Journey to Junon (Log)
This is the journey that Aer and Zack took to Junon on their way to Figaro..
The morning had dawned damp and chilly under the plate. Not that they could tell it was morning, but the clocks said it was time and the air was uncomfortable. The exception to this was the Gainsborough house, which managed to get some of the only direct light in the Slums through a crack in the upper plate. It got to see the overcast, gloomy sky and how the drab shade of grey stuck even as the sun rose higher. And so it remains, sullen and dark even though the time is high noon.
Some people are put off by this kind of weather, they mope or tend to stay inside. Not Zack Fair. The extraordinary young man can be found a good fifty feet off the Garden floor, free climbing the support column. A note on the table says as much, more or less. Above it on the same sheet of paper is another note that has been crossed out. His blocky, uneven print shows through and it says ~Gone to get files, breakfast in fridge. BBS. -Zack~ Two large manila files sit on the table, looks like he's gone and come back.
In the living room, all of the SOLDIER's stuff is packed and ready too go. If he was in a rush he would have made plans to leave sooner, right? It's presence is a bit of a mixed signal.
Aerith had also been getting ready that morning, grabbing a couple of (hopefully) useful materia for the long trip, making sandwiches and putting together supplies for fires, camping and what not (who knows how long the trip will be?). Still, she is pleasantly surprised to see just how well organized Zack is. Spotting the manila envelopes, she makes an immediate grab for the one labelled 'Dr. Gast', flipping through it hastily as she tries to finish her breakfast at the same time, as quickly as she can. They had delayed enough as it was, it was time to be off, to face whatever unknowns they would face..For Aerith, this would be particularly difficult, coming face to face with the man who brutally murdered her. But, that was in a different timeline, right? It wouldnt - it couldnt happen a second time could it?
Zack wasn't just a morning person, he was an /early/ morning person. Much to the chagrin of his bunkmates and traveling companions alike. It was this restlessness that sent him up the wall and brought him back, shirtless and sweat drenched, several hours later. Phew, it had been forever since he did that!
As he opens the door, he blanches seeing her at the table. Crap! How long had she been up? Mopping his forehead with his arm, he steps out of his boots and enters. "Have you been up long?" He eyes her contribution to the travel pile with a frown. "I didn't wake you did I? I thought you might wanna sleep in a bit after last night…" It had been rough, and probably wan't aided any by his sulking. Feeling properly guilty, he makes to apologize. "Sorry for…you know, loosing my temper. You mighta been able to get a lot more out of Rufus if I hadn't."
Truth be told, Aerith didnt get much sleep last night, with thoughts of her father's connection to Shinra haunting her dreams. It shows a bit in her tired, puffy eyes, and she has to stifle a yawn as she glances back at Zack with a faint smile, "It's alright, you dont have to apologize. I didnt want to sleep in, not when we have a long journey ahead of us." she pauses to finish the last of her orange juice, folding up the folder and placing it in her pack with the rest of her stuff - forgoing many luxuries, she took only what was essential. If this place was far away, she didnt want to be hampered by a heavy pack.
Rising slowly from the table, she regards Zack with a mixture of curiosity and pity. "I guess ShinRa destroyed a lot of innocent people. It's only natural that you would feel betrayed by your employers. Anyway, I think we gained the information we needed from them, enough at least, for now." Though she is eager to get this over with, and at least rid herself of some of the worries in the pit of her stomach, she hovers near the table, carefully tidying up the last of her breakfast as she waits for Zack to do whatever else he needs to do.
Zack's frown deepens when he sees her. Boy he was a real jerk! "Sorry." This apologizing thing was a hard habit to break once you got into it! "I shoulda asked or something." With her talk of traveling he sobers. "About that…Are you sure you want to face him? I mean, I don't want you to be afraid of him any more but a him did just…" He trails off, expression full of concern and showing the worry lines around his eyes.
Moving towards the sink as she cleans the dishes, her smile seems to waver at the mention of that feared name. She seems to hesitate on answering, as if unsure what to say. Eventually however, she nods her head in firm resolve. "I need to see him with my own eyes, to speak with him. Although I'm afraid, I need to make sure that history wont repeat itself, without a doubt." although she forces another smile, trying to appear brave, she is quaking inside, afraid for her life, but more afraid of what might happen if she doesnt learn the truth. Her eyes betray her feelings more than anything else. Turning back to the dishes, she finishes the last of them, but seems to slow down some as if stalling. "Anyway..." she sighs, "He's dying, isnt he? If I have the power to save him, shouldnt I choose to help him, regardless of who he is? You say he is a different man, not a monster. I believe you. I'll save your friend, I promise.."
Zack watches the marvelous little woman battle her fear, putting on a brave face despite everything she'd so recently endured. A swell of affection ripples through his chest and in a few steps, he's behind her. Muscular, scarred and sweaty arms move to encircle her waist and he whispers in her ear. "Thank you." He wants to say more, to tell her how wonderful and kind and beautiful she is. That he was lost with out her and didn't know it. For some reason he can't get passed those two little words.
Her fear seems to melt away the moment he embraces her. Even if just for a moment it's forgotten, replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling as his all too familiar touch. SOLDIER he may be, but deep down he's got a gentle heart. She doesnt have to face this alone, not like the last time..The memory of her death is still clear, still vivid. And flashes of his face, the one who failed to save her once before become all too clear in her memory. Slowly, she is beginning to remember what happened. But not this time. Zack will be there with her. It'll be okay..She smiles softly, closing her eyes briefly as she leans against him, clasping her hands over his. "You're welcome.." And in that realization, suddenly she knows there's no turning back. She made a promise, a promise she's determined to keep. She glances up at him, half-turning but reluctant to let go, just yet. "Are you ready?"
Zack practically purrs with contentment. Happy girl = happy boy! All too quickly she's asking about leaving. It takes a moment for him to register she's talking to him, he's got this goofy-spacey kind of grin on his face. "Huh? Oh! Yea, lemme rise off real quick and we can get moving." He kisses her temple and reluctantly lets go and lopes across the room, taking the stairs three at a time. The shower turns on and not long after a squeaky clean man pads his way down the stairs in a fresh outfit. He's got a white poets shirt on this time, with a black vest. The swords are strapped to his side and with the exception of his boots he's ready to go. "Anything you want before I start loadin up?"
Aerith cant help but giggle a bit as his boyish antics. A pity they didnt have more time, though first thing's first. Drying her hands on the nearby kitchen towel, she reaches for her pack in one hand, and her weapon - a long, steel staff, ornately decorated with large colorful feathers at one end. Though on closer inspection, these feathers are actually numerous, razor sharp blades. Probably her only offense against monsters, it's a good thing too. Slipping her red denim jacket on, she's waiting by the door when Zack comes bounding down like the oversized puppy dog he is, and she smiles happily to herself, loving every little bit of his goofiness. How did she survive all these years without him? "Nope! I'm ready to go..Where are we headed, anyway? Is it a long way from here?"
He takes a moment to lace up his boots and reattach the Bowie knife before responding. "Right now? Junon, we gotta catch the ferry there. After that, not sure. I gotta call Seph and check he's where I think he is." Planning was never his strong suit, if a list couldn't be made then the result was generally unpredictable. If she knew Sephiroth better it would be some consolation that the General would make sure Zack /had/ a more comprehensive plan in place before really hitting the wilds.
He grunts softly as he shoulders most of their camping gear and adjusts the straps and what not. "I'm guessin he's in South Figaro, but I never really know with him." Suddenly he notices her staff. "That's new." Squint. "Owch, I bet I'll be mangling myself with that before the trip is over."
Aerith's own pack is rather small in comparison, and proportionately lighter too. She pulls it over her shoulders as she heads for the door, grasping the staff firmly in her other hand, "Oh, well I hope we're not sent on a wild goose chase." she steps over the threshold, waiting for him to join her. It'll be dark soon, they cant waste too much time dilly-dallying around here, "Hmm, he's not in hiding is he?" It would make sense; No doubt, a lot of people would still be after him, even if ShinRa claims they arent. At the mention of the staff, she glances down at it, half-smiling at the memories of her past adventures with a certain someone who is becoming a little more clear by the day, "This? Oh..Just something I picked up on my....Travels. I guess I'm no SOLDIER, but living in the slums, I need some way of protecting myself, right?" she giggles, "Cant exactly rely on some bodyguard or anything.."
The man gives no thought to the weight of the packs, really they weren't heavy at all and the sound was one of those habitual things. Carefully he edges his way through the door, making sure not to knock anything off or damage the molding. "Kinda." He scrubs his hand through his still-wet hair. "Cloud's sorta looking for him and I tipped Seph off." While the blond had promised not to try anything, Zack had a niggling doubt. It wasn't that he didn't trust Cloud, it was Cloud's Hate that made him pause. To her bodyguard comment he grins and makes to head for the exit. "Dang right! A girls gotta be able to defend herself, ya know?" As much as he loves being a knight in shining armor, experience has taught him that he can't protect every one. "Why a staff though? I'd think a gun or magic would be more your style."
Aerith umms, "That's okay, I think I have enough defensive magic to protect myself..And my friends if need be.." she smiles knowingly at Zack, "I'm a Cetra, remember?" oh yes, that's right, she never really told anything to Zack about what exactly a Cetra is..Or for that matter, about her own, mysterious past, and her connection to ShinRa. What a mysterious gal. "As for guns, well, I think they're a little too violent for me. I dont think I'd be okay if I seriously hurt anyone.." Probably not practical if she ever came up against a giant monster, but hey, that's what she has a SOLDIER around for!
Zack smirks and holds open the gate for her. "Hard to forget." Surprise, your girlfriends an alien! Was it too schadenfreudian of him to be glad Seph had one for a "mother"? Closing the gate behind them he takes point, demeanor instantly changing from open and lounging to feral and alert. Some of the nastiest monster's they'd encounter would be in the Dead Zone, the blackened, mutated area that ringed the mako-lit city.
"I guess not." He concedes, his tone just as playful and open as ever. "You'd probably feel so bad you'd heal them right after." Which could get exhausting if you were in Zack's line of work! Not that a face full of razorblades was a picnic either, but she needed something! "Did you have a lot of friends…back home?" He's talking about the time she comes from, before she died.
"Oh..I suppose I had a few.." she smiles fondly at the memories, "You know, there were people who tried to get me to join their cause, against ShinRa. I dunno, their methods were a bit..Extreme, but it was their motives that counted more than anything. They just wanted to stop an evil corporation from destroying the planet. Me? I just wanted to find out more about who I was. But like them, I also wanted to protect the planet. Nanaki, Cid, Yuffie, Vincent, Tifa, Barret..And Cloud" She pauses on the last name thoughtfully, lost for a moment in her confusion of memories, though as she lags behind, she quickens her pace a bit to keep up with Zack, reaching for his hand as she walks at a more leisurely pace now. She's determined to make this a fun trip, not some serious, hurried ride to possible doom. "What about you, Zack? I suppose you had lots of friends in ShinRa, right?" she glances up at him curiously, eager to know more about the SOLDIER's life.
Zack slackens his pace when she falls back, more than willing to let her sort through things. He wasn't too keen on the end destination either. The butterflies hadn't started yet, but he could feel them starting to unfurl their wings and twitch a bit. "Avalanche wanted you to join?!" He is both incredulous and amused, forgetting just what she was and why they would see that as an asset. "Wow, you've been busy since I…left." Yea, that'll work. The pause catches his attention, and a slender tendril of jealousy perks it's head. Despite his logic, knowing what he does about his final moments, he can't help but feel a /bit/ possessive. Sure he'd dated before, but Aerith was the first girl he ever /loved/.
Her hand is taken with out hesitation, though he speaks with out looking at her, his senses obviously else where. "Sorta. I had buddies, guys I wouldn't mind takin bullets for. Seph's the only one I'd really call a friend. I'm pretty sure Cloud would have been if things had been different. He was such a good kid." Zack sighs. How times have changed.
Cloud Cloud Cloud. That name had been haunting her dreams as of late, as her memories came back, day by day. She had to see him again, but then what? She was still so confused, afraid of what may happen then.."Oh..? So Cloud's going to see Sephiroth too then?" she feels a slight smile tug at her lips, her voice rising slightly. She wants to see him again, either way, though she tries hard to sound casual about it, and fails. She's still not sure how to approach the subject ,if at all. Clearing her throat, she tries to change the subject a little, glancing towards the road ahead as they begin to head out of the city, towards the 'danger zone'. "Hmm, I suppose you cant blame him for his hatred towards Sephiroth, not entirely anyway..They have a history together, after you were gone.." so does she. "Anyway, I'm sure it'll all work out in the end?" she squeezes his hand softly, trying to reassure him, or maybe she's trying to put Cloud out of her mind. She has everything she needs right here.
Zack nods, his jaw tightening ever so slightly at the name. He was almost as mixed up as Aerith with his feelings for the ki-man. Cloud was a man now, grown up and kick ass in his own right. "Yea, he's going to try. Doubt he'll find him though." Is that smug satisfaction mixed in there? The change of subject causes him to with draw a bit. "I know." He says with a little ice in this voice. He pulls his hand away and adds. "You both do."
Aerith bites her lip, flinching a bit at the words, pausing in her stride, and sighs, maybe she deserved that. "You're...Right. I knew Cloud, we travelled together..We became..Friends. Good..Friends." she swallows, staring intently at a rather interesting spot on the ground and sighs, "I was just..So confused. You were gone for four long years. I wrote you many letters. 89 in total. You didnt reply to a single one. It really broke my heart. I wanted to believe you'd come back any day and then..He came.." she squeezes her eyes shut, fighting back the tears. She's breaking his heart, she just knows it. He probably thinks she betrayed him too. "I thought..Maybe HE was YOU, he had the same build, same walk, same movements, everything. Maybe you just got a hair cut, dyed your hair or something..I just..Wanted you back so badly, I fooled myself into thinking he was you, but now I know he was someone else."
Zack stops and stares into the distance. Why the hell did he just say that?! Didn't they have enough to deal with right now? Between Sephiroth and her recently Converging, did he really have to force her through this pain too? The selfish and hurt part of his heart growls a yes. Now that it was out in the open they had no choice but to deal with it.
He lets her finish talking and stands in silence. Hurt and logic battle for dominance across his all ready weary mind. They'd broken up, she had ever right to move on, he was being so selfish about all this. Hell, he'd been dead in their world any ways! Died saving Cloud, the way he'd always wanted to go. A hero.
Hanging his head, the SOLDIER finally speaks. "There's a box under my bunk. My folks probably got it by now if they think I'm dead." He scratches the back of his head and shifts, folding his arms in front of his chest. "S'got 89 pieces a paper that're all marked up. I tried to write back, I just-" Man he'd screwed up! And he was doing it again.
Finally he turns and looks at her, smile wan and serious. "If you'd rather be with him, I understand." The words felt like some one took her staff and jabbed it into his chest, but for all the pain rang true. He'd made her so miserable, was still making her miserable. If letting go would make her happy, then he'd do it.
Aerith blinks in disbelief, shaking her head as she stares back at him, a look of hurt in her eyes, "Zack, what are you saying? Do you really think I could let you go so easily, after it took me so long to find you?" she spreads out her arms, "Why do you think I'm doing this, travelling all this way through unfamiliar land, seeking out the man who killed me, whom I fear more than anything else in the world, facing Rufus again..Do you think I did this for myself? Do you really think I'm so selfish to just use you like that?" she grips her staff, digging it into the ground, kicking at the dirt at her feet, and turns away from him, staring out into the distance for a long time in silence. He was right perhaps, it wasnt fair to keep hanging onto both him and Cloud like this. She had to make her decision."I understand if you want to leave me right here and now, but know this: There's only one person I've ever loved, and its not Cloud...I never even got to know the real him afterall.."
Zack's mouth hangs open as he stares at her, disbelieving. "What? No! I could never think something like that about you! I thought you were doing it cause you aren't selfish, cause you're so good hearted you couldn't say no..." They had been close once and it was respect for that love that kept him out of her personal things, had him weeding her garden and straightening out her home. Some how he assumed it extended towards this-this…fiasco-in-waiting.
His mouth works open and close soundlessly. The words just won't come out! It's like those damn letters all over again! Frustrated, he turns on his heel, walking away a few steps before turning back. Something has struck him, if not his own words…then some one elses? He clears his throat, voice soft at first but gaining strength as he gets more confidence in the words.
When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate;
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possesd,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on Thee-and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd, such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Any minute he'll tell her to get lost, to stop playing with his heart, she's sure of it. What she's not expecting is such a deep, beautiful poem that touches the very core of her heart in a way Cloud never could. In fact it causes her to turn around, to take a few cautious steps towards him, even reaching out her arm towards him but hesitates, unsure of what to do. "Zack.." she almost chokes on her own tears, tears that blur her vision so she can barely see, that sting her eyes and dry her mouth, "Zack, that was beautiful.." again she is reminded of how unlike Cloud he is. She couldnt imagine Cloud reciting poetry, of laughing like a goofy puppy dog one moment, then crying his eyes out the next. Or, of having the kind of spirit that would inspire her dreams long after he was gone, of being so true to his feelings that it helped her to discover the truth in herself. "Please dont go....Not after it took me so long to find you.."
It's the tears, it's kryptonite to machismo. Not that he had an abundant supply of it after quoting the Bard. With a few long strides, he sweeps her into his arms, holding her so tightly it surely must hurt. "Never." He mumbles, stroking her hair. "Not again, my angel." Suddenly, there isn't any possibility of a terrible future. His best friend isn't dieing or on the way to going cuckoo. Just him, and her. His senses are filled with the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the sound of her breathing…Breathing! He loosens his grip. "Gah! Did I hurt you?" He holds her at arms length, peering anxiously into her eyes.
Aerith blinks slowly, glancing up at Zack curiously, her tears of sadness suddenly, quite unexpectedly turning into tears of joy. He was really here, he wasnt going anywhere, "Zack!" she smiles weakly, sliding her arms around his waist as she draws him near in an equally heartfelt embrace, resting her head against his chest as she assures herself this is no dream - she nearly lost him, twice now it seems, her heart still beating rapidly from all the dramatics as of late. But at least now, she managed to sort out her feelings of Cloud in the open, perhaps now she could move on..With Zack. "Do you promise?" she asks sweetly, as she reaches up to brush the back of her hand against his cheek, gazing up into those beautiful, violet eyes of his.
Zack practically faints with relief. Having made up, after all this time and emotional crap, only to accidentally crush her to death…Just wouldn't be cool. Her gaze is hypnotizing; its mysterious depths are like a jade pool and he's drowning in it. How could he ever have given that up? Suddenly he feels the absence of the buster sword's weight on his back. Because he was willing to carry that kind of burden for his dream, as blind and stupid as it was. Not any more, the swords at his side are far more than different weapons. They are a symbol of his now life and goals. Supple, unassuming and still just as deadly.
From the look on his face, he could start purring at any second. He turns his cheek into her touch and grins. "It'll take a Convergence for you to get rid of me again." Or death, but that's such a depressing topic letsmoveonshallwe?! A thought crosses his mind and gets out his lips before it can go through any censoring process. He gets like that when he's emotional. "Aerith, will you marry me?"
She smiles happily, snuggling up to the SOLDIER as she closes her eyes for a moment, the image of his face imprinted on her eyes - she wont forget him this time..She's suddenly forgotten that the night is fast approaching, the darkness and monsters with it, or that its getting chilling, getting onto supper time. None of that matters right now, as long as she's with him, that's all that counts. The joke warrants a small chuckle from her, though his next question catches her off-guard and she's at a loss for words for a few minutes, glancing back at him in surprise..Zack? Mr. Adventurous, freelancing mercenary, willing to tie himself down with such a serious proposal? And what about her, is she ready for such a big change in her life, on top of all the other dramatics going on right now? Even if she does want to spend the rest of her life with him..Is now the time? "Zack? Are you sure its what you want right now?"
Part of him is relieved she's got more sense than him, the other is bolstered by the challenge. Being Zack, it's not hard to figure out which side wins. "Yea! Look, we could both deConverge at any second right?" Or die by the hand of my best friend in the next few days. *Cough* "Why not?" He falters. "Unless you don't wanna?" There is a puppy-dog pout in there, just a bit of hurt and a bit of the "common sense" side of him screaming to be heard.
Aerith cant help but giggle a bit as his impracticality, though she merely shakes her head, "No, we wont reconverge, I'm sure of it!" a little amused smile tugs at the corner of her lips, though deep down in the pit of her stomach she had feared as much herself, "I think..When people..Reconverge, it's because their spirit is weak, because they've lost a will to exist. I dunno, but it's a theory. I remember in the lifestream for the brief time I was there, it was the people who had no sense of themselves, who had weak spirits who would become part of the lifestream, lose their individuality and be reborn as someone else. But you are strong Zack, I'm sure you wont just...Reconverge.." At least that's what she's hoping.
As for his next question, her smile widens, her eyes sparkling happily at the tholught though she shakes her head slowly, gazing into those wonderful eyes again as she reaches up to gently cradle his face in her hands, tilting his chin down a bit to look at her, "Zack, I love you more than anything else in the world, I want nothing more to spend the rest of my life with you..I'm just not sure if this is the right time or place, when there are so many other things that need to be dealt with at the moment." she fortunately possesses whatever commonsense he lacks.
That is an interesting theory, and one he'll have to run by Seph and possibly Ten if they ever meet again. Which, sad to say, he hopes not. Some people bring happiness wherever they go, Ten brought it when she left. The miserable woman gets shoved aside as Aerith cradles his face. His expression morphs from goofy happy, to disappointed, to something in between. Eh, she was usually right about these things. Besides, he could always try again after all the drama was over. Something big, involving truck loads of flowers and an uncomfortable suit. Ah, such is love. "Okay." He says, some what crestfallenly. As it turns out, its just a distraction so he can bend down and steal a kiss.
Aerith had thought about it long and hard, the reconvergence idea that is. Let's just hope her theory is right. It'd suck for this Zack, as sweet and perfect and lovable as he is, to reconverge into a Zackenstein..Or something..She blanches at the thought - quite a horrible, but eerily amusing thought that causes her to giggle softly to herself. Oh yeah, Zack would totally come up with something crazy, dramatic and goofy as hauling in a truckload of flowers and announcing over a really big megaphone that he was gonna marry her. But right now, she's so caught up in the moment that thinking so far into the future is a headache. She rises on her tiptoes, pulling him towards her as she gently presses her lips against his in a tender, sweet kiss - the kiss of an angel.
It surely must be, cause Zack feels he's died and gone to heaven! Wrapping his arms around her waist, her picks her up and spins her gently. Kissing her all the while. Dizzy with affection, blushing and excited he sets her down. "I'll get you to say yes some day, Miss Gainsborough. You just wait." He winks and holds out his hand. "Shall we?"
Aerith is just dizzy, spinning around like that, thought dizzy in a good way if that's possible - she feels closer to him now than she ever did before. Maybe things will work out now, maybe things will be okay..And when this is all over..She cant help but smile and blush at the thought..Though the chill of the rapidly descending nightsky pulls her back to reality. They'd better hurry or they would miss the boat. She smiles at him, nodding as she grasps her staff in her other hand, shouldering her pack and taking his hand with a slight smile and a nod, "I forgive you Zack, for not replying to my 89 letters.." she laughs at the thought, shaking her head, "I knew..Deep down I knew you would have if you could have. I guess your life was a dangerous one, that's why.."
Zack feels ridiculously happy, and it shows. He's back to his old loping stride and open smile. Though the thought of danger isn't too far away now that they are in the open. "It'll be a day or so before we get there. I couldn't score a ride to the base in time…" And I wanted a few days with just me and you. Responsibilities be damned they needed a break!
He squeezes her hand and smiles nervously. "Yea, and I'm a total goob."
She just nods and smiles, casting him another of her infectious smiles, "I dont mind the distance, I'm sure it'll pass quickly in your charming company.." she grins and winks at him, "Afterall, you're just full of surprises all the time." Good old Zack. So impulsive. So crazy hyper..Like just now, "So..Did you ever achieve your dream in the end? You know, becoming a hero? That WAS your dream, wasnt it?"
Zack valiantly tries to keep that question from hitting up like a bucket of ice water. Yea, it was. Struggling through it mightily, and succeeding somewhat, he answers. "Well, I guess so. I made SOLDIER first class and got promoted to Lieutenant-General under Seph. I've done a lotta "heroic" things…No, not really. They said I woulda though, if I hadn't of Converged."
Aerith giggles and nods, "I guess you must have been a role model for a lot of people, huh..Everyone looked up to SOLDIERs for their bravery and courage...I guess you guys were like modern day Knights, huh?" She turns to regard Zack thoughtfully, nodding. Oh yeah, he's her knight in shining armour alright. She's still curious to know the history between Zack and Cloud, but that was obviously a touchy subject, one she'd rather avoid for a while. One he'd probably not willingly delve into, yet. Thankfully, SOLDIERS werent as sneaky as Turks, didnt go around trying to kidnap helpless flowergirls as far as she knew "Hey, so I'll bet you got to visit all sorts of amazing and exciting places, right? I wonder if the converged world is even bigger.."
Aerith doesn't know it, but the more she talks the harder it is for Zack to stay cheerful. She really had no idea, did she? Could he bear to tell her? Maybe some day, but not now. Not when they're both so happy. He seizes on the change of topic with gusto. "I did. Learned all kinds of interesting stuff! Dunno know if it's bigger, but it sure's got a lot more variety too it!"
Aerith giggles and nods, "I guess you must have been a role model for a lot of people, huh..Everyone looked up to SOLDIERs for their bravery and courage...I guess you guys were like modern day Knights, huh?" She turns to regard Zack thoughtfully, nodding. Oh yeah, he's her knight in shining armour alright. She's still curious to know the history between Zack and Cloud, but that was obviously a touchy subject, one she'd rather avoid for a while. One he'd probably not willingly delve into, yet. Thankfully, SOLDIERS werent as sneaky as Turks, didnt go around trying to kidnap helpless flowergirls as far as she knew "Hey, so I'll bet you got to visit all sorts of amazing and exciting places, right? I wonder if the converged world is even bigger.."
Aerith doesn't know it, but the more she talks the harder it is for Zack to stay cheerful. She really had no idea, did she? Could he bear to tell her? Maybe some day, but not now. Not when they're both so happy. He seizes on the change of topic with gusto. "I did. Learned all kinds of interesting stuff! Dunno know if it's bigger, but it sure's got a lot more variety too it!"
Aerith has no reason to suspect the pain of her words as Zack does a pretty good job of keeping up the cheerful appearance. Fortunately she does change the subject a bit too, nodding slowly as she focuses more on Zack than on their destination. She's in no hurry to get there too quickly afterall. "I finally got to see my hometown..Well, you know, the City of the Ancients. Zack, it's really beautiful, you've got to see it sometime!" maybe, when all this is over, "Hey, you're from Gongaga right? Have you ever been back there recently? I'll bet your parents are really worried about you still.."
Zack frowns and scratches his temple. Man, out of the frying pan into the fire! Does she have angst seeking missiles? "Hun, they aren't here. The only places from our world that Converged are Kalm, Costa del Sol, here and Junon. Every where else is from some where else." Patly leaving out his folks, today was rough enough with out thinking about them!
Oh dear..The world really has changed, hasnt it? She blushes deeply, feeling so foolish for saying something so insensitive, "Ohhh, Zack, I'm so sorry! I didnt realize.." she sighs, shaking her head in disbelief, "Wow, I guess things have really changed dramatically." yeah, real smooth move Aerith! Mmmm, time for a subject change: "So..Tell me about this place we're going to, Figaro, what's it like? Is it anything like Midgar?"
"It's all right. You couldn'ta known." He says with just a hint of darkness. It was both comforting and horrifying to know his folks wouldn't move on. They'd still keep clinging, unless ShinRa came up with a good reason for there to be no body. And cared enough to lie. He kind of hoped they did.
"South Figaro, cause the whole country's named Figaro and a lotta the important stuff in it too…not really original over there. Heh. Any way, it's totally different from Midgar! It's like…a medieval town or something. They city's based on canals and is made out of stone and…It uses steam power!" Zack's works are distracted and patchy as he tries to dredge up everything he remembers about the town. He wasn't in the best frame of mind last time he was there.
"Aerith hadnt given much thought to her own folks really. Her parents had died years ago, she had no siblinds. There was just Elmyra, but she was sure she was around Midgar somewhere still. "Wow...Steam power.." she shrugs, "Seems kind of, old fashionned compared to Midgar but, I'll bet it's much better for the environment, right?" she smiles, "Maybe Midgar could take a few pointers from them huh.." that'd be the day, "Wow, a Medieval city? So, do they have things like Kings and Queens then? It sounds pretty romantic..Like in the fairytales! Cant wait to see it!" she has an almost dreamy look in her eyes at that moment. Being a princess, that has always been her secret dream, though of course it was just a dream.
One of the few things they had in common, only child. Zack had come into the military just a /tad/ spoiled. The Fairs didn't fawn over their only son, but he had been given more leeway than the average kid.
Just thinking about Figaro's king makes him pull her a little closer. Edgar was well known as a schmooze and a ladies man. Not that he didn't trust Aerith, it was just one of those guy things. "Yup. Kings and castles and all! It's really pretty, I think you'll like it. People are a heck of a lot nicer than in Midgar. I think it's cause they get sunlight regularly." He gestures at the wide open sky. "Oh! The castle tunnels under ground too! Never seen it, but it's supposed to be really cool."
Aerith goes all starry-eyed, just trying to imagine what it must look like, "Wow Zack..It sounds simply amazing..Cant wait to see it! Hmm, and sunlight too, huh." she giggles, "I cant believe I used to be afraid of the sky, back then. I was so used to the slums, that seeing it for the first time was really scary for me! I'm glad that the rest of the world is not like ShinRa!" If it was, they'd be in deep trouble right now, "Hehe, maybe I'll be able to sell my flowers there, too!" yup, she brought some flowers with her, of course, "I never told you before, did I? After you left, my flower business really picked up! I'm now Midgar's number one flowergirl!"she beams happily, "Isnt that great? It's all thanks to you and that handy flowercart you built me.." a pause as she considers something, "Hey, so what do you do these days? You know, for a living?" She's at least hoping he's not STILL working for that company anymore, even if they HAVE changed, supposedly..
Zack smirks, she was so cute when she looked like that! He could just picture her in some pink poofy sleeved number with a million skirts wandering around the castle grounds. Maybe feeding small animals out of her hand. The admission yanks him from the inevitable end of that story, knight in shining armor! "You were agoraphobic?" He asks incredulously. "That's…wow. I never would have guessed. Guess it makes sense, I had a panic attack the first time I went into the slums." Country boy + no sky= paper bag. Not one of his most shining moments.
Ahhh, the flower cart. One of Zack's first and last excursions into the wood working world. It had taken him twice as long to make as it should have, stupid measurement conversions! Still, she was so thrilled with it, it made the splinters and off hours spent worth it. "See, I knew it would help! Me? Well I don't really have a career in mind yet. I was thinking of starting up a merc business. Hired muscle, special deliveries, stuff like that. But I keep moving around so much it's a little hard."
She smiles a little, nodding, "Guess there's still a lot of stuff you dont know about me, but maybe today you learned a little more." she shrugs, peering into the distance for a moment, thoughtfully, "I guess I spent a lot of time in...Cramped spaces. You know, before I managed to escape from ShinRa.." she draws a deep breath, not many people knew of the tortures she and her mother went through, she never really volunteered the information to anyone. But Zack was different, right? "Since I was born, I...Basically lived in the ShinRa research laboratory. For about ten years, I lived there..Before I escaped to the slums." she smiles, glancing back at Zack, stepping a little nearer him, "I was..Thankful for the little things in life. That's what got me through in the end." but hey, that's in the past right?
"Wow, mercenary work. I'll bet a lot of people would be glad to hire someone with your sorts of talents." she giggles at the idea, "Delivery boy? Hmm, sounds kind of fun! Anyway, if you're a merc, even if you love travelling, I'm sure finding work wouldnt be so difficult!" a pause, "Hmm, I wonder..." wasnt Cloud a mercenary too? She glances curiously at Zack for a moment in silence, wondering just what sort of relationship he and Cloud had now, but is afraid to ask.
Zack stops dead and turns on his heel so he can face her. Did she just say…? Oh wow! His expression is a mixture of shock and awe. "That's…" Weird. Two of the most important people in his life spent their childhood in that building. "That can't have been easy." What ever he was thinking is filed away and he starts walking again. "How did you escape them all that time? I mean, it's not like you were hard to find…"
He beams at her approval. He wasn't exactly brimming with good ideas these days, it was good to know something sounded decent. "Wonder what?" He asks curiously.
"Hmmm..." she nods slowly, "Oh yeah, Sephiroth was born a test-tube baby, wasnt he? I suppose, he must have spent most of his life in the ShinRa research lab too.." maybe she even met him! Heck, maybe they went to daycare together! Now, THAT is a scary thought, one which she quickly pushes out of her mind. Anyhoo, she was probably too young to remember the silver haired youth, even if she had seen him. "My..Mom, my real mom that is, was a very brave and courageous woman. She was also a pure Cetra. She was a very powerful magic user, and one day, she used all her strength and courage to break free of her confinement." she shrugs.
"All she needed was to wait for a small little mishap on the part of her captors, when they forgot to lock her up properly, and she broke free and escaped in the middle of the night along with me. We had help of course, there was a sympathizer in the lab, though I dont know her name now." the memory causes her smile to fade though, a bit saddened as she pauses in her stride, "We were almost free of that dreaded place but...In the end, my mom died, trying to save me."
She hesitates for a moment or two, looking back at Zack with a little uncertainly. He didnt like when she talked about Cloud, "Um, oh it's nothing really, just...Cloud used to talk about being a mercenary too. I suppose I always wondered, with you two being in SOLDIER together, if you became good friends." sadly, Cloud never talked much about Zack either.
Zack grimaces at her summary of Seph's childhood. True or not, what a way to put it! He clears his throat lightly. "Yea, almost every day till he took the SOLDIER test." Though he didn't have any one to care for him like she did. Poor Seph! Poor Aerith! If he deConverged, ShinRa was going to get it right where it hurt! There wasn't a chance in hell he'd let anything happen to either of them now that he knew.
His face is drawn into a scowl as she tells her story. Those bastards! And they'd hunted her ever since. It was really good he didn't know any of this before last nights meeting. The temptation to end the ShinRa line forever might have been too great to pass up. He sighs and tries to let it go. Or at least keep it from riling him again. To do that would go against his argument for "saving" Sephiroth. As far as they knew, Rufus hadn't been involved in any of it. So he focuses instead on what he's learning about her as a person.
Wow! It was hard for him to imagine a life like that, with out a loving home to return too. Parents who were there for him no matter what with a hug or a kick in the head, which ever he needed. Silently he vows that if he ever had kids they'll get that same chance, that he'll settle down and be there for them.
Before he can wander too far into that thought Aerith drops the C word. To his credit, Zack only stiffens marginally. "Cloud didn't make SOLDIER, remember? Hojo messed with him after Nieblhiem." Which must have /sucked/. With Aerith out of the way, the blonde was next on Zack's list to "figure out" how he felt. "But yea, I kinda took him under my wing after he failed the test." A nostalgic kind of smile comes to his lips as he recalls the mopey young man who seemed to be mostly limbs. "We were buddies. Given time we woulda been friends, I think."
Aerith hmms, "I'm sorry..Sephiroth was a human with a human heart." wow, she cant believe she's saying that! My how times have changed. "Hey, dont lose hope. Maybe you and Cloud will work things out. Maybe someday things will be okay?" she seems to be slowing down a bit now, as if she were growing tired, "Umm Zack? Are we almost there? Hate to complain but I'm getting a bit tired.."
Zack points at the camping gear on his back. "Gonna take a day or so to get to Junon. I figured we'd get outta the dead Zone catch some," There is the barest of hesistaions before the word. "Chocobos and beat feet. But if you wanna set up camp and start out fresh in the morning I got no problem with that."
Aerith cant help but pause for a few moments anyway, just to catch her breath, "Ah, sorry Zack, I'll try and keep up til we can reach a safer place to camp.." still it takes her a moment or two before she can continue, spurred on by the sight of shadows moving in the not so far distance. She grips her staff a little tighter, trying not to glance over her shoulder , "But let's hurry before the sun goes down."
Zack points at the camping gear on his back. "Gonna take a day or so to get to Junon. I figured we'd get outta the dead Zone catch some," There is the barest of hesistaions before the word. "Chocobos and beat feet. But if you wanna set up camp and start out fresh in the morning I got no problem with that."
Zack says, "
Aerith cant help but pause for a few moments anyway, just to catch her breath, "Ah, sorry Zack, I'll try and keep up til we can reach a safer place to camp.." still it takes her a moment or two before she can continue, spurred on by the sight of shadows moving in the not so far distance. She grips her staff a little tighter, trying not to glance over her shoulder , "But let's hurry before the sun goes down.""
Zack grins, gives her a smart salute, then moves to sweep her off her feet. "SOLDIER Express, at your service Ma'am! You hold on, we'll get you where you wanna go."
Aerith giggles as she's swept off her feet, feeling for a moment as if she were a real princess who met her knight in shining armour and wraps her arms around her 'knight', "Heeehee, Zack, are you sure you can lift me and that pack okay? IT's still a ways away!"
Zack stands and shifts her and shis shoulders around for a few seconds. He bounces on the balls of his feet to make sure everything is settled. "Pieca cake, babes. You've never seen me barrel through concrete!" She's treated to a broad grin and a wink and their off! If there is too much weight, he gives no indication of it. His breathing isn't any different from a normal run, though the ground speeds under them much faster than "normal".
Aerith eeps, closing her eyes. At first she cant watch, fearful of what might happen..It just wouldnt do to go crashing into something up ahead with those shadowy things following them from behind. After a moment though she dares to open her eyes, glancing around curiously and realizes they're still moving, "Wow Zack! You must do this thing alot!" well, hopefully not with other girls though, "How much further do you think it is? Will we make it?" between shadowy creatures and rapid darkness she hopes so.
The morning had dawned damp and chilly under the plate. Not that they could tell it was morning, but the clocks said it was time and the air was uncomfortable. The exception to this was the Gainsborough house, which managed to get some of the only direct light in the Slums through a crack in the upper plate. It got to see the overcast, gloomy sky and how the drab shade of grey stuck even as the sun rose higher. And so it remains, sullen and dark even though the time is high noon.
Some people are put off by this kind of weather, they mope or tend to stay inside. Not Zack Fair. The extraordinary young man can be found a good fifty feet off the Garden floor, free climbing the support column. A note on the table says as much, more or less. Above it on the same sheet of paper is another note that has been crossed out. His blocky, uneven print shows through and it says ~Gone to get files, breakfast in fridge. BBS. -Zack~ Two large manila files sit on the table, looks like he's gone and come back.
In the living room, all of the SOLDIER's stuff is packed and ready too go. If he was in a rush he would have made plans to leave sooner, right? It's presence is a bit of a mixed signal.
Aerith had also been getting ready that morning, grabbing a couple of (hopefully) useful materia for the long trip, making sandwiches and putting together supplies for fires, camping and what not (who knows how long the trip will be?). Still, she is pleasantly surprised to see just how well organized Zack is. Spotting the manila envelopes, she makes an immediate grab for the one labelled 'Dr. Gast', flipping through it hastily as she tries to finish her breakfast at the same time, as quickly as she can. They had delayed enough as it was, it was time to be off, to face whatever unknowns they would face..For Aerith, this would be particularly difficult, coming face to face with the man who brutally murdered her. But, that was in a different timeline, right? It wouldnt - it couldnt happen a second time could it?
Zack wasn't just a morning person, he was an /early/ morning person. Much to the chagrin of his bunkmates and traveling companions alike. It was this restlessness that sent him up the wall and brought him back, shirtless and sweat drenched, several hours later. Phew, it had been forever since he did that!
As he opens the door, he blanches seeing her at the table. Crap! How long had she been up? Mopping his forehead with his arm, he steps out of his boots and enters. "Have you been up long?" He eyes her contribution to the travel pile with a frown. "I didn't wake you did I? I thought you might wanna sleep in a bit after last night…" It had been rough, and probably wan't aided any by his sulking. Feeling properly guilty, he makes to apologize. "Sorry for…you know, loosing my temper. You mighta been able to get a lot more out of Rufus if I hadn't."
Truth be told, Aerith didnt get much sleep last night, with thoughts of her father's connection to Shinra haunting her dreams. It shows a bit in her tired, puffy eyes, and she has to stifle a yawn as she glances back at Zack with a faint smile, "It's alright, you dont have to apologize. I didnt want to sleep in, not when we have a long journey ahead of us." she pauses to finish the last of her orange juice, folding up the folder and placing it in her pack with the rest of her stuff - forgoing many luxuries, she took only what was essential. If this place was far away, she didnt want to be hampered by a heavy pack.
Rising slowly from the table, she regards Zack with a mixture of curiosity and pity. "I guess ShinRa destroyed a lot of innocent people. It's only natural that you would feel betrayed by your employers. Anyway, I think we gained the information we needed from them, enough at least, for now." Though she is eager to get this over with, and at least rid herself of some of the worries in the pit of her stomach, she hovers near the table, carefully tidying up the last of her breakfast as she waits for Zack to do whatever else he needs to do.
Zack's frown deepens when he sees her. Boy he was a real jerk! "Sorry." This apologizing thing was a hard habit to break once you got into it! "I shoulda asked or something." With her talk of traveling he sobers. "About that…Are you sure you want to face him? I mean, I don't want you to be afraid of him any more but a him did just…" He trails off, expression full of concern and showing the worry lines around his eyes.
Moving towards the sink as she cleans the dishes, her smile seems to waver at the mention of that feared name. She seems to hesitate on answering, as if unsure what to say. Eventually however, she nods her head in firm resolve. "I need to see him with my own eyes, to speak with him. Although I'm afraid, I need to make sure that history wont repeat itself, without a doubt." although she forces another smile, trying to appear brave, she is quaking inside, afraid for her life, but more afraid of what might happen if she doesnt learn the truth. Her eyes betray her feelings more than anything else. Turning back to the dishes, she finishes the last of them, but seems to slow down some as if stalling. "Anyway..." she sighs, "He's dying, isnt he? If I have the power to save him, shouldnt I choose to help him, regardless of who he is? You say he is a different man, not a monster. I believe you. I'll save your friend, I promise.."
Zack watches the marvelous little woman battle her fear, putting on a brave face despite everything she'd so recently endured. A swell of affection ripples through his chest and in a few steps, he's behind her. Muscular, scarred and sweaty arms move to encircle her waist and he whispers in her ear. "Thank you." He wants to say more, to tell her how wonderful and kind and beautiful she is. That he was lost with out her and didn't know it. For some reason he can't get passed those two little words.
Her fear seems to melt away the moment he embraces her. Even if just for a moment it's forgotten, replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling as his all too familiar touch. SOLDIER he may be, but deep down he's got a gentle heart. She doesnt have to face this alone, not like the last time..The memory of her death is still clear, still vivid. And flashes of his face, the one who failed to save her once before become all too clear in her memory. Slowly, she is beginning to remember what happened. But not this time. Zack will be there with her. It'll be okay..She smiles softly, closing her eyes briefly as she leans against him, clasping her hands over his. "You're welcome.." And in that realization, suddenly she knows there's no turning back. She made a promise, a promise she's determined to keep. She glances up at him, half-turning but reluctant to let go, just yet. "Are you ready?"
Zack practically purrs with contentment. Happy girl = happy boy! All too quickly she's asking about leaving. It takes a moment for him to register she's talking to him, he's got this goofy-spacey kind of grin on his face. "Huh? Oh! Yea, lemme rise off real quick and we can get moving." He kisses her temple and reluctantly lets go and lopes across the room, taking the stairs three at a time. The shower turns on and not long after a squeaky clean man pads his way down the stairs in a fresh outfit. He's got a white poets shirt on this time, with a black vest. The swords are strapped to his side and with the exception of his boots he's ready to go. "Anything you want before I start loadin up?"
Aerith cant help but giggle a bit as his boyish antics. A pity they didnt have more time, though first thing's first. Drying her hands on the nearby kitchen towel, she reaches for her pack in one hand, and her weapon - a long, steel staff, ornately decorated with large colorful feathers at one end. Though on closer inspection, these feathers are actually numerous, razor sharp blades. Probably her only offense against monsters, it's a good thing too. Slipping her red denim jacket on, she's waiting by the door when Zack comes bounding down like the oversized puppy dog he is, and she smiles happily to herself, loving every little bit of his goofiness. How did she survive all these years without him? "Nope! I'm ready to go..Where are we headed, anyway? Is it a long way from here?"
He takes a moment to lace up his boots and reattach the Bowie knife before responding. "Right now? Junon, we gotta catch the ferry there. After that, not sure. I gotta call Seph and check he's where I think he is." Planning was never his strong suit, if a list couldn't be made then the result was generally unpredictable. If she knew Sephiroth better it would be some consolation that the General would make sure Zack /had/ a more comprehensive plan in place before really hitting the wilds.
He grunts softly as he shoulders most of their camping gear and adjusts the straps and what not. "I'm guessin he's in South Figaro, but I never really know with him." Suddenly he notices her staff. "That's new." Squint. "Owch, I bet I'll be mangling myself with that before the trip is over."
Aerith's own pack is rather small in comparison, and proportionately lighter too. She pulls it over her shoulders as she heads for the door, grasping the staff firmly in her other hand, "Oh, well I hope we're not sent on a wild goose chase." she steps over the threshold, waiting for him to join her. It'll be dark soon, they cant waste too much time dilly-dallying around here, "Hmm, he's not in hiding is he?" It would make sense; No doubt, a lot of people would still be after him, even if ShinRa claims they arent. At the mention of the staff, she glances down at it, half-smiling at the memories of her past adventures with a certain someone who is becoming a little more clear by the day, "This? Oh..Just something I picked up on my....Travels. I guess I'm no SOLDIER, but living in the slums, I need some way of protecting myself, right?" she giggles, "Cant exactly rely on some bodyguard or anything.."
The man gives no thought to the weight of the packs, really they weren't heavy at all and the sound was one of those habitual things. Carefully he edges his way through the door, making sure not to knock anything off or damage the molding. "Kinda." He scrubs his hand through his still-wet hair. "Cloud's sorta looking for him and I tipped Seph off." While the blond had promised not to try anything, Zack had a niggling doubt. It wasn't that he didn't trust Cloud, it was Cloud's Hate that made him pause. To her bodyguard comment he grins and makes to head for the exit. "Dang right! A girls gotta be able to defend herself, ya know?" As much as he loves being a knight in shining armor, experience has taught him that he can't protect every one. "Why a staff though? I'd think a gun or magic would be more your style."
Aerith umms, "That's okay, I think I have enough defensive magic to protect myself..And my friends if need be.." she smiles knowingly at Zack, "I'm a Cetra, remember?" oh yes, that's right, she never really told anything to Zack about what exactly a Cetra is..Or for that matter, about her own, mysterious past, and her connection to ShinRa. What a mysterious gal. "As for guns, well, I think they're a little too violent for me. I dont think I'd be okay if I seriously hurt anyone.." Probably not practical if she ever came up against a giant monster, but hey, that's what she has a SOLDIER around for!
Zack smirks and holds open the gate for her. "Hard to forget." Surprise, your girlfriends an alien! Was it too schadenfreudian of him to be glad Seph had one for a "mother"? Closing the gate behind them he takes point, demeanor instantly changing from open and lounging to feral and alert. Some of the nastiest monster's they'd encounter would be in the Dead Zone, the blackened, mutated area that ringed the mako-lit city.
"I guess not." He concedes, his tone just as playful and open as ever. "You'd probably feel so bad you'd heal them right after." Which could get exhausting if you were in Zack's line of work! Not that a face full of razorblades was a picnic either, but she needed something! "Did you have a lot of friends…back home?" He's talking about the time she comes from, before she died.
"Oh..I suppose I had a few.." she smiles fondly at the memories, "You know, there were people who tried to get me to join their cause, against ShinRa. I dunno, their methods were a bit..Extreme, but it was their motives that counted more than anything. They just wanted to stop an evil corporation from destroying the planet. Me? I just wanted to find out more about who I was. But like them, I also wanted to protect the planet. Nanaki, Cid, Yuffie, Vincent, Tifa, Barret..And Cloud" She pauses on the last name thoughtfully, lost for a moment in her confusion of memories, though as she lags behind, she quickens her pace a bit to keep up with Zack, reaching for his hand as she walks at a more leisurely pace now. She's determined to make this a fun trip, not some serious, hurried ride to possible doom. "What about you, Zack? I suppose you had lots of friends in ShinRa, right?" she glances up at him curiously, eager to know more about the SOLDIER's life.
Zack slackens his pace when she falls back, more than willing to let her sort through things. He wasn't too keen on the end destination either. The butterflies hadn't started yet, but he could feel them starting to unfurl their wings and twitch a bit. "Avalanche wanted you to join?!" He is both incredulous and amused, forgetting just what she was and why they would see that as an asset. "Wow, you've been busy since I…left." Yea, that'll work. The pause catches his attention, and a slender tendril of jealousy perks it's head. Despite his logic, knowing what he does about his final moments, he can't help but feel a /bit/ possessive. Sure he'd dated before, but Aerith was the first girl he ever /loved/.
Her hand is taken with out hesitation, though he speaks with out looking at her, his senses obviously else where. "Sorta. I had buddies, guys I wouldn't mind takin bullets for. Seph's the only one I'd really call a friend. I'm pretty sure Cloud would have been if things had been different. He was such a good kid." Zack sighs. How times have changed.
Cloud Cloud Cloud. That name had been haunting her dreams as of late, as her memories came back, day by day. She had to see him again, but then what? She was still so confused, afraid of what may happen then.."Oh..? So Cloud's going to see Sephiroth too then?" she feels a slight smile tug at her lips, her voice rising slightly. She wants to see him again, either way, though she tries hard to sound casual about it, and fails. She's still not sure how to approach the subject ,if at all. Clearing her throat, she tries to change the subject a little, glancing towards the road ahead as they begin to head out of the city, towards the 'danger zone'. "Hmm, I suppose you cant blame him for his hatred towards Sephiroth, not entirely anyway..They have a history together, after you were gone.." so does she. "Anyway, I'm sure it'll all work out in the end?" she squeezes his hand softly, trying to reassure him, or maybe she's trying to put Cloud out of her mind. She has everything she needs right here.
Zack nods, his jaw tightening ever so slightly at the name. He was almost as mixed up as Aerith with his feelings for the ki-man. Cloud was a man now, grown up and kick ass in his own right. "Yea, he's going to try. Doubt he'll find him though." Is that smug satisfaction mixed in there? The change of subject causes him to with draw a bit. "I know." He says with a little ice in this voice. He pulls his hand away and adds. "You both do."
Aerith bites her lip, flinching a bit at the words, pausing in her stride, and sighs, maybe she deserved that. "You're...Right. I knew Cloud, we travelled together..We became..Friends. Good..Friends." she swallows, staring intently at a rather interesting spot on the ground and sighs, "I was just..So confused. You were gone for four long years. I wrote you many letters. 89 in total. You didnt reply to a single one. It really broke my heart. I wanted to believe you'd come back any day and then..He came.." she squeezes her eyes shut, fighting back the tears. She's breaking his heart, she just knows it. He probably thinks she betrayed him too. "I thought..Maybe HE was YOU, he had the same build, same walk, same movements, everything. Maybe you just got a hair cut, dyed your hair or something..I just..Wanted you back so badly, I fooled myself into thinking he was you, but now I know he was someone else."
Zack stops and stares into the distance. Why the hell did he just say that?! Didn't they have enough to deal with right now? Between Sephiroth and her recently Converging, did he really have to force her through this pain too? The selfish and hurt part of his heart growls a yes. Now that it was out in the open they had no choice but to deal with it.
He lets her finish talking and stands in silence. Hurt and logic battle for dominance across his all ready weary mind. They'd broken up, she had ever right to move on, he was being so selfish about all this. Hell, he'd been dead in their world any ways! Died saving Cloud, the way he'd always wanted to go. A hero.
Hanging his head, the SOLDIER finally speaks. "There's a box under my bunk. My folks probably got it by now if they think I'm dead." He scratches the back of his head and shifts, folding his arms in front of his chest. "S'got 89 pieces a paper that're all marked up. I tried to write back, I just-" Man he'd screwed up! And he was doing it again.
Finally he turns and looks at her, smile wan and serious. "If you'd rather be with him, I understand." The words felt like some one took her staff and jabbed it into his chest, but for all the pain rang true. He'd made her so miserable, was still making her miserable. If letting go would make her happy, then he'd do it.
Aerith blinks in disbelief, shaking her head as she stares back at him, a look of hurt in her eyes, "Zack, what are you saying? Do you really think I could let you go so easily, after it took me so long to find you?" she spreads out her arms, "Why do you think I'm doing this, travelling all this way through unfamiliar land, seeking out the man who killed me, whom I fear more than anything else in the world, facing Rufus again..Do you think I did this for myself? Do you really think I'm so selfish to just use you like that?" she grips her staff, digging it into the ground, kicking at the dirt at her feet, and turns away from him, staring out into the distance for a long time in silence. He was right perhaps, it wasnt fair to keep hanging onto both him and Cloud like this. She had to make her decision."I understand if you want to leave me right here and now, but know this: There's only one person I've ever loved, and its not Cloud...I never even got to know the real him afterall.."
Zack's mouth hangs open as he stares at her, disbelieving. "What? No! I could never think something like that about you! I thought you were doing it cause you aren't selfish, cause you're so good hearted you couldn't say no..." They had been close once and it was respect for that love that kept him out of her personal things, had him weeding her garden and straightening out her home. Some how he assumed it extended towards this-this…fiasco-in-waiting.
His mouth works open and close soundlessly. The words just won't come out! It's like those damn letters all over again! Frustrated, he turns on his heel, walking away a few steps before turning back. Something has struck him, if not his own words…then some one elses? He clears his throat, voice soft at first but gaining strength as he gets more confidence in the words.
When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate;
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possesd,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on Thee-and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd, such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Any minute he'll tell her to get lost, to stop playing with his heart, she's sure of it. What she's not expecting is such a deep, beautiful poem that touches the very core of her heart in a way Cloud never could. In fact it causes her to turn around, to take a few cautious steps towards him, even reaching out her arm towards him but hesitates, unsure of what to do. "Zack.." she almost chokes on her own tears, tears that blur her vision so she can barely see, that sting her eyes and dry her mouth, "Zack, that was beautiful.." again she is reminded of how unlike Cloud he is. She couldnt imagine Cloud reciting poetry, of laughing like a goofy puppy dog one moment, then crying his eyes out the next. Or, of having the kind of spirit that would inspire her dreams long after he was gone, of being so true to his feelings that it helped her to discover the truth in herself. "Please dont go....Not after it took me so long to find you.."
It's the tears, it's kryptonite to machismo. Not that he had an abundant supply of it after quoting the Bard. With a few long strides, he sweeps her into his arms, holding her so tightly it surely must hurt. "Never." He mumbles, stroking her hair. "Not again, my angel." Suddenly, there isn't any possibility of a terrible future. His best friend isn't dieing or on the way to going cuckoo. Just him, and her. His senses are filled with the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the sound of her breathing…Breathing! He loosens his grip. "Gah! Did I hurt you?" He holds her at arms length, peering anxiously into her eyes.
Aerith blinks slowly, glancing up at Zack curiously, her tears of sadness suddenly, quite unexpectedly turning into tears of joy. He was really here, he wasnt going anywhere, "Zack!" she smiles weakly, sliding her arms around his waist as she draws him near in an equally heartfelt embrace, resting her head against his chest as she assures herself this is no dream - she nearly lost him, twice now it seems, her heart still beating rapidly from all the dramatics as of late. But at least now, she managed to sort out her feelings of Cloud in the open, perhaps now she could move on..With Zack. "Do you promise?" she asks sweetly, as she reaches up to brush the back of her hand against his cheek, gazing up into those beautiful, violet eyes of his.
Zack practically faints with relief. Having made up, after all this time and emotional crap, only to accidentally crush her to death…Just wouldn't be cool. Her gaze is hypnotizing; its mysterious depths are like a jade pool and he's drowning in it. How could he ever have given that up? Suddenly he feels the absence of the buster sword's weight on his back. Because he was willing to carry that kind of burden for his dream, as blind and stupid as it was. Not any more, the swords at his side are far more than different weapons. They are a symbol of his now life and goals. Supple, unassuming and still just as deadly.
From the look on his face, he could start purring at any second. He turns his cheek into her touch and grins. "It'll take a Convergence for you to get rid of me again." Or death, but that's such a depressing topic letsmoveonshallwe?! A thought crosses his mind and gets out his lips before it can go through any censoring process. He gets like that when he's emotional. "Aerith, will you marry me?"
She smiles happily, snuggling up to the SOLDIER as she closes her eyes for a moment, the image of his face imprinted on her eyes - she wont forget him this time..She's suddenly forgotten that the night is fast approaching, the darkness and monsters with it, or that its getting chilling, getting onto supper time. None of that matters right now, as long as she's with him, that's all that counts. The joke warrants a small chuckle from her, though his next question catches her off-guard and she's at a loss for words for a few minutes, glancing back at him in surprise..Zack? Mr. Adventurous, freelancing mercenary, willing to tie himself down with such a serious proposal? And what about her, is she ready for such a big change in her life, on top of all the other dramatics going on right now? Even if she does want to spend the rest of her life with him..Is now the time? "Zack? Are you sure its what you want right now?"
Part of him is relieved she's got more sense than him, the other is bolstered by the challenge. Being Zack, it's not hard to figure out which side wins. "Yea! Look, we could both deConverge at any second right?" Or die by the hand of my best friend in the next few days. *Cough* "Why not?" He falters. "Unless you don't wanna?" There is a puppy-dog pout in there, just a bit of hurt and a bit of the "common sense" side of him screaming to be heard.
Aerith cant help but giggle a bit as his impracticality, though she merely shakes her head, "No, we wont reconverge, I'm sure of it!" a little amused smile tugs at the corner of her lips, though deep down in the pit of her stomach she had feared as much herself, "I think..When people..Reconverge, it's because their spirit is weak, because they've lost a will to exist. I dunno, but it's a theory. I remember in the lifestream for the brief time I was there, it was the people who had no sense of themselves, who had weak spirits who would become part of the lifestream, lose their individuality and be reborn as someone else. But you are strong Zack, I'm sure you wont just...Reconverge.." At least that's what she's hoping.
As for his next question, her smile widens, her eyes sparkling happily at the tholught though she shakes her head slowly, gazing into those wonderful eyes again as she reaches up to gently cradle his face in her hands, tilting his chin down a bit to look at her, "Zack, I love you more than anything else in the world, I want nothing more to spend the rest of my life with you..I'm just not sure if this is the right time or place, when there are so many other things that need to be dealt with at the moment." she fortunately possesses whatever commonsense he lacks.
That is an interesting theory, and one he'll have to run by Seph and possibly Ten if they ever meet again. Which, sad to say, he hopes not. Some people bring happiness wherever they go, Ten brought it when she left. The miserable woman gets shoved aside as Aerith cradles his face. His expression morphs from goofy happy, to disappointed, to something in between. Eh, she was usually right about these things. Besides, he could always try again after all the drama was over. Something big, involving truck loads of flowers and an uncomfortable suit. Ah, such is love. "Okay." He says, some what crestfallenly. As it turns out, its just a distraction so he can bend down and steal a kiss.
Aerith had thought about it long and hard, the reconvergence idea that is. Let's just hope her theory is right. It'd suck for this Zack, as sweet and perfect and lovable as he is, to reconverge into a Zackenstein..Or something..She blanches at the thought - quite a horrible, but eerily amusing thought that causes her to giggle softly to herself. Oh yeah, Zack would totally come up with something crazy, dramatic and goofy as hauling in a truckload of flowers and announcing over a really big megaphone that he was gonna marry her. But right now, she's so caught up in the moment that thinking so far into the future is a headache. She rises on her tiptoes, pulling him towards her as she gently presses her lips against his in a tender, sweet kiss - the kiss of an angel.
It surely must be, cause Zack feels he's died and gone to heaven! Wrapping his arms around her waist, her picks her up and spins her gently. Kissing her all the while. Dizzy with affection, blushing and excited he sets her down. "I'll get you to say yes some day, Miss Gainsborough. You just wait." He winks and holds out his hand. "Shall we?"
Aerith is just dizzy, spinning around like that, thought dizzy in a good way if that's possible - she feels closer to him now than she ever did before. Maybe things will work out now, maybe things will be okay..And when this is all over..She cant help but smile and blush at the thought..Though the chill of the rapidly descending nightsky pulls her back to reality. They'd better hurry or they would miss the boat. She smiles at him, nodding as she grasps her staff in her other hand, shouldering her pack and taking his hand with a slight smile and a nod, "I forgive you Zack, for not replying to my 89 letters.." she laughs at the thought, shaking her head, "I knew..Deep down I knew you would have if you could have. I guess your life was a dangerous one, that's why.."
Zack feels ridiculously happy, and it shows. He's back to his old loping stride and open smile. Though the thought of danger isn't too far away now that they are in the open. "It'll be a day or so before we get there. I couldn't score a ride to the base in time…" And I wanted a few days with just me and you. Responsibilities be damned they needed a break!
He squeezes her hand and smiles nervously. "Yea, and I'm a total goob."
She just nods and smiles, casting him another of her infectious smiles, "I dont mind the distance, I'm sure it'll pass quickly in your charming company.." she grins and winks at him, "Afterall, you're just full of surprises all the time." Good old Zack. So impulsive. So crazy hyper..Like just now, "So..Did you ever achieve your dream in the end? You know, becoming a hero? That WAS your dream, wasnt it?"
Zack valiantly tries to keep that question from hitting up like a bucket of ice water. Yea, it was. Struggling through it mightily, and succeeding somewhat, he answers. "Well, I guess so. I made SOLDIER first class and got promoted to Lieutenant-General under Seph. I've done a lotta "heroic" things…No, not really. They said I woulda though, if I hadn't of Converged."
Aerith giggles and nods, "I guess you must have been a role model for a lot of people, huh..Everyone looked up to SOLDIERs for their bravery and courage...I guess you guys were like modern day Knights, huh?" She turns to regard Zack thoughtfully, nodding. Oh yeah, he's her knight in shining armour alright. She's still curious to know the history between Zack and Cloud, but that was obviously a touchy subject, one she'd rather avoid for a while. One he'd probably not willingly delve into, yet. Thankfully, SOLDIERS werent as sneaky as Turks, didnt go around trying to kidnap helpless flowergirls as far as she knew "Hey, so I'll bet you got to visit all sorts of amazing and exciting places, right? I wonder if the converged world is even bigger.."
Aerith doesn't know it, but the more she talks the harder it is for Zack to stay cheerful. She really had no idea, did she? Could he bear to tell her? Maybe some day, but not now. Not when they're both so happy. He seizes on the change of topic with gusto. "I did. Learned all kinds of interesting stuff! Dunno know if it's bigger, but it sure's got a lot more variety too it!"
Aerith giggles and nods, "I guess you must have been a role model for a lot of people, huh..Everyone looked up to SOLDIERs for their bravery and courage...I guess you guys were like modern day Knights, huh?" She turns to regard Zack thoughtfully, nodding. Oh yeah, he's her knight in shining armour alright. She's still curious to know the history between Zack and Cloud, but that was obviously a touchy subject, one she'd rather avoid for a while. One he'd probably not willingly delve into, yet. Thankfully, SOLDIERS werent as sneaky as Turks, didnt go around trying to kidnap helpless flowergirls as far as she knew "Hey, so I'll bet you got to visit all sorts of amazing and exciting places, right? I wonder if the converged world is even bigger.."
Aerith doesn't know it, but the more she talks the harder it is for Zack to stay cheerful. She really had no idea, did she? Could he bear to tell her? Maybe some day, but not now. Not when they're both so happy. He seizes on the change of topic with gusto. "I did. Learned all kinds of interesting stuff! Dunno know if it's bigger, but it sure's got a lot more variety too it!"
Aerith has no reason to suspect the pain of her words as Zack does a pretty good job of keeping up the cheerful appearance. Fortunately she does change the subject a bit too, nodding slowly as she focuses more on Zack than on their destination. She's in no hurry to get there too quickly afterall. "I finally got to see my hometown..Well, you know, the City of the Ancients. Zack, it's really beautiful, you've got to see it sometime!" maybe, when all this is over, "Hey, you're from Gongaga right? Have you ever been back there recently? I'll bet your parents are really worried about you still.."
Zack frowns and scratches his temple. Man, out of the frying pan into the fire! Does she have angst seeking missiles? "Hun, they aren't here. The only places from our world that Converged are Kalm, Costa del Sol, here and Junon. Every where else is from some where else." Patly leaving out his folks, today was rough enough with out thinking about them!
Oh dear..The world really has changed, hasnt it? She blushes deeply, feeling so foolish for saying something so insensitive, "Ohhh, Zack, I'm so sorry! I didnt realize.." she sighs, shaking her head in disbelief, "Wow, I guess things have really changed dramatically." yeah, real smooth move Aerith! Mmmm, time for a subject change: "So..Tell me about this place we're going to, Figaro, what's it like? Is it anything like Midgar?"
"It's all right. You couldn'ta known." He says with just a hint of darkness. It was both comforting and horrifying to know his folks wouldn't move on. They'd still keep clinging, unless ShinRa came up with a good reason for there to be no body. And cared enough to lie. He kind of hoped they did.
"South Figaro, cause the whole country's named Figaro and a lotta the important stuff in it too…not really original over there. Heh. Any way, it's totally different from Midgar! It's like…a medieval town or something. They city's based on canals and is made out of stone and…It uses steam power!" Zack's works are distracted and patchy as he tries to dredge up everything he remembers about the town. He wasn't in the best frame of mind last time he was there.
"Aerith hadnt given much thought to her own folks really. Her parents had died years ago, she had no siblinds. There was just Elmyra, but she was sure she was around Midgar somewhere still. "Wow...Steam power.." she shrugs, "Seems kind of, old fashionned compared to Midgar but, I'll bet it's much better for the environment, right?" she smiles, "Maybe Midgar could take a few pointers from them huh.." that'd be the day, "Wow, a Medieval city? So, do they have things like Kings and Queens then? It sounds pretty romantic..Like in the fairytales! Cant wait to see it!" she has an almost dreamy look in her eyes at that moment. Being a princess, that has always been her secret dream, though of course it was just a dream.
One of the few things they had in common, only child. Zack had come into the military just a /tad/ spoiled. The Fairs didn't fawn over their only son, but he had been given more leeway than the average kid.
Just thinking about Figaro's king makes him pull her a little closer. Edgar was well known as a schmooze and a ladies man. Not that he didn't trust Aerith, it was just one of those guy things. "Yup. Kings and castles and all! It's really pretty, I think you'll like it. People are a heck of a lot nicer than in Midgar. I think it's cause they get sunlight regularly." He gestures at the wide open sky. "Oh! The castle tunnels under ground too! Never seen it, but it's supposed to be really cool."
Aerith goes all starry-eyed, just trying to imagine what it must look like, "Wow Zack..It sounds simply amazing..Cant wait to see it! Hmm, and sunlight too, huh." she giggles, "I cant believe I used to be afraid of the sky, back then. I was so used to the slums, that seeing it for the first time was really scary for me! I'm glad that the rest of the world is not like ShinRa!" If it was, they'd be in deep trouble right now, "Hehe, maybe I'll be able to sell my flowers there, too!" yup, she brought some flowers with her, of course, "I never told you before, did I? After you left, my flower business really picked up! I'm now Midgar's number one flowergirl!"she beams happily, "Isnt that great? It's all thanks to you and that handy flowercart you built me.." a pause as she considers something, "Hey, so what do you do these days? You know, for a living?" She's at least hoping he's not STILL working for that company anymore, even if they HAVE changed, supposedly..
Zack smirks, she was so cute when she looked like that! He could just picture her in some pink poofy sleeved number with a million skirts wandering around the castle grounds. Maybe feeding small animals out of her hand. The admission yanks him from the inevitable end of that story, knight in shining armor! "You were agoraphobic?" He asks incredulously. "That's…wow. I never would have guessed. Guess it makes sense, I had a panic attack the first time I went into the slums." Country boy + no sky= paper bag. Not one of his most shining moments.
Ahhh, the flower cart. One of Zack's first and last excursions into the wood working world. It had taken him twice as long to make as it should have, stupid measurement conversions! Still, she was so thrilled with it, it made the splinters and off hours spent worth it. "See, I knew it would help! Me? Well I don't really have a career in mind yet. I was thinking of starting up a merc business. Hired muscle, special deliveries, stuff like that. But I keep moving around so much it's a little hard."
She smiles a little, nodding, "Guess there's still a lot of stuff you dont know about me, but maybe today you learned a little more." she shrugs, peering into the distance for a moment, thoughtfully, "I guess I spent a lot of time in...Cramped spaces. You know, before I managed to escape from ShinRa.." she draws a deep breath, not many people knew of the tortures she and her mother went through, she never really volunteered the information to anyone. But Zack was different, right? "Since I was born, I...Basically lived in the ShinRa research laboratory. For about ten years, I lived there..Before I escaped to the slums." she smiles, glancing back at Zack, stepping a little nearer him, "I was..Thankful for the little things in life. That's what got me through in the end." but hey, that's in the past right?
"Wow, mercenary work. I'll bet a lot of people would be glad to hire someone with your sorts of talents." she giggles at the idea, "Delivery boy? Hmm, sounds kind of fun! Anyway, if you're a merc, even if you love travelling, I'm sure finding work wouldnt be so difficult!" a pause, "Hmm, I wonder..." wasnt Cloud a mercenary too? She glances curiously at Zack for a moment in silence, wondering just what sort of relationship he and Cloud had now, but is afraid to ask.
Zack stops dead and turns on his heel so he can face her. Did she just say…? Oh wow! His expression is a mixture of shock and awe. "That's…" Weird. Two of the most important people in his life spent their childhood in that building. "That can't have been easy." What ever he was thinking is filed away and he starts walking again. "How did you escape them all that time? I mean, it's not like you were hard to find…"
He beams at her approval. He wasn't exactly brimming with good ideas these days, it was good to know something sounded decent. "Wonder what?" He asks curiously.
"Hmmm..." she nods slowly, "Oh yeah, Sephiroth was born a test-tube baby, wasnt he? I suppose, he must have spent most of his life in the ShinRa research lab too.." maybe she even met him! Heck, maybe they went to daycare together! Now, THAT is a scary thought, one which she quickly pushes out of her mind. Anyhoo, she was probably too young to remember the silver haired youth, even if she had seen him. "My..Mom, my real mom that is, was a very brave and courageous woman. She was also a pure Cetra. She was a very powerful magic user, and one day, she used all her strength and courage to break free of her confinement." she shrugs.
"All she needed was to wait for a small little mishap on the part of her captors, when they forgot to lock her up properly, and she broke free and escaped in the middle of the night along with me. We had help of course, there was a sympathizer in the lab, though I dont know her name now." the memory causes her smile to fade though, a bit saddened as she pauses in her stride, "We were almost free of that dreaded place but...In the end, my mom died, trying to save me."
She hesitates for a moment or two, looking back at Zack with a little uncertainly. He didnt like when she talked about Cloud, "Um, oh it's nothing really, just...Cloud used to talk about being a mercenary too. I suppose I always wondered, with you two being in SOLDIER together, if you became good friends." sadly, Cloud never talked much about Zack either.
Zack grimaces at her summary of Seph's childhood. True or not, what a way to put it! He clears his throat lightly. "Yea, almost every day till he took the SOLDIER test." Though he didn't have any one to care for him like she did. Poor Seph! Poor Aerith! If he deConverged, ShinRa was going to get it right where it hurt! There wasn't a chance in hell he'd let anything happen to either of them now that he knew.
His face is drawn into a scowl as she tells her story. Those bastards! And they'd hunted her ever since. It was really good he didn't know any of this before last nights meeting. The temptation to end the ShinRa line forever might have been too great to pass up. He sighs and tries to let it go. Or at least keep it from riling him again. To do that would go against his argument for "saving" Sephiroth. As far as they knew, Rufus hadn't been involved in any of it. So he focuses instead on what he's learning about her as a person.
Wow! It was hard for him to imagine a life like that, with out a loving home to return too. Parents who were there for him no matter what with a hug or a kick in the head, which ever he needed. Silently he vows that if he ever had kids they'll get that same chance, that he'll settle down and be there for them.
Before he can wander too far into that thought Aerith drops the C word. To his credit, Zack only stiffens marginally. "Cloud didn't make SOLDIER, remember? Hojo messed with him after Nieblhiem." Which must have /sucked/. With Aerith out of the way, the blonde was next on Zack's list to "figure out" how he felt. "But yea, I kinda took him under my wing after he failed the test." A nostalgic kind of smile comes to his lips as he recalls the mopey young man who seemed to be mostly limbs. "We were buddies. Given time we woulda been friends, I think."
Aerith hmms, "I'm sorry..Sephiroth was a human with a human heart." wow, she cant believe she's saying that! My how times have changed. "Hey, dont lose hope. Maybe you and Cloud will work things out. Maybe someday things will be okay?" she seems to be slowing down a bit now, as if she were growing tired, "Umm Zack? Are we almost there? Hate to complain but I'm getting a bit tired.."
Zack points at the camping gear on his back. "Gonna take a day or so to get to Junon. I figured we'd get outta the dead Zone catch some," There is the barest of hesistaions before the word. "Chocobos and beat feet. But if you wanna set up camp and start out fresh in the morning I got no problem with that."
Aerith cant help but pause for a few moments anyway, just to catch her breath, "Ah, sorry Zack, I'll try and keep up til we can reach a safer place to camp.." still it takes her a moment or two before she can continue, spurred on by the sight of shadows moving in the not so far distance. She grips her staff a little tighter, trying not to glance over her shoulder , "But let's hurry before the sun goes down."
Zack points at the camping gear on his back. "Gonna take a day or so to get to Junon. I figured we'd get outta the dead Zone catch some," There is the barest of hesistaions before the word. "Chocobos and beat feet. But if you wanna set up camp and start out fresh in the morning I got no problem with that."
Zack says, "
Aerith cant help but pause for a few moments anyway, just to catch her breath, "Ah, sorry Zack, I'll try and keep up til we can reach a safer place to camp.." still it takes her a moment or two before she can continue, spurred on by the sight of shadows moving in the not so far distance. She grips her staff a little tighter, trying not to glance over her shoulder , "But let's hurry before the sun goes down.""
Zack grins, gives her a smart salute, then moves to sweep her off her feet. "SOLDIER Express, at your service Ma'am! You hold on, we'll get you where you wanna go."
Aerith giggles as she's swept off her feet, feeling for a moment as if she were a real princess who met her knight in shining armour and wraps her arms around her 'knight', "Heeehee, Zack, are you sure you can lift me and that pack okay? IT's still a ways away!"
Zack stands and shifts her and shis shoulders around for a few seconds. He bounces on the balls of his feet to make sure everything is settled. "Pieca cake, babes. You've never seen me barrel through concrete!" She's treated to a broad grin and a wink and their off! If there is too much weight, he gives no indication of it. His breathing isn't any different from a normal run, though the ground speeds under them much faster than "normal".
Aerith eeps, closing her eyes. At first she cant watch, fearful of what might happen..It just wouldnt do to go crashing into something up ahead with those shadowy things following them from behind. After a moment though she dares to open her eyes, glancing around curiously and realizes they're still moving, "Wow Zack! You must do this thing alot!" well, hopefully not with other girls though, "How much further do you think it is? Will we make it?" between shadowy creatures and rapid darkness she hopes so.