My first FFMUX Log! Yay!
Aerith is reunited with Zack..
Zack awoke that morning with the tail end of a hang over. Dry mouthed and achy, he didn't envy what Adirana must be feeling. His enhanced body had made short work of the toxins he willingly imbibed. The poor woman didn't have such a benefit. Of course she had a loving SO to feed her aspirin. The young man was forced to fend for himself. Which wasn't as bad as it sounded. He'd been fortunate enough to come across Aerith's old house.
The place hadn't been lived in for some time, the paint was peeling and the garden was heavily over grown. Surprisingly, no one else had moved in. One of the neighbors told him it was out of deference for her involvement with the Geostigma cure. Some people knew what really happened in Midgar's original time line. It took some fast talking to keep the guy from trying to pop him one, too. But nothing he couldn't handle, even slightly hung over.
As the day progressed, he grew increasingly bored. Not about to snoop around her private things, though he was terribly terribly curious, he decided to go work on the garden. And that's where he can be found now.
Shirtless in the hot noon sun, Zack's busily yanking out fist full after fistful of weeds and tossing rocks into a pile. Not at all self conscious, he almost proudly shows off the huge burn scar on his left shoulder and the numerous bullet holes. He wasn't always invincible!
His hair is tied back in a bandana and sweat slicks down his face. It had been a long time since he'd done this sort of thing, it was kind of invigorating. A rock station blares on the radio from the porch, occasionally he starts singing along.
She had lost track of the time somewhere along the way..Was it still nighttime? She couldnt tell in the darkness underneath the plate..Even if there was sun shining, she probably would be lost. How could this place seem so familiar yet...So alien to her? She clutches her head, shaking the chill from her thin, water drenched body, trying to think despite the ache in her head and in her side. Oddly enough, even though the blood remained on her dress, the wound was no longer there, if there was a wound. Even her hair got wet, loosed from its usually tidy braid, it clings to her thin back, slick and wet. She shivers in her drenched clothes, wrapping her arms around her body as she clenches her teeth together, continuing to wander down the beaten path towards the shining light and the warm, fragrant flowers..
Between belting out Harry Belafonte, dancing across the garden and tossing rocks, you'd think he wouldn't have any idea she was coming. But Zack is a SOLDIER, senses finely tuned to monitor his surroundings even if his conscious mind isn't. He knew some one was there long before they reached the sunshine provided by the section of collapsed plate. Not that he particularly cared, people came this way all the time to get warm in the sun and enjoy the fresh air. So he continued as he was, singing loudly and shaking his bon-bon.
She coughs a bit, not to attract anyone's attention - rather the opposite, she's still badly shaken, still scared out of her wits - who knows? 'He' could still be out there somewhere..And so she tries to snuff the cough as she continues onwards, pulled by some unknown force towards the single bright spot in the slums - Incidently, her old home..Pausing for a minute outside the door, she smiles faintly as she gazes up at the ancient, slightly beaten up old Victorian House..And yet, even in its current condition, it seems just as cozy as ever before. She reaches out to try the door before she catches sound of a semi-familiar voice nearby, singing gaily in the sunshine (Could he be the gardenner?). She shakes her head, there was no gardener here, just Mom and..
She sneezes this time, teeth chattering, and turns towards the garden, moving towards the fragrant flowers, revelling in the gloriously warm and cheerful sun, which feels good and soothing on her cold, drenched skin. She hasnt even ventured to take another look at the 'gardener', so involved is she in her own thoughts and fragmented memories, eyes fluttering half closed as she soaks up the warmth of the sun, gazing up at it beneath veiled eyelids, her thin arms still wrapped against her cold, shivering body, hiding the blood on her dress..
The would be sun-bather makes for the house, and that's the cue for Zack to interfere. It didn't matter what she had done to him, what she had tried to do, once upon a time they loved each other very much and he would protect her home in honor of that. He's on the upper tier of the garden so getting a good view of the porch is a little tricky. Rather than walk down the winding path, he simply launches himself from the wall, stepping lightly as he hops from section to section until he's face to face with the would-be intruder. The dog tags around his neck clink musically with each step, ruining his attempt at surprise. Some day he'd remember to by those little plastic silencers to put around them!
Of all the people he expected to be at the bottom of his decent, a soaked and miserable looking Aerith wasn't even on the list. He comes to a skittering halt a few feet from her, crouched with his hand where the katana should be at his side and looking nervous. Good thing for her it's on the third tier with his coat and shirt!
He stands slowly, adjusting his sunglasses and looking irritated. Why is any ones guess, seeing as this is her land he's trespassing on. "What do you want?" He folds his arms over his chest, not appearing at all moved by her unfortunate state.
She had only taken a few steps towards the garden when the stranger jumped in front of her, towering over her..Almost menacingly so. Still confused, cold and feeling utterly miserable, she is definitely in no mood for a fight and she takes a step back, gasping in surprise, fear and panic reflecting in those large, emerald eyes of hers, that look just a little larger right now. "Uh..Who are you? What are you talking about." There is obvious fear in her gentle voice, and nothing more, not even the slightest tinge of bitterness, if that is what she should be feeling.. She bites her lip, taking a step back from him, keeping one eye on the door. If she can just make it to the door, maybe she can get out of harm's way..Odd, he seems somehow..Familiar..
Zack pulls the glasses from his face, violet eyes glowing visibly even in the sunlight. "Who am I?!" He repeats incredulously. "Who am I?!" Some how the question just rubs him the wrong way. How dare she pretend not to know! "Zachariah Fair, SOLDER 1st class. Man you lied to and tried to turn against his best friend. Ring any bells?"
Aerith still looks as dumbfounded as ever, shaking her head as she takes another step towards her house, away from this....This lunatic. "W-what? What are you talking about? I've never even...." she catches herself, staring long and hard at him. Zack. That name. That face! So familiar somehow...Could he be...? Blinking, clutching her head as another headache spikes her mind, she peers back at him again, "I'm..Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else.." her tone remains gentle, apologetic even. He MUST be mistaken! Mustnt he..? Why would she do those things? She bites her lip, trying hard to remember.
[
It takes a while, but those ever vigilant senses of his finally manage to get through to him. There was something different about her, about how she moved and spoke. A subtle change for sure, yet loud as all hell now that he was paying attention to it. She was gentler, more refined with an innocence that was akin to the Aerith he know. Yet she looked like OlderAerith. Something was very wrong here.
Sephiroth's voice pipes up in the back of his mind. She's wandering around in a daze, soaking wet and obviously confused. Could she have…Maybe this was a different Aerith than the one he'd met in Baron! Ten has said people come and go all the time.
He sighs and relaxes, setting the shades on his forehead. "I think you're right. Aerith, what's the last thing you remember?"
Could she..Could she really have done those things? What sort of a person was she, anyway? She shakes her head in disbelief, still trembling a little, from the cold, and from the fear this man has inadertantly invoked in her..And yet, she couldnt help but feel a vague sense of tenderness for him, beneath all of that, even as he yelled at her, a deep hatred seemingly burning from his eye. Who WAS he? What had she done to make him this way? What sort of terrible person was she? The thoughts, the implications and accusations cause her eyes to fill with tears, tears of sadness and compassion for this young man, mingled with confusion and fear overwhelming her as she clutches a hand to her mouth. "I..I dont know! It's all a blur..Like I was in s-some sort of deep sleep...Then I w-woke up at the bottom of this lake with this pain in my stomach..." How on earth did she get down there, anyway? She doesnt even think twice as to how he knew her name.
"I'm so s-sorry, Zack.." her teeth are still chattering a bit from the cold. So much for a nice peaceful rest in the warm, soothing sun, "If I really did those things to you..I hope you can forgive me.."
They say the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Generally this is true. However, in this case it's through the eye balls. If she'd done anything else he'd have been able to hold onto his indignant rage, but seeing her there, soaking wet with tears brimming in her beautiful green eyes…It was like kicking a puppy into a kitten and having both of them drop into a bath!
"Awe, jeez." He sighs and looks skyward for a moment, then reaches out to put his arm around her shoulder and steer her back towards the house. "Come on, hun. Lets get you warm and dry, I'll try'n explain then okay?"
Hardly a 'crybaby' by any means, Aerith actually seems a little embarassed to be making such a pathetic mess of herself and she quickly wipes the tears away, smiling softly and nodding as Zack's demeanor towards her changes. "Thank you for believing me.." she laughs a bit, a little bit of color returning to her face as she welcomes the warmth offered him, and gets this strange, inexplicable fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach. In fact, it causes her to blush a little. "I'm okay now, I think..Just a little shaken up. Everything's so confusing. I suppose I just need to get into something warm and dry first, maybe I can think a little clearer then.." she reaches out to push the door, which opens easily at her touch - seems the last tenant didnt bother to lock it, hopefully it wasnt trashed in her absence.
Zack arches a brow at the blush, the gesture a mixture of question and smirk. She really didn't remember, did she? This could either be really good, or really bad. On the good side, she obviously didn't try to manipulate him into hating his best friend. On the bad side, there was A LOT of history to catch her up on. Depending on where she came from, of course. Ugg…My brain isn't made to work like this!
The door is definitely unlocked, mostly because Zack had been coming and going all day and didn't want to risk loosing the key. The place is pretty much like she would remember it, save a layer of dust and general sense of disuse. His stuff is in the living room so that area has been cleaned up, as is the kitchen.
He pauses at the doorway and quickly undoes the laces of his boots, stepping out of them before coming inside. "You hungry? I don't have much of a selection, I'm sad to say." He wanders into the kitchen and sticks his head in the fridge. From the funny twist of his expression, it's clear he wishes he hadn't. Cough! "Pretty much bread, peanutbutter and water. I could run out to the market if you're craving anything special though…"
Aerith smiles silently to herself as she steps in, glancing around thoughtfully at the well-kept place. Not a scrap of dust anywhere, hardly how she expected it to look, somehow..Somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she imagined it might have been as abandonned as it appeared on the outside. Instead she is relieved, and warmed to see that it was as lovingly tended to as the garden. Stepping in from the cool air outside instantly warms her up, and she moves towards the fireplace, trying to dry herself as much as possible.
"You really took good care of the place, and the garden too...Thankyou, Zack.." she pauses, thoughtfully, pondering, "Why did you do it?" though another thought occurs to her and she turns away, inwardly berating herself for being such a fool, "Oh, I get it....After it was abandonned, you moved in here, right?"
"You sure you don't want nothing? I'm not greedy with my sammiches!" He smiles awkwardly and goes to run his hand through his hair. Sadly it is still tied back in the bandana so all this gesture serves to do is knock the glasses from his head. "Ack! Not the shades!" His hands move impossibly fast, catching the eyewear before it's half way to the ground. "Phew…Just bought these..err…No." He frowns, looking hang dog. "I've only been here a day, I needed a place to crash while I wait for Rufus to get his act together. I did it cause…well…" It's his turn to blush.
Aerith continues to stare at the fire, spreading out her hands over its warm flames, seeming more at ease now that she's settled down a bit....Even her face seems more full of color, perhaps a little TOO red even? "Aww...Zack...You're..Really sweet.." she busies herself with drying her hands again, trying not to look at him, trying to appear casual, unconcerned..More fragments, flashes in her mind - no, more than that, *feelings* overwhelm her..So many strange..Emotions flood her mind. "You can cook too? That's great! Wow, a cook, a gardener, a handyman.." she giggles, "I could do with something warm, soup and sandwhich perhaps? If you're up to it that is..
She pauses, pondering, smiling faintly as she senses the shyness in his voice, "Zack, I dont mind if you stay here a little longer.." she says the last part softly, almost a whisper.
Phew, was it getting warm in here?! Zack sure felt it, and if his shirt wasn't still in the garden he'd lift his collar to let some air in. Instead, he makes do with waving a plate over the scarred skin as he turns his back to her and goes about making her a peanut butter sandwich and dumping a can of soup into the pot on the stove.
"Oh sure, I can cook! If it involves warming something up or spreading it on a slice of bread, anything else and you're SOL." He gives a nervous little laugh and rubs the back of his neck. "You really don't remember me, do you? What's the last thing you /do/ remember?" As he finally turns around to present her with her meal, he just about drops it. Is that blood?! "Damn! Are you okay?!" The cure materia at his belt starts glowing almost preemptively.
"Hmmm..." she smiles softly as she regards him thoughtfully for a few minutes. Zack..That name is too familiar. Way too familiar. But does she want to go back there, to those beautiful and yet terribly painful memories? She bites her lip, trying to sort out the confusing fragments of memories in her mind, sharp flashes of all too real imagery mixed up with surrealistic dreams, of a calm, serene, mystical place that coldnt have possibly existed, at least not in this world..And yet it had, somehow. She had turned back to stare into the fire once more, trying to piece her memories together, gazing at the burning, dancing embers in a sort of daydreamy state. "I dont really know, only what I've told you..It was like I was in this long slumber, something REALLY bad happened, something that wasnt supposed to happen, and then..." She jumps a little at the alarm in his voice, glancing down at the blood on her dress, and seems just as startled at he is, as if she had only just noticed it herself "Oh! What's this?!" her heart beating a little more rapidly, she reaches out to touch it, only to realize that the wound must have been several days old at least. Although the dress is soaked through, the blood has since dried and is no longer bleeding. "No, I-I'm fine, I dont feel a thing..What could it mean?! What happened to me??"
To the rescue! Zack's hero instinct kicks in; part of saving the damsel is keeping her calm. He swoops in, setting the tray on the table and reaching to take her hands. The Cure spell shimmers over her, regardless, the glow of his eyes increasing for a moment as it casts. "Take a deep breath, okay? I'm going to try and explain things." He lets go with one hand and gestures at the chair. "Have a seat? It might be a little hard to take in all at once…" He smiles sympathetically. God knew /he'd/ had a time with it!
Aerith blinks slowly, accepting the cure spell without question..And even though she isnt really wounded anymore (getting killed was enough, wasnt it?), she's still thankful for the calming effect it has over her and she tightens her grip on his hands as if drawing strength from his nearness..Once upon a time, he held her hands like this a lot..Back in those frightenning days when ShinRa was after her all the time..Her eyes widen at this sudden flash of memory, which causes a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Even though she's still so scared and confused she somehow feels safe, here, with him, and it makes her smile, though its a sad smile all the same. "We..we were close once, werent we? We shared a special connection.." But then..Something had happened, hadnt it? She's already sitting, probably a good idea since she'd probably faint over otherwise to learn what had happened over her rather chaotic lifetime. Maybe she doesnt even want to know, maybe this was her body's way of protecting her from whatever had happened..Still, as they say, the truth will set you free. After a few moments of inner struggling, she nods slowly, almost reluctantly, waiting to hear what he has to say..
Zack nods, concern dissolving into a lopsided grin. He was remembering too, remembering with out the hurt getting in the way. Oh wow, it was almost like old times….Which meant her mother should come bursting in any second now. God he hoped not! It was going to be hard enough explaining this all to Aerith, much less Mrs. Gainsbourgh! With those accusing and suspicious eyes glaring holes into him. Ohhh not good!
"I guess I'll start with where we are…" He had a suspicion about what time she came from, and it made him shudder. Sephiroth had…No, not thinking about it right now remember! He stands and paces a bit as he tries to gather the words. "We are in a world made up of a bunch of different worlds." He gestures as he talks, as if he's giving a lecture in a grand hall or something. "Cities, people and whole continents have been "cut" out of their original time and "sewed" together here." He turns on his heel. "Following me so far?"
"H-huh? What? But that's crazy...You mean, there are other..worlds out there?" of course, 'they' were space travellers, this was just a quick pit stop in their neverending journey. "Oh!" she jumps up suddenly at the realization. "I know...My mom used to tell me stories about other worlds.." she smiles all starry-eyed and happy at the fond memories of Ifalna, "Every star in the sky was another world..Maybe somewhere out there was the 'Promised Land'.." she smiles fondly at the memory of her real mother, her true mother, but there was another one too. "Oh.." she sits back down, rubbing her temples..Serious memory overload here, though it seems more of her restored memories are from the past..The distant past. "I get it now, I was dead, wasnt I? Then..There must have been a disruption in the lifestream, that set my soul free...Hmm.." subconsciously, a hand brushes her stomach again, where, she knew, a deep, fatal wound had led to her death..A flash of steel and flurry of black leather..Long silver hair..Laughter..The sudden thought causes her to gasp in sudden fear and realization as she tries to push the memory away. His face at least is clear in her head, and her heart beats more rapidly at the thought...Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in her stomach, her gaze hardens. "Okay..So what caused this...Convergence?"
Startled by her out burst, he takes a step back and runs into the mantelpiece. Oof! The knick-knacks rattle but thankfully remain where they are. If he'd had the buster sword on his back they'd have been done for!
Errgg…If he didn't know she was an alien that all would have been very confusing. Thank you Cloud! "It's a lot more complicated than just other planets." Zack gives a faint growl of frustration and rubs the back of his neck. If only Seph were here! Then she gasps and goes wide eyed, so he was right. He turns and rests his hands against the mantelpiece, sagging a bit. Softly he askes. "You remembered, didn't you?"
Aerith cant help but giggle softly to herself as she watches his crazy antics..My, how she missed those. He was always so cheerful, so goofy, so...So damned lovable. "Aww, Zack, you okay there? Did I startle you?" Little things like that, she really missed. It was good to have him back, and it's enough to make her forget her fears of that black clad, silver haired man for just a moment. But then, who could forget the face of their killer for long? She bites her lip, looking a bit worried, nodding slowly..could he still be alive? Though she is quick to notice how her reaction causes a reaction in him and her eyes flicker with concern as she rises to her feet, moving towards him, "What is it?""
"When I saw the blood I suspected." He sighs and pushes off the fireplace. Were those worry lines always there? No, they are the physical manifestation of the change this place as wrought on our young hero. Never one to be anxious before, he finds his nights sleepless for nerves or worse, plagued with nightmares. "Converging is what it is called, and it doesn't just take from different places, it takes from different times. In the world you are from, I am dead and Sephiroth has…has…" Zack stops and physically wills himself to say it. "Killed you and is a raging nutcase." That was hard, he turns and stares at the fire, some how unable to look at her. As if he some how bears the guilt for this. "Where I am from, the massacre at Neiblhiem hasn't happened yet. We're both still alive, he's still sane…"
She freezes in her step, swallowing as she stares at him wide-eyed. So her fears were true..That Man HAD killed her. She too is silent, turning back to stare at the fireplace drawing again from its warmth and radiance to ease her troubled thoughts. The somewhat uncomfortable silence (by now) remains for a couple agonizing minutes as she tries to absorb this information. "I.....See.." she nods slowly, "When..When you saw me for the first time, you confused me with an Aerith from another timeline as well..Then that means.." Could there be a milder, saner Sephiroth out there, somewhere? Is it really possible?
Zack nods miserably, staying silent to let her brain process it all. He knows her well enough to follow her train of though when it does pick up again. "Yea, he's here. Sane as the day I met him, solid as a rock and…dieing." There is a noticeable crack to his voice with that last word. Suck it up boy! She didn't need to hear all of your problems!
Zack continues his pacing, though this time more troubled than clownish. If he's going to not talk about his problems, then he needed to talk about something else. How about theirs!? "I know about you now, Aerith. About the Cetra….Why didn't you tell me?" There is more than a little hurt in that question, he hadn't even known ShinRa was after her!
Aerith seems to be able to pick up the slightest change in his demeanor, not exactly as if she could read his mind.....More like she could sense his feelings. She was always sensitive to people's feelings, but that was really due to her mysterious Cetra heritage. Turning around to face him again, her feelings of fear and anxiety for herself are quickly transformed into concern for a dear, dear friend. And it's obvious that Sephiroth was more than just a fellow SOLDIER to Zack now too. "Zack...I'm sorry.." she reaches out to touch his shoulder, attempting to reach out and grab his other shoulder to try and stop his nervous pacing, and to offer her warmth and reassurance as she smiles softly up at him. She's here if you need a shoulder to cry on (not like SOLDIERS ever cry or anything..). "I think I understand now, that's what you meant when you said that I...That the other me had lied to you..Betrayed you, somehow..It must have been terrible.."
Yet even she is struggling with her own dilemma right now..How can she possibly forgive Sephiroth for killing her and not hate Zack for allying himself with that...Person? How..How very sad, and yet from what she knew of Sephiroth's story, he was not truly an evil man, just another person who was wronged by the ShinRa..Another scientific experiment gone wrong. She smiles grimly at that prospect, perhaps she and Sephiroth shared more in common than she ever thought possible. "I see..Those events in Nibelheim were enough to cause him to snap in one timeline..But maybe if it never happened..Maybe he would have, no, he HAS become a different person..Zack, I have no choice but to trust and believe what you say is the truth, especially after you trusted me.."
As for her own problems..It suddenly dawns on her that she never really DID tell him all her secrets. And yet she had good reason not to. She sighs, letting go of him, her smile fading a little. "I'm sorry Zack, I always trusted you, you knew that, and yet if I told you and somehow they knew that you knew, then they could easily have used you to get to me." there was of course, so so much more to it than that, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
She pauses for a moment...."What? Sephiroth is...Dying?"
Zack allows himself to be stopped from his pacing, feeling singularly the smoothness of her hand against the knotted burn scar on his shoulder. Even with the sweet calm her presence brings, the fear, anxiety and guilt take turns batting at his heart. He /knows/ she can sense his feelings, which makes him feel even worse. He can't bring himself to look her in the eyes. "It was…I didn't think I'd ever forgive y-her." But now he didn't have to, he just had to let it go. This woman so obviously wasn't her, and so obviously was the girl he'd fallen in love with, what felt like so many years ago.
As she speaks of different timelines and what is and isn't, the metaphorical light of hope returns to join the realistical light of Jenova. "Yes!" He beams and moves to sweep her into an embrace, whirling her around the room. When he sets her down, it's with a triumphant smile. "Some one else understands! He isn't that Sephiroth and just by being here can't do those things!" Zack practically vibrates with happiness. If Aerith could see is point, then Cloud might be able to be swayed as well!
His joy is only slightly hampered by her confession. "Would have used me…?" And they would have too. His jawline tightens as he clenches his teeth. She was so right! Why did he let ShinRa do this to him, to the people he loved?! For a moment he stands with his fists balled at his sides, oh he was going to clock Rufus ShinRa one when he saw him again. But then he deflates. Rufus was just a kid when all this happened, it wasn't really his fault. Besides, the man was crippled. He didn't want to be known as a cripple beater!
"In our time, a while after you died and Cloud beat Sephiorth, a disease sprung up called the GeoStigma. It has something to do with Jenova, I just know it does! Any way, that disease came with the parts of Gaia that Converged. He has it and it's killing him, slowly."
Aerith laughs softly as she's picked up, twirled around the room. She's neither surprised nor spooked by this sudden, implusive move..In fact, she's quite used to his spontaneity, and in fact it was one of the many things that attracted her to him in the first place. Her mood instantly lightenned as she lands softly on the ground, nodding slowly, thoughtfully at his words. "I see..I guess the Sephiroth in my timeline left quite the impression afterall, but I'm sure you probably know all about it by now." No need to go into many details; She's sure Zack's heard it all, and obviously he and Sephi were pretty close in this time line. A small smirk tugs at her lips at another sudden thought, "Well, I just hope my...Alter ego didnt leave a similar impression..But I suppose we have more important matters to deal with.."
It is her turn to pace the room now as she ponders what to do about Sephiroth. It may be true that he has not committed those acts in this timeline....Yet. And yet, what if he found out about Nibelheim and it triggered the apocalypse - and her death, all over again? On the other hand, what if her curing him - if she could indeed cure him - gave him another chance at life, a chance to do some good in the world, perhaps?
"Geostigma...." she sighs, shaking her head, brow furrowed in deep concentration, a look of worry upon her delicate features. "I'm afraid I havent heard of that disease, but I suppose it IS possible that Jenova could have infected the planet, and the lifestream if she was indeed destroyed. But what about ShinRa? Surely with their advanced technology, they could have found a cure by now?"
Talking about Sephiroth, thinking about him, even just some one mentioning his name raises a fierce kind of affection in the young mans' heart. At least from his side, they share a bond much deeper than brotherhood and one he's willing to face death itself to save. That is, paradoxically, the source of his pain as well as his defense from it. He'll find a solution and save his friend, or go mad trying.
But you'd never know it from his face. Zack, as always, is a goofball and a clown. He looks a little guilty when she talks about him meeting Sephiroth here. "Actually we were friends before. He was my CO during the war with Wutai. We weren't talkin then so you never knew…" Cough! Not thinking about how she can totally I-Told-You-So here! Thankfully, she isn't rubbing it in. Not that she would, even if it hadn't of ended in their deaths.
While not aware of the curing part of her thought, he can well guess what the pacing is about. "I'm going to tell him, Aerith." He says softly, searching her face for the signs of horror/rejection he'd seen from every one thus far. There is something desperate in his eyes, a pleading. Please, believe in me. Have faith. "People run from him in terror, so he all ready knows something horrible happened. I know what set him off in Neiblhiem, and I'm going to tell him and help him through it like I didn't before." Where was I?! There is more than a little bitterness and guilt in that statement. It seems he feels those events were inevitable and it was his failure that allowed them to happen.
"Not yet, but the you from a future time had something to do with curing it. I've talked to people here, they say…This is going to sound silly, but healing rain fell from the sky? It pooled in the church…." He gives a little shrug, ring any bells?
Aerith smiles wryly, pausing in her pacing, tilting her head to regard Zack thoughtfully, "I guess..You had quite a history with the guy too then, huh.." she sighs, "I guess there's a lot of stuff I dont know about you either, Zack.." although her tone is angelic, gentle, sweet as honey as it always is, there is just a hint of..Something else there, an almost accusatory edge to her voice. What else doesnt she know about you? So caught up was she in all her own thoughts that she never even paid much attention to the scar though now she does, sidling up next to him, peering up at it thoughtfully, then glancing questioningly at him, "Like for instance...Where did you get this from? And these nasty bullet wounds? Is this..." she swallows, flashes of his grieving, worried parents coming back to her now..They never even knew he died, as for her, she had spent the past five years thinking about him, missing him, never knowing what really happened..
Though she has little time to ponders things over when he mentions that dreaded name again, and she blanches, taking a step back from him and shaking her head in disbelief, "What? Why? Is that wise?" as for that last part, her mind is already trying to take in too much, and the actions of the former Aerith dont even register...Yet..
Zack blinks at her silent accusation. Owch! Before he can articulate a response she's asking about his scars and thinking they…Oh god no! With out hesitation he reaches out and grasps her by the shoulders, voice taking a somewhat commanding yet gentle tone. "I didn't die, Aerith. The Convergence took me the -day- we would have arrived at Neiblhiem. None of it happened to me." Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen.
"This," He points to the burn. "Came from me trying to take down a dragon when I was still in the Regulars. And these," He gestures at the bullet scars. "Came from Wutai. We took heavy fire and I got so worked up I forgot to get healed." See, no fatal marks here!
The glow that he felt when she agreed with him abruptly goes out. Back come the worry lines, the Cloudeqsue air. With out saying anything, he drops into the chair. He remains silent for some time, chin resting on his folded hands eyes staring beyond the fire.
Aerith raises a brow as she considers him for a moment, seeming all the more worried as he explains, "Oh wow, Zack...You've led such a dangerous life, and now..." she sighs, shaking her head as she sees him sag to the ground, her smile quickly fading, the look in his eyes tearing at her heart..She's so terribly torn, torn between her love and concern for Zack, and her fear of Sephiroth. Perhaps the bond between him and Sephiroth was deeper than she had ever believed or imagined, perhaps they were more like brothers than friends even, which only makes things worse. She draws a deep breath, kneeling in front of him, reaching out to try and take his hands in hers, to hold onto them reassuringly, offering comfort at least if nothing more.
"Listen to me, Zack..I understand how you must be feeling..Sephiroth is obviously someone dear to you, I get the feeling you two are like brothers even, perhaps? I know this must be tearing at your heart, seeing him like this, hated by everyone..But there are some truths that are perhaps left unsaid. If he never knows, then maybe there is still some hope for him, he can start out his life anew, forget about his violent past. And believe me, I can understand how something like that can tear at a person's soul..For any normal person to learn that they were born and bred as little more than a laboratory experiment, their soul purpose in life to kill and destroy and make ShinRa powerful..But for someone with his power and magnitude.." she sighs, shaking her head, "How do we know that telling him the truth will help him rather than hurt him? How do we know that it will be better than if he didnt know at all? I just...I want so much to believe you, to believe that Sephiroth is different now, and if he is, then we mustnt let the past repeat itself."
She pauses for a moment there as it to take a breath from her rather long speech, she just hopes that she is getting through to him somehow, "And, one more thing..If Sephiroth truly has changed then I want to help him, if I can, I want to cure him of this disease..But..But I cant do that unless I know history wont repeat itself! I dont....Dont want to go through that again..So please..." she gazes back up at him again, her eyes soft, gentle, pleading more than anything else. Please just try to see her point of view..
The SOLDIER allows her to take his hands, though his expression remains stony and distant. There is a war going on inside Zack Fair, a struggle between love and logic, faith and uncertainty. He's not used to dealing with such things, to shouldering all of this burden at once. Digging bullets from his rib cage? Piece of cake. Having the fate of the world in his hands? Not so much.
Silence is the initial response to her words. From the crease in his brow and the set of his jaw you can see he is processing this, formulating a response. Finally, he speaks. "Can't you see?" His voice is a hoarse whisper, the immensity of his feelings simply too much for it to handle. He reaches out to caress her cheek, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. "I don't want any of that to happen, I can't bear to see it. To watch you…" His free hand reaches to touch the blood stain on her dress. Some how, he finds strength in the gesture. Sitting back up, he finishes with a much more even tone.
"Not telling him.." Zack gives a short, bitter laugh. "It's not that simple. He knows all ready." He reaches up to rake his hands through his hair and wipe the moisture from his eyes. "People fear him, /hate/ him. Every time some one flees in terror, he's reminded of it. When whole streets clear out at just the mention of his name, he feels it. And it's sitting in his mind, eating at him. Was it really me? Do I have the capability? Do I deserve this?" The questions as spoken in a passable imitation of the General's deep voice. "I have to give him the rest of the puzzle, help him through it. If I don't…I'm sure he /will/ snap."
With that admission, finally accepting that his dearest friend could really do all these horrible things, something dies inside Zack. Hope? Faith? Innocence? Only time will tell. The immediate result is to give him a haunted, almost frantic look. "So what can I do? Tell me what to do, Aerith! If I don't tell him, the uncertainty will rot him from the inside. If do there's a chance it'll start this all over in a band new way!"
Aerith sighs, taking his hand in hers as he traces the contours of her face, squeezing back the tears that form in her eyes, refusing to be weak when he needs her the most..She's so damned scared in this moment, so...Overwhelmed, confused, uncertain. She doesnt want to move from there, doesnt want to break contact as she gazes up at him, his own face seeming to reflect her confused thoughts as well. "I see..It's a lot worse than I imagined. But at least now he knows about it, about what they accuse him of doing, and how does he feel, about what they tell him? Does it bother him? Does he feel remorse? Or is he only gripped by anger and bitterness towards these people and their fear of him? Does he believe that he could do what they accuse him of doing?" she smiles slowly, thinking this over, "If..If there is remorse, if he truly does want to take responsibility for what they accuse him of doing then....Perhaps it wont be so dangerous to tell him the truth of his origins, perhaps it will be enough to put his fears to rest. But on the other hand, if he feels no remorse for their accusations, then perhaps it is not wise to make matters worse..Does that make any sense?"
Zack just stares at her, expression some where between desolate and blank. For the first time he was truly entertaining the idea that Cloud may be right, Rufus may be right, Aerith may be right...The color drains from his face. If he was wrong he'd have too…The sob is half way out before he chokes it back. No! That can't happen! The denial is weak; the seeds of doubt are planted. It wasn't that the dark side of her questions were correct, it was that he didn't know. Getting Sephiroth to talk about that possible future was almost as hard, if not harder, than getting him to talk about his past. The man was bristling with unpleasant memories and had never really learned a way to deal with them. They hadn't even put words to what he had just told her. Remorse? Maybe, anger? He was clueless and it terrified him.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He whispers in between heaving sobs. At this point he's curled up on himself, head between his knees with his hands buried in his hair. He chokes as he tries to talk through it, stammering out what he's been feeling yet has told no living soul. Not even the silver haired man. "I'm sorry I-I couldn't stop him. S-save you or C-cloud! I'm so-so-so sorry I'm doing this t-to you, like /HER/. When you're new here." He pauses, a gathering strength or making a final bid against his pride? "But I'm so scared! If I'm wrong it'll go to hell again. You'll die, he'll die and it'll be my fault, AGAIN!"
@emit %r%tAerith draws a deep breath, watching him with a mixture of pity, and guilt, for some strange reason. How odd it was, for her to feel guilty for feeling this way about Sephiroth, knowing what he had done in the past, to her, to others, to the world..And yet, all along, never even know that he was in fact Zack's best friend and who knows what else? She bites her lip, unsure of what to do or say at first that could make things any better than they are - and she realizes he is right, his actions COULD prove disastrous, and yet..%r%r"Oh Zack.." she sighs softly, shaking her head as she moves to comfort him, attempting to rest her hands gently on his shoulders as she fights back her own tears - seeing the strong, battleworn SOLDIER in such a moment of weakness, it tears at her heart, catches her off-guard, and yet, she's probably one of the few people who would get to see him in such a state. If only there were something she could say or do to make him feel better, to make the pain go away, "Please, please dont blame yourself, you've done nothing wrong, you're just the victim of bad circumstance.." she smiles softly, gathering up the courage as she moves nearer now, attempting to slide her arms around his waist, resting her head against his as she tries to embrace him in a warm, heartfelt hug if he'll let her, "For you to even realize the consequences of what might happen, that's enough proof that you have a good heart. You just want to protect someone who means the world to you, even if the world believes he is evil, even if there's a chance he COULD become that monster again, but I promise you, I'll find a way so that nobody has to die..We just need to take this one step at a time.."
Every one was a victim of circumstance it seemed, even the "villain" himself. For a moment, he welcomes the embrace. Her tenderness and honesty bolsters his confidence. Some one was on his side, cared enough to try and help him. To help Sephiroth. When the world is against you, even one ally can make a difference.
Zack is getting control of himself, wiping his eyes on his gloves and attempting a watery smile. "Thanks." The smile gains some strength. "I got a little over whelmed there. Cloud didn't want anything to do with…." The sentence and the smile drops off. The mention of the man drags their most recent encounter up through the emotional train wreck. Anger, jealousy and hurt flit through his mind before being forcefully rammed back to whence they came. One problem at a time! He sighs.
"Guess you probably want to know what happened?" His emotions are still churning, all is not well in Zackland. Yet he hides it, as quickly as he broke down he seems to be back to normal. The smile is full and vibrant as he attempts to pull her onto his lap. "Story time!" Only his eyes give away the fact that he's still a mess.
Aerith smiles softly, gaining strength it seems, in knowing that she could make a difference in another person's life, that maybe even for a little while, that she could make the pain go away. Right now, she wants nothing more than just to be with Zack, and she settles willingly into his lap, getting all comfy as she rests her head against his chest, gazing up at him with a slight smile and warmth brimming in those emerald orbs of hers. "Glad I could help.." she giggles a bit, feeling that warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach..Just like old days..Maybe things will be okay now, "I dont mind long stories, Zack..I want to know everything..Everything about you..And him.." again, that name Cloud, a name that is familiar yet, not all of her memories have returned yet, still so confused, foggy and disconnected. Maybe this will help her remember too, and though she's a little afraid of the past, sometimes it is necessary in order to move forward.
With his arms wrapped around her, those sweet eyes staring up at him, Zack can almost forget everything that has or might happen. Sephiroth, Cloud, his own death and being erased from the pages of history. Looking down at her angelic face, he feels a pang in his heart. Why had he let ShinRa get between them? Why did he choose to be the puppet of those evil bastards? The sudden swell of affection in his chest caused him to inhale sharply; he loved her so much it hurt. Quickly he masks the gesture by starting "the story".
"I'm not really sure where to begin. I don't really know all of it either." Not that he wanted to know. Cloud's words echo in his mind. ~I think she didn't tell me about you because she didn't want me to think I was your replacement.~ That rush of affection give him the strength to punch Cloud's memory in the face and go on with out it crippling him. "You were trying to use Holy against Meteor when…err…well, it was too late. Seph was…" Wow this was hard. Deep breath. "Something was holding it back, Cloud went and defeated Sephiroth and it kinda worked. Meteor still did a lot of damage though."
Aerith bites her lip as she listens, nodding slowly..Recounting the last few moments of her death, realizing what exactly is was that she was trying to accomplish, it's just so overwhelming, and she's glad at least that he was the first person she ran into and not some crazy insane ShinRan. She nods slowly to his words, watching his expression carefully..How very alike he was to that other person - whose face is still somewhat fuzzy to her - and yet so different too. How different things could have been if..She shakes her head, not wanting to figure it out right now, its all so confusing. "I see.." she nods slowly as she listens, a hundred questions on the tip of her tongue, and yet she knows how sensitive the topic of Sephiroth is to Zack. She forces a faint smile as she waits to hear more, though there is uncertainty reflected in her eyes, tightening her grip around his neck as if searching for reassurance in his closeness. The questions could come later, at the right time and place.
"That's pretty much all I know. I didn't live..err…I wasn't dead through any of it. I came from just before Seph and I got to Neiblhiem." Hours away from disaster, he'd been spared seeing the events themselves and left do deal with the consequences. If there was a god, he was a real bastard. "There's a couple people who might know more." He pauses, tightening his grip around her waist. "….I'm kinda going to go talk to Rufus ShinRa later today…I can see if you can come along if you want. He lived through it all." He was going to suggest her calling Cloud. But the idea of them speaking raises such a powerful possessive instinct in him that it hit the trash bin with out a bounce.
Aerith nods slowly, seeming only more confused by this. Where to begin? "Okay, so..Basically meteor was stopped when Cloud defeated Sephiroth, but something caused the planet to become infected with geostigma because of it.." She frowns a bit, brow furrowed in worry. "I guess there's a lot of people I need to speak to..Maybe he can tell me more..And Cloud.." again that far away look in her eyes, trying to remember, "I think...I know him, somehow, but its all so confusing.." she sighs, "I just wish my memories could all come back, maybe I could be of more help." subconsciously, she snuggles up next to the SOLDIER, who seems almost as lost and confused as she is. Phew, what a day. Maybe tomorrow wont be so bad, or maybe she'll wake up and realize it was all just a dream. Maybe..Zack wont be here when she wakes up. She swallows at that fearful thought,stealing a glance back up at him again, her gaze thoughtful, a little worried. "Zack..Let me come with you, talk to Rufus..I..." I dont want you to leave me again, she thinks, blushing slightly as she looks away, trying to appear brave, to appear casual, "I think he can help me solve the puzzle too.."
Zack nods. That was pretty much his understanding of it all. "I'm dead certain the Geostigma has to do with an alien called Jenova. Rufus has been avoiding the question, which pretty much confirms it." The hows or whys of that riddle are just as frustrating as everything else. And as soon as he's certain Sephiroth's head isn't going to start spinning around on his shoulders it'll be the next task.
Her confession about Cloud causes a white-hot rush of glee to shoot through Zack's body. A canary-eating grin spreads across his face. He can't help it, ha your turn to be forgotten! Some part of him feels guilty about it, if any one deserved a little happiness it was Cloud. Just not /HIS/ happiness, particularly while he was still around to enjoy it any way. "It'll come back to you, I'm sure." Several years from now would be best. "Okay, I'll just bring you along then. When he explains things to me you can ask your questions too." Hey, something was working out for once! Assuming Rufus wasn't going to be a putz and you know what they say when you assume.
"Hmmm?" she arches a brow, seeming to catch a change in his tone of voice, or in the look on his face. She sits upright, peering at him curiously, "What is it? Do you know Cloud too? Oh.." she laughs a bit, "I guess you would, he's a SOLDIER too, isnt he." she smiles and nods, "Yeah, no need to push it, right? Anyway, I'll bet I have a diary around here somewhere..Maybe it'll help me remember.." okay. First Rufus and then Sephiroth. "You know, I'm still scared, but I think I need to go see him too, you know...Sephiroth.." the thought sends a shiver down her spine. Would history repeat itself if she saw him again?
Zack's expression is pained. He'd so hoped to have this conversation later, like some time next century. But she was asking now and he wouldn't be any more ready then either. He takes a breath and forces himself to relax. "Cloud didn't make SOLDIER. He-he wanted too and probably would have if-Neiblhiem didn't happen." He loosens his grip on her, losing the ability to speak for a moment as a rush of emotions hit him at once. Worry, jealousy, anger, confusion, hope, fear. Another deep breath and they're tamped back down. "None of that happened to me, why am I getting so worked up about it?" He sighs and tries again.
"Hojo had us taken and experimented on. Cloud went through the SOLIDER process, just not the program. I broke us out and err…well they say I died doing it. After that, Cloud went to Midgar and met you, but I guess for some reason he thought he was me? That's probably my fault." He says miserably. "I can see me saying something heroic and retarded like, "Take my dreams and make them yours." He wasn't the most balanced person to begin with, then Hojo goes and…" It's Zack's turn to shudder. Just thinking about that man made his skin crawl.
He looks down at her, trying to hide the hurt in his voice. "He said he fell through the church roof, like I did….And that you didn't talk about me."
Aerith swallows, sensing the tension in his voice. Obviously this subject pains him and she cant help but feel guilty for some reason too. Yes of course..The church roof..She met him in the same way, though her memories of him were still so fuzzy. Cloud was like him, almost eerily so. She blinks, rising slowly from his lap, peering at the fire for a moment in silence, thoughtfully it seems, trying to figure something out. Cloud and Zack were connected too, and so was she. Did she..Break his heart?? She sighs softly, shaking her head.
Does she really have time to think about this right now? She draws a deep breath, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence, "I'm sorry, Zack..I guess it's just too much information overload right now. Let's forget about..About him right now and try to focus on the problem at hand, okay?" she smiles faintly, turning back to face him, "One step at a time, right? I should probably go upstairs, get changed out of these clothes. I guess it wouldnt do any good to show up there all bloody like this huh.." she laughs softly at her little joke, trying to break the tension in the room as she heads for the stairs. Maybe she'll take a look at that carefully hidden diary while she's at it. Hopefully he hadnt gone through her stuff while he was staying here. Afterall, who knows what might be hidden in there?
Zack is so relieved he has to stop himself from kissing her. How had he lived this long with out her?! One problem at a time, that was his mantra lately. Recovering from his close-encounter-of-the-affectionate kind, and fuzzy with the rush of released tension, he's a little distant.
"Yea," He says somewhat distantly. "I dunno if your stuff is still there. I only went into the bath room and down here." It was her private space don't you know! And as painfully curious as he was, it seemed like defiling her memory some how by snooping. "I'll run out to the garden and grab my stuff, you want the first shower?" Emotional tension? What tension? It's like it never happened as Zack bounces to his feet and stretches.
Aerith giggles a bit, pausing at the top of the stairs to glance down at him, "Thanks for not snooping around, and thanks for taking care of my place, Zack..You're real sweet." she smiles a strange smile as she watches him a moment longer, lost deep in her own thoughts once again. Who knows what sorts of things she has to hide? She's always been a tad mysterious sometimes.."Okay, I'll only be a minute then we can be on our way!" with that she vanishes upstairs, gone from sight for a good ten minutes or so. Phew, what a day..And it's only just begun!
Zack grins up at her and gives a little salute. Then he trots out to the garden, hops the tiers in the same way he came down, retrieves his stuff and is back probably before she's even gotten to her room. It gives him time to sponge himself off in the kitchen sink and put on a clean shirt. The coat has managed to avoid any major staining, thank you scotch guard! So he's set.
Zack awoke that morning with the tail end of a hang over. Dry mouthed and achy, he didn't envy what Adirana must be feeling. His enhanced body had made short work of the toxins he willingly imbibed. The poor woman didn't have such a benefit. Of course she had a loving SO to feed her aspirin. The young man was forced to fend for himself. Which wasn't as bad as it sounded. He'd been fortunate enough to come across Aerith's old house.
The place hadn't been lived in for some time, the paint was peeling and the garden was heavily over grown. Surprisingly, no one else had moved in. One of the neighbors told him it was out of deference for her involvement with the Geostigma cure. Some people knew what really happened in Midgar's original time line. It took some fast talking to keep the guy from trying to pop him one, too. But nothing he couldn't handle, even slightly hung over.
As the day progressed, he grew increasingly bored. Not about to snoop around her private things, though he was terribly terribly curious, he decided to go work on the garden. And that's where he can be found now.
Shirtless in the hot noon sun, Zack's busily yanking out fist full after fistful of weeds and tossing rocks into a pile. Not at all self conscious, he almost proudly shows off the huge burn scar on his left shoulder and the numerous bullet holes. He wasn't always invincible!
His hair is tied back in a bandana and sweat slicks down his face. It had been a long time since he'd done this sort of thing, it was kind of invigorating. A rock station blares on the radio from the porch, occasionally he starts singing along.
She had lost track of the time somewhere along the way..Was it still nighttime? She couldnt tell in the darkness underneath the plate..Even if there was sun shining, she probably would be lost. How could this place seem so familiar yet...So alien to her? She clutches her head, shaking the chill from her thin, water drenched body, trying to think despite the ache in her head and in her side. Oddly enough, even though the blood remained on her dress, the wound was no longer there, if there was a wound. Even her hair got wet, loosed from its usually tidy braid, it clings to her thin back, slick and wet. She shivers in her drenched clothes, wrapping her arms around her body as she clenches her teeth together, continuing to wander down the beaten path towards the shining light and the warm, fragrant flowers..
Between belting out Harry Belafonte, dancing across the garden and tossing rocks, you'd think he wouldn't have any idea she was coming. But Zack is a SOLDIER, senses finely tuned to monitor his surroundings even if his conscious mind isn't. He knew some one was there long before they reached the sunshine provided by the section of collapsed plate. Not that he particularly cared, people came this way all the time to get warm in the sun and enjoy the fresh air. So he continued as he was, singing loudly and shaking his bon-bon.
She coughs a bit, not to attract anyone's attention - rather the opposite, she's still badly shaken, still scared out of her wits - who knows? 'He' could still be out there somewhere..And so she tries to snuff the cough as she continues onwards, pulled by some unknown force towards the single bright spot in the slums - Incidently, her old home..Pausing for a minute outside the door, she smiles faintly as she gazes up at the ancient, slightly beaten up old Victorian House..And yet, even in its current condition, it seems just as cozy as ever before. She reaches out to try the door before she catches sound of a semi-familiar voice nearby, singing gaily in the sunshine (Could he be the gardenner?). She shakes her head, there was no gardener here, just Mom and..
She sneezes this time, teeth chattering, and turns towards the garden, moving towards the fragrant flowers, revelling in the gloriously warm and cheerful sun, which feels good and soothing on her cold, drenched skin. She hasnt even ventured to take another look at the 'gardener', so involved is she in her own thoughts and fragmented memories, eyes fluttering half closed as she soaks up the warmth of the sun, gazing up at it beneath veiled eyelids, her thin arms still wrapped against her cold, shivering body, hiding the blood on her dress..
The would be sun-bather makes for the house, and that's the cue for Zack to interfere. It didn't matter what she had done to him, what she had tried to do, once upon a time they loved each other very much and he would protect her home in honor of that. He's on the upper tier of the garden so getting a good view of the porch is a little tricky. Rather than walk down the winding path, he simply launches himself from the wall, stepping lightly as he hops from section to section until he's face to face with the would-be intruder. The dog tags around his neck clink musically with each step, ruining his attempt at surprise. Some day he'd remember to by those little plastic silencers to put around them!
Of all the people he expected to be at the bottom of his decent, a soaked and miserable looking Aerith wasn't even on the list. He comes to a skittering halt a few feet from her, crouched with his hand where the katana should be at his side and looking nervous. Good thing for her it's on the third tier with his coat and shirt!
He stands slowly, adjusting his sunglasses and looking irritated. Why is any ones guess, seeing as this is her land he's trespassing on. "What do you want?" He folds his arms over his chest, not appearing at all moved by her unfortunate state.
She had only taken a few steps towards the garden when the stranger jumped in front of her, towering over her..Almost menacingly so. Still confused, cold and feeling utterly miserable, she is definitely in no mood for a fight and she takes a step back, gasping in surprise, fear and panic reflecting in those large, emerald eyes of hers, that look just a little larger right now. "Uh..Who are you? What are you talking about." There is obvious fear in her gentle voice, and nothing more, not even the slightest tinge of bitterness, if that is what she should be feeling.. She bites her lip, taking a step back from him, keeping one eye on the door. If she can just make it to the door, maybe she can get out of harm's way..Odd, he seems somehow..Familiar..
Zack pulls the glasses from his face, violet eyes glowing visibly even in the sunlight. "Who am I?!" He repeats incredulously. "Who am I?!" Some how the question just rubs him the wrong way. How dare she pretend not to know! "Zachariah Fair, SOLDER 1st class. Man you lied to and tried to turn against his best friend. Ring any bells?"
Aerith still looks as dumbfounded as ever, shaking her head as she takes another step towards her house, away from this....This lunatic. "W-what? What are you talking about? I've never even...." she catches herself, staring long and hard at him. Zack. That name. That face! So familiar somehow...Could he be...? Blinking, clutching her head as another headache spikes her mind, she peers back at him again, "I'm..Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else.." her tone remains gentle, apologetic even. He MUST be mistaken! Mustnt he..? Why would she do those things? She bites her lip, trying hard to remember.
[
It takes a while, but those ever vigilant senses of his finally manage to get through to him. There was something different about her, about how she moved and spoke. A subtle change for sure, yet loud as all hell now that he was paying attention to it. She was gentler, more refined with an innocence that was akin to the Aerith he know. Yet she looked like OlderAerith. Something was very wrong here.
Sephiroth's voice pipes up in the back of his mind. She's wandering around in a daze, soaking wet and obviously confused. Could she have…Maybe this was a different Aerith than the one he'd met in Baron! Ten has said people come and go all the time.
He sighs and relaxes, setting the shades on his forehead. "I think you're right. Aerith, what's the last thing you remember?"
Could she..Could she really have done those things? What sort of a person was she, anyway? She shakes her head in disbelief, still trembling a little, from the cold, and from the fear this man has inadertantly invoked in her..And yet, she couldnt help but feel a vague sense of tenderness for him, beneath all of that, even as he yelled at her, a deep hatred seemingly burning from his eye. Who WAS he? What had she done to make him this way? What sort of terrible person was she? The thoughts, the implications and accusations cause her eyes to fill with tears, tears of sadness and compassion for this young man, mingled with confusion and fear overwhelming her as she clutches a hand to her mouth. "I..I dont know! It's all a blur..Like I was in s-some sort of deep sleep...Then I w-woke up at the bottom of this lake with this pain in my stomach..." How on earth did she get down there, anyway? She doesnt even think twice as to how he knew her name.
"I'm so s-sorry, Zack.." her teeth are still chattering a bit from the cold. So much for a nice peaceful rest in the warm, soothing sun, "If I really did those things to you..I hope you can forgive me.."
They say the fastest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Generally this is true. However, in this case it's through the eye balls. If she'd done anything else he'd have been able to hold onto his indignant rage, but seeing her there, soaking wet with tears brimming in her beautiful green eyes…It was like kicking a puppy into a kitten and having both of them drop into a bath!
"Awe, jeez." He sighs and looks skyward for a moment, then reaches out to put his arm around her shoulder and steer her back towards the house. "Come on, hun. Lets get you warm and dry, I'll try'n explain then okay?"
Hardly a 'crybaby' by any means, Aerith actually seems a little embarassed to be making such a pathetic mess of herself and she quickly wipes the tears away, smiling softly and nodding as Zack's demeanor towards her changes. "Thank you for believing me.." she laughs a bit, a little bit of color returning to her face as she welcomes the warmth offered him, and gets this strange, inexplicable fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach. In fact, it causes her to blush a little. "I'm okay now, I think..Just a little shaken up. Everything's so confusing. I suppose I just need to get into something warm and dry first, maybe I can think a little clearer then.." she reaches out to push the door, which opens easily at her touch - seems the last tenant didnt bother to lock it, hopefully it wasnt trashed in her absence.
Zack arches a brow at the blush, the gesture a mixture of question and smirk. She really didn't remember, did she? This could either be really good, or really bad. On the good side, she obviously didn't try to manipulate him into hating his best friend. On the bad side, there was A LOT of history to catch her up on. Depending on where she came from, of course. Ugg…My brain isn't made to work like this!
The door is definitely unlocked, mostly because Zack had been coming and going all day and didn't want to risk loosing the key. The place is pretty much like she would remember it, save a layer of dust and general sense of disuse. His stuff is in the living room so that area has been cleaned up, as is the kitchen.
He pauses at the doorway and quickly undoes the laces of his boots, stepping out of them before coming inside. "You hungry? I don't have much of a selection, I'm sad to say." He wanders into the kitchen and sticks his head in the fridge. From the funny twist of his expression, it's clear he wishes he hadn't. Cough! "Pretty much bread, peanutbutter and water. I could run out to the market if you're craving anything special though…"
Aerith smiles silently to herself as she steps in, glancing around thoughtfully at the well-kept place. Not a scrap of dust anywhere, hardly how she expected it to look, somehow..Somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she imagined it might have been as abandonned as it appeared on the outside. Instead she is relieved, and warmed to see that it was as lovingly tended to as the garden. Stepping in from the cool air outside instantly warms her up, and she moves towards the fireplace, trying to dry herself as much as possible.
"You really took good care of the place, and the garden too...Thankyou, Zack.." she pauses, thoughtfully, pondering, "Why did you do it?" though another thought occurs to her and she turns away, inwardly berating herself for being such a fool, "Oh, I get it....After it was abandonned, you moved in here, right?"
"You sure you don't want nothing? I'm not greedy with my sammiches!" He smiles awkwardly and goes to run his hand through his hair. Sadly it is still tied back in the bandana so all this gesture serves to do is knock the glasses from his head. "Ack! Not the shades!" His hands move impossibly fast, catching the eyewear before it's half way to the ground. "Phew…Just bought these..err…No." He frowns, looking hang dog. "I've only been here a day, I needed a place to crash while I wait for Rufus to get his act together. I did it cause…well…" It's his turn to blush.
Aerith continues to stare at the fire, spreading out her hands over its warm flames, seeming more at ease now that she's settled down a bit....Even her face seems more full of color, perhaps a little TOO red even? "Aww...Zack...You're..Really sweet.." she busies herself with drying her hands again, trying not to look at him, trying to appear casual, unconcerned..More fragments, flashes in her mind - no, more than that, *feelings* overwhelm her..So many strange..Emotions flood her mind. "You can cook too? That's great! Wow, a cook, a gardener, a handyman.." she giggles, "I could do with something warm, soup and sandwhich perhaps? If you're up to it that is..
She pauses, pondering, smiling faintly as she senses the shyness in his voice, "Zack, I dont mind if you stay here a little longer.." she says the last part softly, almost a whisper.
Phew, was it getting warm in here?! Zack sure felt it, and if his shirt wasn't still in the garden he'd lift his collar to let some air in. Instead, he makes do with waving a plate over the scarred skin as he turns his back to her and goes about making her a peanut butter sandwich and dumping a can of soup into the pot on the stove.
"Oh sure, I can cook! If it involves warming something up or spreading it on a slice of bread, anything else and you're SOL." He gives a nervous little laugh and rubs the back of his neck. "You really don't remember me, do you? What's the last thing you /do/ remember?" As he finally turns around to present her with her meal, he just about drops it. Is that blood?! "Damn! Are you okay?!" The cure materia at his belt starts glowing almost preemptively.
"Hmmm..." she smiles softly as she regards him thoughtfully for a few minutes. Zack..That name is too familiar. Way too familiar. But does she want to go back there, to those beautiful and yet terribly painful memories? She bites her lip, trying to sort out the confusing fragments of memories in her mind, sharp flashes of all too real imagery mixed up with surrealistic dreams, of a calm, serene, mystical place that coldnt have possibly existed, at least not in this world..And yet it had, somehow. She had turned back to stare into the fire once more, trying to piece her memories together, gazing at the burning, dancing embers in a sort of daydreamy state. "I dont really know, only what I've told you..It was like I was in this long slumber, something REALLY bad happened, something that wasnt supposed to happen, and then..." She jumps a little at the alarm in his voice, glancing down at the blood on her dress, and seems just as startled at he is, as if she had only just noticed it herself "Oh! What's this?!" her heart beating a little more rapidly, she reaches out to touch it, only to realize that the wound must have been several days old at least. Although the dress is soaked through, the blood has since dried and is no longer bleeding. "No, I-I'm fine, I dont feel a thing..What could it mean?! What happened to me??"
To the rescue! Zack's hero instinct kicks in; part of saving the damsel is keeping her calm. He swoops in, setting the tray on the table and reaching to take her hands. The Cure spell shimmers over her, regardless, the glow of his eyes increasing for a moment as it casts. "Take a deep breath, okay? I'm going to try and explain things." He lets go with one hand and gestures at the chair. "Have a seat? It might be a little hard to take in all at once…" He smiles sympathetically. God knew /he'd/ had a time with it!
Aerith blinks slowly, accepting the cure spell without question..And even though she isnt really wounded anymore (getting killed was enough, wasnt it?), she's still thankful for the calming effect it has over her and she tightens her grip on his hands as if drawing strength from his nearness..Once upon a time, he held her hands like this a lot..Back in those frightenning days when ShinRa was after her all the time..Her eyes widen at this sudden flash of memory, which causes a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Even though she's still so scared and confused she somehow feels safe, here, with him, and it makes her smile, though its a sad smile all the same. "We..we were close once, werent we? We shared a special connection.." But then..Something had happened, hadnt it? She's already sitting, probably a good idea since she'd probably faint over otherwise to learn what had happened over her rather chaotic lifetime. Maybe she doesnt even want to know, maybe this was her body's way of protecting her from whatever had happened..Still, as they say, the truth will set you free. After a few moments of inner struggling, she nods slowly, almost reluctantly, waiting to hear what he has to say..
Zack nods, concern dissolving into a lopsided grin. He was remembering too, remembering with out the hurt getting in the way. Oh wow, it was almost like old times….Which meant her mother should come bursting in any second now. God he hoped not! It was going to be hard enough explaining this all to Aerith, much less Mrs. Gainsbourgh! With those accusing and suspicious eyes glaring holes into him. Ohhh not good!
"I guess I'll start with where we are…" He had a suspicion about what time she came from, and it made him shudder. Sephiroth had…No, not thinking about it right now remember! He stands and paces a bit as he tries to gather the words. "We are in a world made up of a bunch of different worlds." He gestures as he talks, as if he's giving a lecture in a grand hall or something. "Cities, people and whole continents have been "cut" out of their original time and "sewed" together here." He turns on his heel. "Following me so far?"
"H-huh? What? But that's crazy...You mean, there are other..worlds out there?" of course, 'they' were space travellers, this was just a quick pit stop in their neverending journey. "Oh!" she jumps up suddenly at the realization. "I know...My mom used to tell me stories about other worlds.." she smiles all starry-eyed and happy at the fond memories of Ifalna, "Every star in the sky was another world..Maybe somewhere out there was the 'Promised Land'.." she smiles fondly at the memory of her real mother, her true mother, but there was another one too. "Oh.." she sits back down, rubbing her temples..Serious memory overload here, though it seems more of her restored memories are from the past..The distant past. "I get it now, I was dead, wasnt I? Then..There must have been a disruption in the lifestream, that set my soul free...Hmm.." subconsciously, a hand brushes her stomach again, where, she knew, a deep, fatal wound had led to her death..A flash of steel and flurry of black leather..Long silver hair..Laughter..The sudden thought causes her to gasp in sudden fear and realization as she tries to push the memory away. His face at least is clear in her head, and her heart beats more rapidly at the thought...Trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in her stomach, her gaze hardens. "Okay..So what caused this...Convergence?"
Startled by her out burst, he takes a step back and runs into the mantelpiece. Oof! The knick-knacks rattle but thankfully remain where they are. If he'd had the buster sword on his back they'd have been done for!
Errgg…If he didn't know she was an alien that all would have been very confusing. Thank you Cloud! "It's a lot more complicated than just other planets." Zack gives a faint growl of frustration and rubs the back of his neck. If only Seph were here! Then she gasps and goes wide eyed, so he was right. He turns and rests his hands against the mantelpiece, sagging a bit. Softly he askes. "You remembered, didn't you?"
Aerith cant help but giggle softly to herself as she watches his crazy antics..My, how she missed those. He was always so cheerful, so goofy, so...So damned lovable. "Aww, Zack, you okay there? Did I startle you?" Little things like that, she really missed. It was good to have him back, and it's enough to make her forget her fears of that black clad, silver haired man for just a moment. But then, who could forget the face of their killer for long? She bites her lip, looking a bit worried, nodding slowly..could he still be alive? Though she is quick to notice how her reaction causes a reaction in him and her eyes flicker with concern as she rises to her feet, moving towards him, "What is it?""
"When I saw the blood I suspected." He sighs and pushes off the fireplace. Were those worry lines always there? No, they are the physical manifestation of the change this place as wrought on our young hero. Never one to be anxious before, he finds his nights sleepless for nerves or worse, plagued with nightmares. "Converging is what it is called, and it doesn't just take from different places, it takes from different times. In the world you are from, I am dead and Sephiroth has…has…" Zack stops and physically wills himself to say it. "Killed you and is a raging nutcase." That was hard, he turns and stares at the fire, some how unable to look at her. As if he some how bears the guilt for this. "Where I am from, the massacre at Neiblhiem hasn't happened yet. We're both still alive, he's still sane…"
She freezes in her step, swallowing as she stares at him wide-eyed. So her fears were true..That Man HAD killed her. She too is silent, turning back to stare at the fireplace drawing again from its warmth and radiance to ease her troubled thoughts. The somewhat uncomfortable silence (by now) remains for a couple agonizing minutes as she tries to absorb this information. "I.....See.." she nods slowly, "When..When you saw me for the first time, you confused me with an Aerith from another timeline as well..Then that means.." Could there be a milder, saner Sephiroth out there, somewhere? Is it really possible?
Zack nods miserably, staying silent to let her brain process it all. He knows her well enough to follow her train of though when it does pick up again. "Yea, he's here. Sane as the day I met him, solid as a rock and…dieing." There is a noticeable crack to his voice with that last word. Suck it up boy! She didn't need to hear all of your problems!
Zack continues his pacing, though this time more troubled than clownish. If he's going to not talk about his problems, then he needed to talk about something else. How about theirs!? "I know about you now, Aerith. About the Cetra….Why didn't you tell me?" There is more than a little hurt in that question, he hadn't even known ShinRa was after her!
Aerith seems to be able to pick up the slightest change in his demeanor, not exactly as if she could read his mind.....More like she could sense his feelings. She was always sensitive to people's feelings, but that was really due to her mysterious Cetra heritage. Turning around to face him again, her feelings of fear and anxiety for herself are quickly transformed into concern for a dear, dear friend. And it's obvious that Sephiroth was more than just a fellow SOLDIER to Zack now too. "Zack...I'm sorry.." she reaches out to touch his shoulder, attempting to reach out and grab his other shoulder to try and stop his nervous pacing, and to offer her warmth and reassurance as she smiles softly up at him. She's here if you need a shoulder to cry on (not like SOLDIERS ever cry or anything..). "I think I understand now, that's what you meant when you said that I...That the other me had lied to you..Betrayed you, somehow..It must have been terrible.."
Yet even she is struggling with her own dilemma right now..How can she possibly forgive Sephiroth for killing her and not hate Zack for allying himself with that...Person? How..How very sad, and yet from what she knew of Sephiroth's story, he was not truly an evil man, just another person who was wronged by the ShinRa..Another scientific experiment gone wrong. She smiles grimly at that prospect, perhaps she and Sephiroth shared more in common than she ever thought possible. "I see..Those events in Nibelheim were enough to cause him to snap in one timeline..But maybe if it never happened..Maybe he would have, no, he HAS become a different person..Zack, I have no choice but to trust and believe what you say is the truth, especially after you trusted me.."
As for her own problems..It suddenly dawns on her that she never really DID tell him all her secrets. And yet she had good reason not to. She sighs, letting go of him, her smile fading a little. "I'm sorry Zack, I always trusted you, you knew that, and yet if I told you and somehow they knew that you knew, then they could easily have used you to get to me." there was of course, so so much more to it than that, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
She pauses for a moment...."What? Sephiroth is...Dying?"
Zack allows himself to be stopped from his pacing, feeling singularly the smoothness of her hand against the knotted burn scar on his shoulder. Even with the sweet calm her presence brings, the fear, anxiety and guilt take turns batting at his heart. He /knows/ she can sense his feelings, which makes him feel even worse. He can't bring himself to look her in the eyes. "It was…I didn't think I'd ever forgive y-her." But now he didn't have to, he just had to let it go. This woman so obviously wasn't her, and so obviously was the girl he'd fallen in love with, what felt like so many years ago.
As she speaks of different timelines and what is and isn't, the metaphorical light of hope returns to join the realistical light of Jenova. "Yes!" He beams and moves to sweep her into an embrace, whirling her around the room. When he sets her down, it's with a triumphant smile. "Some one else understands! He isn't that Sephiroth and just by being here can't do those things!" Zack practically vibrates with happiness. If Aerith could see is point, then Cloud might be able to be swayed as well!
His joy is only slightly hampered by her confession. "Would have used me…?" And they would have too. His jawline tightens as he clenches his teeth. She was so right! Why did he let ShinRa do this to him, to the people he loved?! For a moment he stands with his fists balled at his sides, oh he was going to clock Rufus ShinRa one when he saw him again. But then he deflates. Rufus was just a kid when all this happened, it wasn't really his fault. Besides, the man was crippled. He didn't want to be known as a cripple beater!
"In our time, a while after you died and Cloud beat Sephiorth, a disease sprung up called the GeoStigma. It has something to do with Jenova, I just know it does! Any way, that disease came with the parts of Gaia that Converged. He has it and it's killing him, slowly."
Aerith laughs softly as she's picked up, twirled around the room. She's neither surprised nor spooked by this sudden, implusive move..In fact, she's quite used to his spontaneity, and in fact it was one of the many things that attracted her to him in the first place. Her mood instantly lightenned as she lands softly on the ground, nodding slowly, thoughtfully at his words. "I see..I guess the Sephiroth in my timeline left quite the impression afterall, but I'm sure you probably know all about it by now." No need to go into many details; She's sure Zack's heard it all, and obviously he and Sephi were pretty close in this time line. A small smirk tugs at her lips at another sudden thought, "Well, I just hope my...Alter ego didnt leave a similar impression..But I suppose we have more important matters to deal with.."
It is her turn to pace the room now as she ponders what to do about Sephiroth. It may be true that he has not committed those acts in this timeline....Yet. And yet, what if he found out about Nibelheim and it triggered the apocalypse - and her death, all over again? On the other hand, what if her curing him - if she could indeed cure him - gave him another chance at life, a chance to do some good in the world, perhaps?
"Geostigma...." she sighs, shaking her head, brow furrowed in deep concentration, a look of worry upon her delicate features. "I'm afraid I havent heard of that disease, but I suppose it IS possible that Jenova could have infected the planet, and the lifestream if she was indeed destroyed. But what about ShinRa? Surely with their advanced technology, they could have found a cure by now?"
Talking about Sephiroth, thinking about him, even just some one mentioning his name raises a fierce kind of affection in the young mans' heart. At least from his side, they share a bond much deeper than brotherhood and one he's willing to face death itself to save. That is, paradoxically, the source of his pain as well as his defense from it. He'll find a solution and save his friend, or go mad trying.
But you'd never know it from his face. Zack, as always, is a goofball and a clown. He looks a little guilty when she talks about him meeting Sephiroth here. "Actually we were friends before. He was my CO during the war with Wutai. We weren't talkin then so you never knew…" Cough! Not thinking about how she can totally I-Told-You-So here! Thankfully, she isn't rubbing it in. Not that she would, even if it hadn't of ended in their deaths.
While not aware of the curing part of her thought, he can well guess what the pacing is about. "I'm going to tell him, Aerith." He says softly, searching her face for the signs of horror/rejection he'd seen from every one thus far. There is something desperate in his eyes, a pleading. Please, believe in me. Have faith. "People run from him in terror, so he all ready knows something horrible happened. I know what set him off in Neiblhiem, and I'm going to tell him and help him through it like I didn't before." Where was I?! There is more than a little bitterness and guilt in that statement. It seems he feels those events were inevitable and it was his failure that allowed them to happen.
"Not yet, but the you from a future time had something to do with curing it. I've talked to people here, they say…This is going to sound silly, but healing rain fell from the sky? It pooled in the church…." He gives a little shrug, ring any bells?
Aerith smiles wryly, pausing in her pacing, tilting her head to regard Zack thoughtfully, "I guess..You had quite a history with the guy too then, huh.." she sighs, "I guess there's a lot of stuff I dont know about you either, Zack.." although her tone is angelic, gentle, sweet as honey as it always is, there is just a hint of..Something else there, an almost accusatory edge to her voice. What else doesnt she know about you? So caught up was she in all her own thoughts that she never even paid much attention to the scar though now she does, sidling up next to him, peering up at it thoughtfully, then glancing questioningly at him, "Like for instance...Where did you get this from? And these nasty bullet wounds? Is this..." she swallows, flashes of his grieving, worried parents coming back to her now..They never even knew he died, as for her, she had spent the past five years thinking about him, missing him, never knowing what really happened..
Though she has little time to ponders things over when he mentions that dreaded name again, and she blanches, taking a step back from him and shaking her head in disbelief, "What? Why? Is that wise?" as for that last part, her mind is already trying to take in too much, and the actions of the former Aerith dont even register...Yet..
Zack blinks at her silent accusation. Owch! Before he can articulate a response she's asking about his scars and thinking they…Oh god no! With out hesitation he reaches out and grasps her by the shoulders, voice taking a somewhat commanding yet gentle tone. "I didn't die, Aerith. The Convergence took me the -day- we would have arrived at Neiblhiem. None of it happened to me." Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen.
"This," He points to the burn. "Came from me trying to take down a dragon when I was still in the Regulars. And these," He gestures at the bullet scars. "Came from Wutai. We took heavy fire and I got so worked up I forgot to get healed." See, no fatal marks here!
The glow that he felt when she agreed with him abruptly goes out. Back come the worry lines, the Cloudeqsue air. With out saying anything, he drops into the chair. He remains silent for some time, chin resting on his folded hands eyes staring beyond the fire.
Aerith raises a brow as she considers him for a moment, seeming all the more worried as he explains, "Oh wow, Zack...You've led such a dangerous life, and now..." she sighs, shaking her head as she sees him sag to the ground, her smile quickly fading, the look in his eyes tearing at her heart..She's so terribly torn, torn between her love and concern for Zack, and her fear of Sephiroth. Perhaps the bond between him and Sephiroth was deeper than she had ever believed or imagined, perhaps they were more like brothers than friends even, which only makes things worse. She draws a deep breath, kneeling in front of him, reaching out to try and take his hands in hers, to hold onto them reassuringly, offering comfort at least if nothing more.
"Listen to me, Zack..I understand how you must be feeling..Sephiroth is obviously someone dear to you, I get the feeling you two are like brothers even, perhaps? I know this must be tearing at your heart, seeing him like this, hated by everyone..But there are some truths that are perhaps left unsaid. If he never knows, then maybe there is still some hope for him, he can start out his life anew, forget about his violent past. And believe me, I can understand how something like that can tear at a person's soul..For any normal person to learn that they were born and bred as little more than a laboratory experiment, their soul purpose in life to kill and destroy and make ShinRa powerful..But for someone with his power and magnitude.." she sighs, shaking her head, "How do we know that telling him the truth will help him rather than hurt him? How do we know that it will be better than if he didnt know at all? I just...I want so much to believe you, to believe that Sephiroth is different now, and if he is, then we mustnt let the past repeat itself."
She pauses for a moment there as it to take a breath from her rather long speech, she just hopes that she is getting through to him somehow, "And, one more thing..If Sephiroth truly has changed then I want to help him, if I can, I want to cure him of this disease..But..But I cant do that unless I know history wont repeat itself! I dont....Dont want to go through that again..So please..." she gazes back up at him again, her eyes soft, gentle, pleading more than anything else. Please just try to see her point of view..
The SOLDIER allows her to take his hands, though his expression remains stony and distant. There is a war going on inside Zack Fair, a struggle between love and logic, faith and uncertainty. He's not used to dealing with such things, to shouldering all of this burden at once. Digging bullets from his rib cage? Piece of cake. Having the fate of the world in his hands? Not so much.
Silence is the initial response to her words. From the crease in his brow and the set of his jaw you can see he is processing this, formulating a response. Finally, he speaks. "Can't you see?" His voice is a hoarse whisper, the immensity of his feelings simply too much for it to handle. He reaches out to caress her cheek, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. "I don't want any of that to happen, I can't bear to see it. To watch you…" His free hand reaches to touch the blood stain on her dress. Some how, he finds strength in the gesture. Sitting back up, he finishes with a much more even tone.
"Not telling him.." Zack gives a short, bitter laugh. "It's not that simple. He knows all ready." He reaches up to rake his hands through his hair and wipe the moisture from his eyes. "People fear him, /hate/ him. Every time some one flees in terror, he's reminded of it. When whole streets clear out at just the mention of his name, he feels it. And it's sitting in his mind, eating at him. Was it really me? Do I have the capability? Do I deserve this?" The questions as spoken in a passable imitation of the General's deep voice. "I have to give him the rest of the puzzle, help him through it. If I don't…I'm sure he /will/ snap."
With that admission, finally accepting that his dearest friend could really do all these horrible things, something dies inside Zack. Hope? Faith? Innocence? Only time will tell. The immediate result is to give him a haunted, almost frantic look. "So what can I do? Tell me what to do, Aerith! If I don't tell him, the uncertainty will rot him from the inside. If do there's a chance it'll start this all over in a band new way!"
Aerith sighs, taking his hand in hers as he traces the contours of her face, squeezing back the tears that form in her eyes, refusing to be weak when he needs her the most..She's so damned scared in this moment, so...Overwhelmed, confused, uncertain. She doesnt want to move from there, doesnt want to break contact as she gazes up at him, his own face seeming to reflect her confused thoughts as well. "I see..It's a lot worse than I imagined. But at least now he knows about it, about what they accuse him of doing, and how does he feel, about what they tell him? Does it bother him? Does he feel remorse? Or is he only gripped by anger and bitterness towards these people and their fear of him? Does he believe that he could do what they accuse him of doing?" she smiles slowly, thinking this over, "If..If there is remorse, if he truly does want to take responsibility for what they accuse him of doing then....Perhaps it wont be so dangerous to tell him the truth of his origins, perhaps it will be enough to put his fears to rest. But on the other hand, if he feels no remorse for their accusations, then perhaps it is not wise to make matters worse..Does that make any sense?"
Zack just stares at her, expression some where between desolate and blank. For the first time he was truly entertaining the idea that Cloud may be right, Rufus may be right, Aerith may be right...The color drains from his face. If he was wrong he'd have too…The sob is half way out before he chokes it back. No! That can't happen! The denial is weak; the seeds of doubt are planted. It wasn't that the dark side of her questions were correct, it was that he didn't know. Getting Sephiroth to talk about that possible future was almost as hard, if not harder, than getting him to talk about his past. The man was bristling with unpleasant memories and had never really learned a way to deal with them. They hadn't even put words to what he had just told her. Remorse? Maybe, anger? He was clueless and it terrified him.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He whispers in between heaving sobs. At this point he's curled up on himself, head between his knees with his hands buried in his hair. He chokes as he tries to talk through it, stammering out what he's been feeling yet has told no living soul. Not even the silver haired man. "I'm sorry I-I couldn't stop him. S-save you or C-cloud! I'm so-so-so sorry I'm doing this t-to you, like /HER/. When you're new here." He pauses, a gathering strength or making a final bid against his pride? "But I'm so scared! If I'm wrong it'll go to hell again. You'll die, he'll die and it'll be my fault, AGAIN!"
@emit %r%tAerith draws a deep breath, watching him with a mixture of pity, and guilt, for some strange reason. How odd it was, for her to feel guilty for feeling this way about Sephiroth, knowing what he had done in the past, to her, to others, to the world..And yet, all along, never even know that he was in fact Zack's best friend and who knows what else? She bites her lip, unsure of what to do or say at first that could make things any better than they are - and she realizes he is right, his actions COULD prove disastrous, and yet..%r%r"Oh Zack.." she sighs softly, shaking her head as she moves to comfort him, attempting to rest her hands gently on his shoulders as she fights back her own tears - seeing the strong, battleworn SOLDIER in such a moment of weakness, it tears at her heart, catches her off-guard, and yet, she's probably one of the few people who would get to see him in such a state. If only there were something she could say or do to make him feel better, to make the pain go away, "Please, please dont blame yourself, you've done nothing wrong, you're just the victim of bad circumstance.." she smiles softly, gathering up the courage as she moves nearer now, attempting to slide her arms around his waist, resting her head against his as she tries to embrace him in a warm, heartfelt hug if he'll let her, "For you to even realize the consequences of what might happen, that's enough proof that you have a good heart. You just want to protect someone who means the world to you, even if the world believes he is evil, even if there's a chance he COULD become that monster again, but I promise you, I'll find a way so that nobody has to die..We just need to take this one step at a time.."
Every one was a victim of circumstance it seemed, even the "villain" himself. For a moment, he welcomes the embrace. Her tenderness and honesty bolsters his confidence. Some one was on his side, cared enough to try and help him. To help Sephiroth. When the world is against you, even one ally can make a difference.
Zack is getting control of himself, wiping his eyes on his gloves and attempting a watery smile. "Thanks." The smile gains some strength. "I got a little over whelmed there. Cloud didn't want anything to do with…." The sentence and the smile drops off. The mention of the man drags their most recent encounter up through the emotional train wreck. Anger, jealousy and hurt flit through his mind before being forcefully rammed back to whence they came. One problem at a time! He sighs.
"Guess you probably want to know what happened?" His emotions are still churning, all is not well in Zackland. Yet he hides it, as quickly as he broke down he seems to be back to normal. The smile is full and vibrant as he attempts to pull her onto his lap. "Story time!" Only his eyes give away the fact that he's still a mess.
Aerith smiles softly, gaining strength it seems, in knowing that she could make a difference in another person's life, that maybe even for a little while, that she could make the pain go away. Right now, she wants nothing more than just to be with Zack, and she settles willingly into his lap, getting all comfy as she rests her head against his chest, gazing up at him with a slight smile and warmth brimming in those emerald orbs of hers. "Glad I could help.." she giggles a bit, feeling that warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach..Just like old days..Maybe things will be okay now, "I dont mind long stories, Zack..I want to know everything..Everything about you..And him.." again, that name Cloud, a name that is familiar yet, not all of her memories have returned yet, still so confused, foggy and disconnected. Maybe this will help her remember too, and though she's a little afraid of the past, sometimes it is necessary in order to move forward.
With his arms wrapped around her, those sweet eyes staring up at him, Zack can almost forget everything that has or might happen. Sephiroth, Cloud, his own death and being erased from the pages of history. Looking down at her angelic face, he feels a pang in his heart. Why had he let ShinRa get between them? Why did he choose to be the puppet of those evil bastards? The sudden swell of affection in his chest caused him to inhale sharply; he loved her so much it hurt. Quickly he masks the gesture by starting "the story".
"I'm not really sure where to begin. I don't really know all of it either." Not that he wanted to know. Cloud's words echo in his mind. ~I think she didn't tell me about you because she didn't want me to think I was your replacement.~ That rush of affection give him the strength to punch Cloud's memory in the face and go on with out it crippling him. "You were trying to use Holy against Meteor when…err…well, it was too late. Seph was…" Wow this was hard. Deep breath. "Something was holding it back, Cloud went and defeated Sephiroth and it kinda worked. Meteor still did a lot of damage though."
Aerith bites her lip as she listens, nodding slowly..Recounting the last few moments of her death, realizing what exactly is was that she was trying to accomplish, it's just so overwhelming, and she's glad at least that he was the first person she ran into and not some crazy insane ShinRan. She nods slowly to his words, watching his expression carefully..How very alike he was to that other person - whose face is still somewhat fuzzy to her - and yet so different too. How different things could have been if..She shakes her head, not wanting to figure it out right now, its all so confusing. "I see.." she nods slowly as she listens, a hundred questions on the tip of her tongue, and yet she knows how sensitive the topic of Sephiroth is to Zack. She forces a faint smile as she waits to hear more, though there is uncertainty reflected in her eyes, tightening her grip around his neck as if searching for reassurance in his closeness. The questions could come later, at the right time and place.
"That's pretty much all I know. I didn't live..err…I wasn't dead through any of it. I came from just before Seph and I got to Neiblhiem." Hours away from disaster, he'd been spared seeing the events themselves and left do deal with the consequences. If there was a god, he was a real bastard. "There's a couple people who might know more." He pauses, tightening his grip around her waist. "….I'm kinda going to go talk to Rufus ShinRa later today…I can see if you can come along if you want. He lived through it all." He was going to suggest her calling Cloud. But the idea of them speaking raises such a powerful possessive instinct in him that it hit the trash bin with out a bounce.
Aerith nods slowly, seeming only more confused by this. Where to begin? "Okay, so..Basically meteor was stopped when Cloud defeated Sephiroth, but something caused the planet to become infected with geostigma because of it.." She frowns a bit, brow furrowed in worry. "I guess there's a lot of people I need to speak to..Maybe he can tell me more..And Cloud.." again that far away look in her eyes, trying to remember, "I think...I know him, somehow, but its all so confusing.." she sighs, "I just wish my memories could all come back, maybe I could be of more help." subconsciously, she snuggles up next to the SOLDIER, who seems almost as lost and confused as she is. Phew, what a day. Maybe tomorrow wont be so bad, or maybe she'll wake up and realize it was all just a dream. Maybe..Zack wont be here when she wakes up. She swallows at that fearful thought,stealing a glance back up at him again, her gaze thoughtful, a little worried. "Zack..Let me come with you, talk to Rufus..I..." I dont want you to leave me again, she thinks, blushing slightly as she looks away, trying to appear brave, to appear casual, "I think he can help me solve the puzzle too.."
Zack nods. That was pretty much his understanding of it all. "I'm dead certain the Geostigma has to do with an alien called Jenova. Rufus has been avoiding the question, which pretty much confirms it." The hows or whys of that riddle are just as frustrating as everything else. And as soon as he's certain Sephiroth's head isn't going to start spinning around on his shoulders it'll be the next task.
Her confession about Cloud causes a white-hot rush of glee to shoot through Zack's body. A canary-eating grin spreads across his face. He can't help it, ha your turn to be forgotten! Some part of him feels guilty about it, if any one deserved a little happiness it was Cloud. Just not /HIS/ happiness, particularly while he was still around to enjoy it any way. "It'll come back to you, I'm sure." Several years from now would be best. "Okay, I'll just bring you along then. When he explains things to me you can ask your questions too." Hey, something was working out for once! Assuming Rufus wasn't going to be a putz and you know what they say when you assume.
"Hmmm?" she arches a brow, seeming to catch a change in his tone of voice, or in the look on his face. She sits upright, peering at him curiously, "What is it? Do you know Cloud too? Oh.." she laughs a bit, "I guess you would, he's a SOLDIER too, isnt he." she smiles and nods, "Yeah, no need to push it, right? Anyway, I'll bet I have a diary around here somewhere..Maybe it'll help me remember.." okay. First Rufus and then Sephiroth. "You know, I'm still scared, but I think I need to go see him too, you know...Sephiroth.." the thought sends a shiver down her spine. Would history repeat itself if she saw him again?
Zack's expression is pained. He'd so hoped to have this conversation later, like some time next century. But she was asking now and he wouldn't be any more ready then either. He takes a breath and forces himself to relax. "Cloud didn't make SOLDIER. He-he wanted too and probably would have if-Neiblhiem didn't happen." He loosens his grip on her, losing the ability to speak for a moment as a rush of emotions hit him at once. Worry, jealousy, anger, confusion, hope, fear. Another deep breath and they're tamped back down. "None of that happened to me, why am I getting so worked up about it?" He sighs and tries again.
"Hojo had us taken and experimented on. Cloud went through the SOLIDER process, just not the program. I broke us out and err…well they say I died doing it. After that, Cloud went to Midgar and met you, but I guess for some reason he thought he was me? That's probably my fault." He says miserably. "I can see me saying something heroic and retarded like, "Take my dreams and make them yours." He wasn't the most balanced person to begin with, then Hojo goes and…" It's Zack's turn to shudder. Just thinking about that man made his skin crawl.
He looks down at her, trying to hide the hurt in his voice. "He said he fell through the church roof, like I did….And that you didn't talk about me."
Aerith swallows, sensing the tension in his voice. Obviously this subject pains him and she cant help but feel guilty for some reason too. Yes of course..The church roof..She met him in the same way, though her memories of him were still so fuzzy. Cloud was like him, almost eerily so. She blinks, rising slowly from his lap, peering at the fire for a moment in silence, thoughtfully it seems, trying to figure something out. Cloud and Zack were connected too, and so was she. Did she..Break his heart?? She sighs softly, shaking her head.
Does she really have time to think about this right now? She draws a deep breath, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence, "I'm sorry, Zack..I guess it's just too much information overload right now. Let's forget about..About him right now and try to focus on the problem at hand, okay?" she smiles faintly, turning back to face him, "One step at a time, right? I should probably go upstairs, get changed out of these clothes. I guess it wouldnt do any good to show up there all bloody like this huh.." she laughs softly at her little joke, trying to break the tension in the room as she heads for the stairs. Maybe she'll take a look at that carefully hidden diary while she's at it. Hopefully he hadnt gone through her stuff while he was staying here. Afterall, who knows what might be hidden in there?
Zack is so relieved he has to stop himself from kissing her. How had he lived this long with out her?! One problem at a time, that was his mantra lately. Recovering from his close-encounter-of-the-affectionate kind, and fuzzy with the rush of released tension, he's a little distant.
"Yea," He says somewhat distantly. "I dunno if your stuff is still there. I only went into the bath room and down here." It was her private space don't you know! And as painfully curious as he was, it seemed like defiling her memory some how by snooping. "I'll run out to the garden and grab my stuff, you want the first shower?" Emotional tension? What tension? It's like it never happened as Zack bounces to his feet and stretches.
Aerith giggles a bit, pausing at the top of the stairs to glance down at him, "Thanks for not snooping around, and thanks for taking care of my place, Zack..You're real sweet." she smiles a strange smile as she watches him a moment longer, lost deep in her own thoughts once again. Who knows what sorts of things she has to hide? She's always been a tad mysterious sometimes.."Okay, I'll only be a minute then we can be on our way!" with that she vanishes upstairs, gone from sight for a good ten minutes or so. Phew, what a day..And it's only just begun!
Zack grins up at her and gives a little salute. Then he trots out to the garden, hops the tiers in the same way he came down, retrieves his stuff and is back probably before she's even gotten to her room. It gives him time to sponge himself off in the kitchen sink and put on a clean shirt. The coat has managed to avoid any major staining, thank you scotch guard! So he's set.