the thoughts of the experiments done to the three of us crossing my thoughts.
"Well, just be happy you're linked to Project G." Zack, ever trying to be an optimist.
"it's a strange feeling," Lazard started, "The lust for vengeance that had so consumed my life is all but gone now. In its place is a desire to help you, a desire to save Genesis… No, it's bigger than that. I..I want to save the world." Zack was silent, even as he walked away from the two of us. Lazard glanced at me before returning his gaze to the back of Zack's head.
In a fluid motion, Zack pulled the Buster Sword from his back, "Nothing strange about that. Angeal lives inside you." Zack lifted the sword into the air with no effort, the purple fruit still in his other hand. Lazard was quick to get back to business.
"Genesis is trying to obtain the "gift of the goddess," but what is it exactly?" he asked us. Before even allowing us to respond he continued, "No, whatever it is, he must be stopped." Those words sounded just like Angeal. It was warming to hear a voice speak like him, to see a face look like him. A friend, a comrade, a mentor.
"I just don't understand what he's talking about at all. What should I do?"
"He talks in code really. Using lines from that crappy book of his to recite it until our ears fall off. He's trying to tell us something with it," I added, Lazard turned his attention to me.
"Angeal may show us the way… perhaps."
"Maybe… I hope so, Director." There it was again, that optimism that was so customary of the old Zack. It made my heart swell again to see such happiness in his features. I was happy to see him happy.
"Heh, "Director"… So, Zack, what is your dream?" Then it was like an old fond memory flashed before me. These exactly words having been a part of a memory so long ago. Angeal was alive then. Zack was a Second still. Tseng was my friend, and Sephiroth still the hard ass I loved. My feelings for Zack were easy to understand. He was my friend and I was his friend.
"Huh? Oh, let's see… To become a hero!" Zack stated proudly.
"Humph, unattainable dreams are the best kind," I smirked at this, it was almost comforting to hear all of this.
"Oh, come on! Lend us a hand! You and Angeal both. If we pull this off, we'll all be heroes! At the very least, I'd feel like one!" I had nearly forgotten that being a Hero like Sephiroth was all Zack had ever wanted. Now that I was being reminded of this dream, I felt this need to see him fulfill it fill my body. It was all about Zack and anything I could do for him. This almost all powerful selflessness, filled my thoughts of Zack, even now as he stood in front of me talking.
"Banora," he said, that's where we're going next. Zack walked over to me and stuck his hand out. I smiled easily and grabbed his hand to stand up.
Just as I stood it felt like a wave had washed over me. I was losing consciousness and rapidly. My limbs were losing control of themselves. I could smell Mako in my nostrils, it was almost a burning scent. I tried to speak but nothing came out. The last of my control felt hands, and heard a voice. I could hear my steady breathing, but I couldn't move…
Zack's face filled my now sea green vision. He was shouting… maybe? Or talking? I couldn't hear him. No… I could hear him, but I didn't know what he was saying. My mind wouldn't register anything. I wondered what I must look like, and allowed my mind to delve into whatever had consumed me.
I could sense Cloud. He was near me, in a state similar to mine. Words reached my ears, but my mind couldn't comprehend them. Time passed, but I couldn't understand it. Cloud and his thoughts seemed to intertwine with mine for a moment. Wherever we were, whatever state we were in, we were together. I was keeping watch over him this way.
Mako addiction. This is… terrible. I thought. It was weird. I couldn't feel my body, or use my consciousness. It was almost like being in a separate place all together. Cloud and I were here, but no one else was. It was like floating? Every so often I could feel things, see them, and feel them. They were images, and words I couldn't make out. They were Zack. All of them. Every moment I felt, or heard, or saw was of him.
He looked so worried, sounded scared, and his hands were warm… comforting. But as soon as I registered the feeling it was gone. I wanted to cry, I wanted to shout. I wanted to curse Hojo for what he had done. I wanted slaughter him and watch him bleed to death from a wound my blade had caused.
For a moment my thoughts stopped, a voice ringing out to me that I recognized as not Zack's but another. It was like a whisper in my head. I accepted it's power, and felt as though I was falling, my mind and body separating from Cloud.
My clothes unraveled, and layer by tedious layer a new set of clothing covered my body. It was much like Sephiroth's clothing, but seemed to be a tighter feminine version. The voice was whispering louder now. My hair started to drip it's natural black color and silver spread. My eyes filled Green… I saw all of this as if I was out of my body… as if I was the woman whispering in my head.
She was turning me into another Sephiroth… No… it was something else. The words she were whispering made me snap from this place and angrily take what little control I had back.
I couldn't sense Cloud… he was missing from this abyss. She had got to him too, but it seemed that she was doing better with him. It was deafening being in this... place, alone.
I had decided that when I woke up from this… state. I would tell Zack. I would wrap my arms around his neck, run my fingers through his black locks and tell him the truth. I wouldn't die happily if he didn't know. I hoped that I would wake up, but I didn't know what was going on. I couldn't tell where we were.
Faintly I could feel my body against another's… There was a rumbling as well. The motorcycle. As quickly as the thoughts came they were gone. I was sinking into that state again. My thoughts rolled over my willpower to tell Zack. It was faltering and every time it did that voice was there whispering its incoherent words in my head.
It was a never ending cycle. It was fighting for dominance, I think, over my mind. I just needed to fight it. I was a SOLDIER. A SOLDIER 1st Class. I was Evelia Reinhardt, Hero to the women, and the young. A star for Shinra. I was famous, I was strong… I was a killing machine… I was his student… He told me the truth… the truth he thought all along.
The memories replayed themselves in my head. His silky voice, his smooth moments, his evil glare… I sunk lower into the feeling enveloping me. What was it? Pity? Sadness? Betrayal? Disgust?
None of them were good emotions to be feeling. I had to listen to Zack I couldn't be mentally weak or I would lose this battle. I had to think about Zack. I had to remember who I really was. I needed to… Protect my honor as a SOLDIER.
I could feel it… I was coming back to my body. My limbs had that familiar heavy feeling. It wasn;t refreshing waking up, it was tiring as if it took a lot of energy to wake up from my coma like state. I wiggled my fingers trying to get everything connected.
My thoughts seemed to fall back into my body and slowly I groaned in pain. My body felt stiff from lack of use. It was like waking up at the Shinra Mansion all over again. I tried to move, but it failed. My boots felt too heavy. I took a deep breath and choked in pain. Warmth surrounded me suddenly, I was enveloped in it; there was a familiar scent that followed with it.
My eyelids even felt heavy, but I fluttered them open to see the only thing I ever wanted to see when I woke up, him. He was concerned it was all over his face.
"Hey," I said in a raspy voice. He relaxed visibly.
"You're alright!" I nodded a bit, still tired from the addiction… or poisoning. I smiled up at his face. That handsome face. I was laying in his arms comfortably and slowly I closed my eyes, still tired. "Evie…" His voice sounded cracked.
"I'm fine, I just need to sleep some, I promise." He didn't argue and I easily fell asleep, warm against his body.
I had been too preoccupied with my drowsiness to notice where we were, or even what Zack was wearing. I woke up slowly, without much thought about anything but getting up; I was reveling in the feeling of control pulsing through my limbs. It was colder I noticed as I sat up. Then an eerie silence. My eyes flashed open in worry, but locked eyes with Zack who was silent and watching me with an expression I couldn't describe.
I smiled wryly. I was still tired, but I felt much better than before. "Where are we?" Zack paused glancing at the sky as if searching for something.
"We've just finished traveling for today. Lazard said it wasn't safe for us, and we're island hoping." I was confused, Cloud was still with us, as was the motorcycle. How could we be island hoping? Zack seemed to recognize my confusion. "It's not easy, but with you back it'll be a little easier." I paused at this.
"How long… was I…?" I didn't need to finish my statement, Zack's features fell solemn and he didn't lock eyes with me.
"It's been a little under a couple of months. We're still heading for Banora, but with the highways patrolled by nearly everyone, we've been having a difficult time getting over there. It's taking longer than it needs to I'm sure." He sounded different I noticed. He seemed tired… stressed.
"How much sleep have you gotten lately Zack?" He seemed surprised, but shrugged as if it wasn't important.
"We're SOLDEIRs not invincible Zack. Get some sleep. We'll talk more later." I wanted to tell him everything crossing my mind and I had so many questions for him. They were fighting to get out of my system, but I knew that now was not the time for it. I needed to do this for him. He was hesitant and I patted my lap fondly. Whatever protests he had left disappeared as his head fell into my lap.
I played with his hair gently. My Zack would have never agreed so easily.
This running and fighting for our lives was getting to Zack. He was maturing even faster than before. He now felt the burden of his two best friends lives in his hands. I traced his scar fondly, but kept my senses open attempting to be a good alert.
I could feel the tug… the poison wasn't gone. I was susceptible at any time, I could feel it. The report from the mansion suddenly made sense. I dreaded this knowledge, it was scary… It certainly wasn't something we needed at a time like this, but I voiced my thoughts to no one. Taking instead, to doing what I could for Zack.