Legacy of a SOLDIER - Chapter 2
by EclipsedReaper
Aerith knelt in the flower patch, tending to her flowers as she had done for the past seven years. The afternoon rainfall had watered them for her, so there wasn't much to do today. That was fine; she just needed something to get her mind off the vague worry that had been gnawing at her recently, though whether it was about Zack, the city, or something she couldn't quite name, she didn't know.
She brushed a loose strand of chestnut hair behind her ear, her green eyes scanning the delicate blossoms with quiet care. Dressed in her usual pink dress and red bolero jacket, she was a soft contrast to the cold, crumbling walls of the church around her, like a wildflower growing where it shouldn't, yet thriving all the same.
Even after several minutes, she still couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted—something simultaneously right and wrong, like two puzzle pieces forced together that almost fit, but... not quite. She didn't understand how or why, but it was nearly as if the Planet was speaking to her, trying to tell her something. It felt surreal, almost indescribable. She knelt closer to the ground, pressing her ear to the damp earth, hoping to catch whispers of the Planet—but the voices faded too soon. She sighed, slightly annoyed, but regained her gentle demeanor after a moment.
As she returned to caring for the blossoms, she heard a slight creak behind her. She waited a moment, then said softly, "Hi, Tseng." Turning around, she saw him sitting in one of the frontmost pews. His brown eyes looked... softer than usual. "It's been a while," he replied. Aerith asked, "What does Shinra want now?" Tseng sighed. "This isn't about Shinra, Aerith..." She tilted her head inquiringly. He paused as if choosing his words. Finally, he quietly said, "Zack... We found him."
Aerith's breath caught in her throat. Tseng hesitated, then slowly said, "He's alive." She began to feel dizzy like the entire world was shaking around her. "No... no, you can't mean that... how could he—after all this time—" she stammered, her voice trembling, "You—are you sure?" Tseng continued, "Two of my men retrieved him in the Midgar Wastes. They're taking him to a town east of Midgar as we speak." No… no, that couldn't be right. Tseng wouldn't lie to her, but maybe… maybe he was wrong. Maybe it was someone else. Maybe— she thought. Aerith met his eyes, searching for any hint of dishonesty, but found none. No matter how hard it was to believe, he was telling the truth.
She could feel her eyes welling up with tears, tears that after being held back for over four years, were now released in a swell of emotion. After so long, she had almost grown used to the fact that he wasn't coming back to her, but this... She broke down, crying like she hadn't done since her mother, her real mother, had died. Every day, for years, she had waited for him, and he never came. Her knees buckled. She clung to the nearest pew, the only stable thing left in a world suddenly spinning out of control. She subconsciously heard footsteps hesitantly approaching, but she was too overwhelmed to care. "Aerith..." Tseng said softly.
She slowly looked up at him, tears still streaming down her cheeks, and asked, "Does he even—does he even remember me anymore? It's— it's been so, so long—" She began sobbing again. "Why would he leave me like that? Doesn't he care? Didn't he care?" A thousand questions raced through her mind, each cutting deeper than the last. Why hadn't he come back? What had kept him so long? And yet, despite the ache clawing at her heart, she felt a glimmer of hope. "Aerith." His voice was firmer this time, but devoid of harshness. Hearing her name drew her out of the sorrow she had fallen into. Tseng continued, "When we found him, he was fighting through an entire battalion of soldiers just to get to Midgar. To get to you, Aerith."
She froze, her breath hitching mid-sob, as his words began to sink in. She whispered, "Fighting—to get to me?" Her heart twisted, torn between disbelief and hope. "You... you're sure?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "I wouldn't have come here if I weren't," was his reply. He offered her his hand, and she silently took it, trying to wipe the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand as she got up.
For a moment, he hesitated, his hand brushing against the pocket of his coat before finally pulling out a handkerchief and holding it out to her. As she continued to dry the few remaining tears, she asked, "What happened to him? Why was he away for so long?" Tseng's gaze flickered briefly, an emotion too fleeting to name crossing his face before his expression smoothed into its usual calm. "It's... complicated," he said quietly, his tone somber. "But he never stopped fighting to get back to you, Aerith." Aerith opened her mouth to ask more, but her voice faltered. Whatever Zack had been through, it wasn't something Tseng would reveal lightly. She nodded, swallowing hard. "I don't care what it takes. I need to see him. Please." Tseng nodded. "It won't be easy." Aerith brushed off her skirt, squared her shoulders, and said firmly, "I can handle it."