Chapter 51: The Ghost Girl

February 16, 0010

LATE AT NIGHT….

Zack, having left Romina's lounge, hopped back onto his bike. With a growl, it started, and soon he was on the road once more.

By this point, of course, it was after midnight, and all of the lights had shut down. Had the stars not been out, the road would have been pitch black.

Soon, Zack approached a hotel, with a vacancy sign illuminated brightly. Realized he needed a place to stay for the night, he pulled his motorcycle into the parking lot, donned his mask, and went inside.

"You're lucky," the desk clerk said. "We've got one room left for the night."

"I'll take it," Zack agreed.

"Perfect," said the clerk. "It was just disinfected."

A few minutes later, Zack entered his hotel room. It was a plain room, with all the luxuries you'd expect from one. But all Zack wanted to do was sleep, anyway.

He checked his phone to see if Yuffie had texted him again.

It was then that he realized that he was out of power; he would have to charge it when he got home.

He knew Yuffie would be furious.

But he did what he had to do.

He would see her.

He would see Denzel and Sage as well.

He would keep his mask on, as he still had the virus.

He prayed that Yuffie, Denzel, and Sage weren't infected already.

MEANWHILE….

Denzel, getting thirsty, rose from his bed and walked into the kitchen, hoping to retrieve a drink from the refrigerator.

When he got there, he saw Yuffie standing there in her tank top and pajama bottoms, holding a bottle of apple juice. She was looking directly at him, and he was definitely caught.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know I'm not supposed to be up at this time."

"Don't worry about it," Yuffie assured him. "What's a rule for if you can't break it?"

Denzel shrugged.

"Get your drink and join me on the sofa," Yuffie said.

Denzel complied and joined her on the couch.

Yuffie was unable to sleep, and the reason was obvious.

"Still no sign of Zack?" Denzel asked.

Yuffie lowered her head.

"I texted him five times and no response," she replied. "I called him twice, and it went straight to voicemail. He must be out of power. Or he's blocked me."

"I doubt he'd block you," he assured her. "He loves you. You did survive three breakups."

"We did, didn't we?" Yuffie giggled.

She then noticed something was up with Denzel was well.

"Something's eating you, too," Yuffie observed.

"I suppose I can't lie," Denzel.

"I'm twice your age," she reminded him. "So tell me."

"I've been thinking about my parents," Denzel admitted. "How I had a premonition and saved them, and they just died of Geostigma."

Yuffie put her arm around Denzel.

"I'll be your mom," she promised.

Denzel closed his eyes and shook his head.

"It was all in vain," he sighed. "And there's more than I've told you."

"What's that?" Yuffie asked.

"The night the plate fell, I told my parents what was about to happen. Of course, they didn't believe me at first, so I decided to run away, hoping they'd come after me. I made it all the way to the train station, and got on the train, but, when I got on, it was beyond crowded. There wasn't enough room for us all. So I announced: 'There's a bomb!' Everyone ran like hell. I was soon alone on the train for about two minutes before my parents spotted me. I then ran and hid under the seats. By the time they finally found me, the train was already moving. They dragged me off at the next stop, just in time to see the Sector Seven plate coming down. We could hear the screams from all the way over there."

Yuffie was silent. She had been caring for Denzel for some time now, but this was unexpected.

"I just wanted to live," Denzel continued as tears came to his eyes. "And my parents to live, but…."

Yuffie gently brushed his tears aside.

"You did what you had to do," she assured him. "You chose your family over strangers. Most people would have done that."

"How many people died because of me?" Denzel asked aloud. "How many were orphaned? How many parents lost a child?"

Yuffie silently wrapped her arms around Denzel and cradled him in her lap.

THE NEXT MORNING….

We were both hungover from the previous night when we woke up the next morning. It wouldn't go away until about eleven. By that point, we were clean and dressed, and Tobin was in his study, working on ideas for his next book.

Curiously, Tobin didn't mention anything about me admitting to having seen Aerith. At the time, I figured he had been too drunk to remember.

I was reclining on the sofa in my white crop top and blue jeans when-you guessed it-Aerith appeared to me.

"Hey there!" I whispered as I sat up.

At this point, I was used to her popping up, so I wasn't annoyed anymore. But I whispered, so Tobin wouldn't think I'm crazy.

"He can't hear anything," Aerith assured me. "He's got his earbuds in."

And then, another ghost appeared behind her.

This ghost was also a female, and wearing a dark red dress with long sleeves. She appeared to be in her late twenties.

She looked a lot like Aerith, but she was slightly taller.

Her hair was much longer as well.

"Cissnei," Aerith began, "this is my biological mother, Ifalna."

"Hello, Cissnei," she greeted.

"Hi," I greeted. "It's nice to meet you."

I was wondering what she was doing there at first.

"So," Aerith began as she sat down on the couch next to me, along with Ifalna. "Remember where we left off?"

"You went to the Temple of the Ancients and got the Black Materia," I replied. "And you separated from the group."

"Forever," Aerith added. "Or so I thought, until I picked up the Phase Materia."

"That's right," I said. "The Materia that can make you non-physical."

"I didn't even know what it was until I walked right through a tree," Aerith said. "And I can't describe the joy I felt when I realized I was going to live after all. I immediately started thinking about my reunion with Cloud, and taking our relationship further."

Aerith then dried a tear from her eye.

Ifalna placed her hand on her shoulder.

"Actually," Aerith continued. "The altar at the Forgotten Capital wasn't the first place that Materia saved my life."

FLASHBACK….

Aerith was now north of the Temple of the Ancients and on her way to Junon when she encountered someone she knew: Jack and Sumner Balen.

"Aerith!" Jack greeted in an angry tone of voice.

"What are you doing out of jail?!" she exclaimed.

"Bond," Jack Balen replied.

"We're all alone," Sumner announced. "Now it's time to get revenge on the bitch who got us arrested and banned from Gold Saucer for life!"

"Is that so," Aerith replied sarcastically as she concealed the Phase Materia in the palm of her hand. "What are you going to do to me?"

"First we'll rape you," Jack said.

"Then we'll kill you," Sumner finished.

"And then," Jack added, "we just might repeat step one!"

"No, please!" Aerith fake-pleaded. "I have a mom!"

In response, Jack marched right up to her.

"You should've thought about that before you squealed on us!" he snarled as he reached out to grab her arm.

His hand went right through her.

Jack's face almost turned white.

"What in the name of fraggle fuck?!"

"I'm a ghost, silly," Aerith replied.

"You're dead?!" Jack exclaimed.

"As a doornail," she answered cheerfully. "Coming back to haunt you."

"What the fuck is this?!" exclaimed Sumner.

"Are you deaf?" Aerith exclaimed. "I'm dead!"

"How did you die?" Jack demanded.

"Somebody told me you'd both lose your virginity someday," Aerith replied. "I died laughing."

"You bitch!" Sumner howled as he charge her and threw his fist toward her midriff.

Sure enough, it went right through her.

"Only a moron would try to kill something that's already dead," Aerith sighed as she folded her arms.

"I think we need to get out of here!" Jack Balen finally conceded.

"My body's about forty miles back that way," Aerith informed them as she pointed in the opposite direction. "Just in case you want to lose your virginity?"

They ran off in the opposite direction.

Aerith stood there alone, giggling to herself.

…END FLASHBACK

"I wish all death-fakings were that fun," Aerith continued. "But the next time I did it, it wasn't funny at all. I caught a ferry to the Northern Continent. I went through Bone Village, the Sleeping Forest, and, finally, the Forgotten Capital. And then, I waited. I knew Cloud was coming, so I hid in the city below. I'm sure you know the rest of the story. Cloud found me. Sephiroth found me. Sephiroth tried to stab me, but I case Phase again, so I was only pretending to be dead. I was buried in the lake, and that was the worst part. I had to swim out of there, or I really would be dead. I had just enough time after they left.

"I came back through the Sleeping Forest. When I reached Bone Village, I spent four days working with the staff. Then Meteor was summoned. We all took a ferry to Junon, which I escaped right before it was destroyed. Then, I finally made it to Midgar."

"I heard," I informed her.

"Would you mind standing up?" Ifalna suddenly requested. "I'd like to get a good look at you."

I found this question strange. Ifalna was a complete stranger, and why she would have wanted to get a look at me was, at the time, beyond my comprehension.

"Such a beautiful young woman," Ifalna said to herself.

"Thanks," I said awkwardly as I sat down.

That was strange, I thought.

"Once Aerith is done telling you about her relationship with Cloud, I want to talk to you."

She paused.

And what she would say next was the last thing I was prepared for.

"About Major Reynolds."