CHAPTER 18
"Mom, I'm home!"
Elmyra Gainsburough was in her quaint, tiny kitchen when she heard this. Despite the large window facing outside, she had not seen her daughter come. Putting down the rag she was using to clean the counter, the older woman walked to the door to greet...
"...ZACK?!" The brown haired woman exclaimed. She was wearing a green dress, which was covered by an apron, and her normally peaceful face was filled with a ping of momentary hate.
"Uhm, Hi, Mrs. G.," Zack muttered shyly.
Elmyra turned to Aeris, "What is HE doing here?"
"Mom, please," Aeris pleaded. "He saved me from the Turks and brought me home..."
"Well, you're here now, so he can leave," Elmyra said dismissively.
"MOM!"
"Uhm... what'd I do this time?" Zack wondered quietly, putting a finger to his mouth.
Elmyra turned back into the kitchen and leaned on the counter to collect herself. Aeris followed her in.
"Mo-om, what's wrong with you?" Aeris whispered, her voice laced in concern.
"I'm sorry, Aeris, but after the way he hurt you, I can't believe that you would start talking to him again."
"Mom, it was five years ago... and... things were different then," Aeris replied. "I can forgive him, can't you?"
"I don't know, Aeris," the mother replied, shaking her head, "You went through a lot with him, and I think you loved him more than you let on or wanted to. I... I don't want to see him hurt you again."
"Mom... I know how you feel, but... I can't explain it. He SHOULDN'T be here, but he is."
"I'll say..."
"MOM! What I mean is that... I KNEW... I -KNEW- I would never see him again, and that's why I was so upset... but... he's alive..."
Elmyra gave Aeris a confused look. Even though she had raised the girl, there were time when she had no clue what Aeris was talking about at all. However, Aeris was almost always right about... well, anything.
"So," Elmyra finally said, "Where's he staying?"
"I'm not sure... I'm still a bit shaken from the Turks and... Well, let's ask him?"
Zack poked his head into the kitchen, "Ask me what?"
PANG!
Zack maintained his pose, despite the fact that a frying pan was smooshed onto his face. It hurt like hell, but he didn't want to give Elmyra the satisfaction of knowing that. "Wha'd ya do that for?"
"Sorry," Elmyra said, taking the pan back and placing it into the sink. "You startled me."
"Let's all sit!" Aeris piped up. Zack shrugged and went back into the living room. It was pretty big, with a large dinette on the east wall, a white flower-embroidered rug in the middle, and various cabinets placed against each wall, most of which possessing pots of flowers on top of them. The walls were covered in a light pink wallpaper, going good with the cherry-wood floor boards. In the middle of it all was a round dark brown table, adorned with a table cloth which dropped off at the corners.
"So, where are you staying, Zack?" Elmyra asked slowly and pointedly.
"Well, uhm... With some new friends." Zack half-lied. At that, Elmyra breathed a mental sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't ask to stay with the two women.
"Who?" Aeris asked, leaning over a bit to get a better look at Zack's expression.
Zack paused for a moment before slightly lowering his eyes. "I thought you knew everything?" he joked.
Again, there was a pause, but this time it felt awkward. Aeris retreated back to her chair and looked at her hands, which had become folded in front of her.
"So, what happened to you?" Elmyra asked, though her voice wasn't exactly oozing with concern.
"Well..." Zack began...
The Shinra truck made its way across the... Oh, wait, you've already heard this one...
About an hour later, Zack had relayed his tale of Nibelheim, give or take a few scant details. However, he did not hide the fact that Cloud had been there, and skipped most of the parts about Tifa. He went on to describe how he and Cloud eventually escaped...
Zack opened his eyes, only to be surrounded by a green fluid-like substance. While he had no way to breathe, he found that it was not a problem. Somehow, whatever he was floating in allowed him to breathe. Moving was difficult, but he managed to look off to his left, and saw his friend Cloud in what looked like a tube of more of the emerald substance. That's when Zack realized that he himself was in a tube. He knocked hard on the glass, but nothing happened.
That's when Cloud stirred, and looked back to his friend. Zack couldn't tell, but it looked like Cloud's eyes were... glowing? The two looked at each other for a moment before Cloud removed his glove and started scratching at the glass. After a moment, Zack saw that Cloud was trying to form letters... words... a sentence. "We have to get out of here" the message finally said.
Zack nodded, and worked on a message of his own: "ecnahc ruo stahT .emit gnideeF"
Cloud gave his friend a dirty look. He tried to yell out "It's backwards, stupid!" But he could not be heard. Zack however was decent at reading lips, and got the basic message.
It was about an hour later when a man in a dark gray suit came in, holding a tray of food. He also held a gun, just in case. He set the food down on the table and went to Zack's chamber. While he was told that the two had been "programmed" to be receptive to verbal orders and not attack anyone, the man still had his doubts. Holding out his gun with one hand, and working the computerized lock with the other, he announced that it was dinner time.
With a hiss, the opaque door of the tube slid open. The substance stayed put as Zack began to lurch out in a zombie-like fashion. The man breathed a sigh of relief...
POW!
The man was knocked out cold as his head hit a nearby desk. Zack took a moment to look around: It was the basement of the Shinra mansion. At least he knew where he was. Looking around some more, he grabbed some food, stuffed it into his mouth, and then went to free Cloud. The MP fell to his hands and knees, his body barely able to respond to even the most simple of mental commands. He found that he couldn't talk, either. Zack eyed his Buster Sword sitting in a corner. Taking a few test-swings, Zack grabbed the remainder of the food for later, sheathed his sword and picked Cloud up.
"C'mon buddy, we're outta here!"
"...ug muh?"
"...Er, yeeeah, you too."
Zack would drag Cloud around until they had managed to get a ride, which happened quite often. From town to town, the two young men managed to find transportation. For over a month they traveled, by train, by boat, and finally, by truck..
The raven-haired ex-SOLDIER stood in the back cab of the rusted white truck, the summer sun beating down on him with oppressive amounts of heat. Still, he ignored it as he watched his friend Cloud struggle to stay propped upright. Zack looked down at his friend, and admired his "handiwork"; he had replaced Cloud's MP uniform with a spare SOLDIER uniform, as Cloud's old clothing was torn and wrecked.
He was growing a tad impatient, however. He walked up to the front of the box and knocked on the rear window. "Hey old guy, we at Midgar yet?"
"Shaddap!" the driver retorted. "You're lucky I even gave you a ride!". He was a tanned man who wore blue denim overalls and a red hat to cover his rapidly fading brown hair.
Zack shrugged lightly and looked at the passing scenery. Mountains, mountains everywhere, of almost every shape and size. Some were large, some were small. Some had peaks while others evened off at the top. The driver was taking them over and through the Midgar/Junon mountain range which basically separated the entire continent. One would either have to go through one of many monster-ridden caves or climb over the mountains to get from one side to the other. Luckily, the driver was on his way to Kalm, and decided to give the two former Shinra SOLDIERS a lift.
Zack decided to lighten things up with a conversation. He sat next to Cloud and said, "So, what're you gonna do when we get to Midgar?"
Cloud did not answer.
Zack then stood up, getting a bit restless. "I know what I'm gonna do. I got a place I can crash a while," he started, but then remembered something. "No, wait, the mother lives there too, guess that's out!" he figured, putting a hand to his chin. He waited for Cloud to pipe up, but he still remained silent, bobbing his head up and down.
"Yyuup, gotta change my plans!" Zack announced to no one in particular. He walked to the corner of the box, and started to contemplate what he'd do next. "Hmm... No matter what I do, I'm gonna need some money first." With that, he turned to Cloud. "Hey! Wanna start a business? Now what could we do?" Zack pondered this for a while before piping up again, "Hey Cloud. Think there's anything I'd be good at?"
Cloud remained stubbornly silent, not as if he had a choice to talk, anyway.
Zack turned his attention to the driver of the truck. "Hey old guy!" he started, knocking on the back window again, "What do you think I'd be good at?"
The older man grumbled something about not being old, but then spoke up. "Whaddaya yappin' about? Yer still young, ain'tchya? Young folks should try everything!" he replied, and pausing to let that sink in. "You gotta pay yer dues while yer still young. Go out and look for what ya really want," he advised.
Zack turned back to Cloud and shrugged. "Try everything," he muttered, "That's easy for HIM to say." Zack proceeded to do some squat thrusts, trying to keep himself from going insane of boredom. Though after a minute, Zack's brain started doing its job... "HEY!" he exclaimed, turning back to his companion. "Of course! I got more brains and skills than most other guys!" As he said this, he turned back to the truck driver, "That settles it!"
The truck driver shook his head as Zack turned back to Cloud. "I'm gonna become a mercenary!" Again he turned to the truck driver, "Thanks, pops!"
This prompted the driver to look up into his rear-view mirror and gave Zack an unseen dirty look. "Hey... didn't you even hear a word I said?!"
Zack looked back at his friend again, "Yup, I'm gonna become a mercenary, and that's that! Boring stuff, dangerous stuff, anything for money! I'm gonna be rich!" Cloud was barely able to look up at his companion as he said this. Zack spoke up again while he still had Cloud's attention, "So, what're YOU gonna do?" he teased with his trademark smirk.
"Uh--uuhhg?" was Cloud's reply.
Zack shook his hand assuringly. "Just kiddin', I wouldn't leave ya hangin' like that!" And with that, he sat next to his comatose companion and put a hand on his shoulder. "We're friends, right? Mercenaries, Cloud. That's what you an' me are gonna be. Heh, hey, that rhymed!"
***
"And so the guy dropped us off at Kalm. I had to fight my way through a few patrols on the way here, and we just got in a few days ago." Zack finished.
Aeris was taking in the tale with much interest. "So, where's Cloud now?" she asked.
"Oh he's with that girl, Tifa, and a few other friends of ours." With that, something clicked inside the flower girl's mind, but she ignored it. "He just got better like, yesterday. Darndest thing, too."
Aeris thought about this for a moment, as things she knew and thought she knew collided, while her feelings got mixed up in a three way battle with them.
Elmyra then spoke up, "I owe you an apology, Zack. I didn't know you had been through so much."
"Yeah, well, it's no big, " Zack replied dismissively with a smile. "I've been through worse than a frying pan to the face. Why, on the way to Midgar, I almost got killed... But something weird happened. I dunno quite how to describe it."
"What do you mean?" Aeris asked.
"It's like... I know I'm not psychic or nuttin', but these guys got the jump on me while I had my back turned. Funny thing is, without even thinking about it, I jumped out of the way just as they started shooting at me. And... I started feeling all weird about it."
"Weird how?"
"I... I dunno. I guess almost getting killed does that to a guy."
"Well, what exactly did you feel? Can you describe it?" Aeris pressed, growing more and more concerned and curious.
Zack thought long and hard before answering. He tried to recall how he felt, what had been through his mind...
"Hm?"
"...A voice. I remember... a voi- OW!" Zack suddenly held his head, as it started to feel like it was going to explode! Aeris quickly stood up and put her arms around Zack, trying to steady him as he began to shake for a moment. Zack screamed as every blood vessel in his face tried to free itself from its organic prison, his ears began to pop, his eyes trying to bulge away from their sockets. The former SOLDIER tried to recompose himself as the pain subsided...
...until it came back twice as strong as before. With a final scream, Zack jerked up and collapsed flat on his back.
"ZACK! Zack, can you hear me?" Aeris pleaded.
She was not heard.
***
Aeris sat in her garden, contemplating what had just happened. Zack was resting comfortably in the guest bedroom, and seemed no worse for wear, except for the fact that he didn't seem to want to wake up. Aeris got around to thinking about how things had been going, and how they should have been from her recollection.
Was it her fault? She had taken advantage of her knowledge more times than a few, doing things she regretted not having done before, or setting things "right" in her mind. She never did anything that would effect much, at least, it shouldn't have. She got to thinking about Sephiroth, and how she had met him once, even though she was not supposed to... and how she said things she now regretted.
Five years and two months ago...
Zack stood in the lobby of the SOLIDER barracks just outside of Shinra headquarters. He leaned against a large granite pillar, and held a mobile phone, -or PHS- to his ear. The smell of sweat and dirt filled Zack's nostrils as other SOLDIERS came in, striped and wandered into the shower room. The room was bare and concrete with bunks lining up the sides, and two pillars in the middle of the long room.
"C'mon, c'mon, pick uuup," Zack whined. His prayers were answered.
"Hi, Zack," came Aeris's voice.
"How'd you know it was me?"
"I just did."
"You know, you're..."
"A special kind of lady, right?"
"Uuhh, no, I was GOING to say... uhm... uh... er... Okay, okay, fine, I WAS gonna say that!" the SOLDIER mumbled.
Aeris giggled.
"We still on for tonight?" Zack asked.
"Of course! In fact I.."
"WHOA, hold on a sec!" Zack said in a panic, hiding the phone behind himself.
General Sephiroth entered the barracks, causing everyone to stand up straight and salute. One SOLDIER, straight out of the shower, dropped his towel accidentally and was standing completely naked in the back of the room.
"At ease, men," Sephiroth announced. Everyone still continued to stand straight and unflinching, however. Sephiroth did not repress the smile of pride that came to his face. "You're all so disciplined... I see that the war has not drained us completely of worthwhile SOLDIERS."
"THANK YOU, SIR!" everyone yelled at once.
Sephiroth shook his head lightly. "Okay, now, really, at EASE. Except you, Zackery. Please come with me." As he said this, he turned and went out the door. Zack jogged after him, unaware that his phone was still on. Once the two were out of earshot of the otehrs, they began to walk slower on their way to Shinra HQ.
"What's up, sir?" Zack asked.
"We have a scheduled combat simulation tonight, remember?"
"What?! Oh... uh... I..."
Sephiroth gave his young charge a cold look. "What is the matter?"
"It's just... I had... uhm..." Zack looked down at his phone, and realized that Aeris was probably still listening. "Oh, crap," he muttered.
"Be honest with me, Zackery," Sephiroth said in a warning tone.
"I... kinda made a date for tonight. I was gonna go over to my girlfriend's house for dinner... but..." Zack said, becoming torn. Was he going to try to get out of training, or was he going to stand Aeris up... again? Why did this have to happen to him?
The silver-haired legend repressed a sigh and put his hand on Zack's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Go. You can just catch up tomorrow."
Zack's face lit up, "You mean it, sir?"
"ZACK!" came a voice from the PHS. Both Zack and the general had heard it. Zack quickly put it back to his ear and started talking in rapid-fire, explaining how he almost had to go to a training session.
Aeris fiddled with the phone cord in her room, agonizing over a decision. Should she keep going with the flow, or maybe have a bit of fun? "Hey, Zack, wait."
"Hmm?"
"Ask Sephiroth if he wants to join us!" she said, already regretting it.
"Uhm, I don't think Sephiroth would..." Zack replied, forgetting that the man in question was standing right next to him
"Don't think I'd what?" Sephiroth asked.
"Uhm... You wanna come with?"
Sephiroth blinked. "No, you're going on a date, I wouldn't want to interfere..."
"Oh, come on!" Zack pestered, "I mean, her Mom's gonna be there, too! I think she'd like to meet ya, come on, it'll be cool!"
Sephiroth hesitated for a moment. "I do not think..."
"Ooh, you'll miss one practice, it's not the end of the world!" Zack said, forgetting who he was talking to and slapping Sephiroth on the shoulder.
The general gave Zack a cold glance, and began to lose his patience. "Zack, if you do not stop pestering me..."
"Okay, that's it!" Zack interrupted, "Under SOLDIER charter rule-procedure-thingie 1447a beta, I'm hereby relieving you of command and ordering you to come along!" Zack said jokingly.
At that, Sephiroth smiled. "If you wish me to come along that badly, I suppose I cannot refuse. Give me fifteen minutes to find something more appropriate to wear," he said, making a beeline for the Shinra building. He then stopped and turned around. "And by the way, you're thinking of 1447b alpha. 1447a beta is when a SOLDIER is forced to kill himself when captured by the enemy," Sephiroth pointed out before walking away.
Zack scratched his head, "Uhm, yeah, I knew that.." he mumbled.
...
"So your husband had died in the war? I'm sorry to hear that," Sephiroth spoke, feigning more concern than her actually had. Though it was not his fault he was raised and trained to be cold and desensitized.
"It's alright, I've gotten over it," Elmyra replied.
"What was his name?"
"Hmm? Oh, Johan. Johan Gainsborough. Why do you ask?"
"Well, let me think," Sephiroth replied, going into a trance-like state for a moment. "Ah, yes. 12th infantry, 'Charlie party'. That was a tragic battle. Your husband's men were assigned as a distraction so that another strike force -Roger party- could get inside the Wutainese defense... but it didn't work, the Wutains had more than double the men in that scenario than we realized. However, instead of withdrawing, 'Charlie party' stayed behind to cover for the 'Rogers'. Have some solace in knowing that your husband saved lives that day."
A tear came to Elmyra's eye. "So that's what happened... They would never tell me, so how can you?"
"I see no threat in it. I assumed you would take some comfort in knowing this, I hope I have not upset you."
"No, n-not at all!" the older woman replied. "I just... Thank you, General."
"Please madam, when I'm off duty, you may call me Sephiroth."
"I'll take that under advisement," she said, looking over to Zack, who was stuffing his face the whole time with pasta. "You could learn a lot from your superior, Zack.,. things like MANNERS," she quipped.
"...muh?" was Zack's mouth-full-of-food reply.
After a bit more light conversation, the meal had been finished, and after some light prodding, Zack agreed to help Elmyra with the dishes. Sephiroth strode outside to take in the cool night air, but also to observe more closely the large flower garden he had seen on the way over. Crossing a bridge that went over a relatively clean stream of water, the General had found himself in a large patch of botanic beauty. It was not so much that the flowers were lively and strong, but that they existed that way when almost every other plant in and around Midgar had begun shriveling up and dying. Being amongst the flowers gave Sephiroth a feeling that was near alien to him, a feeling of peace and serenity.
"Like them?" came a feminine voice. Sephiroth blinked in surprise and slowly turned, his hand instinctively grasping the handle of his blade.
Aeris stood unfazed as the legendary warrior turned to her with cold glowing green eyes, belaying a look that would have sent most any other person into a deep panic at the very least.
"You snuck up on me..." Sephiroth observed. Aeris pretended to ignore the comment, though she was smiling to herself on the inside while her face belayed a neutral expression.
"Like them?" Aeris asked, referring to the flowers, "I grew them myself."
"Yes, quite an impressive feat," the silver-haired swordsman replied. "Though I get the feeling you're not here to fish for compliments?"
"You're right. I'll cut to the chase," Aeris said almost cockily. She took a few steps closer to the older man and gave him a look he couldn't read. She looked him in the eye, and for the first time in his life, Sephiroth felt a tinge of fear, though he did not show it. "I forgive you."
"You... excuse me?" Sephiroth responded.
"I said that I forgive you. It won't mean anything to you now, and won't for a long time. But just know that I forgive you."
"What... are you rambling about?" Sephiroth asked slowly, suspicion and paranoia creeping up inside of him. He grasped the handle if the Masamune as a form of insurance, but it did not help.
Aeris bowed her head a bit and looked up from beneath the brown hair flowing in front of her face. She stepped slowly around the man many people considered a legend in his time, glaring at him like a predator would their prey. "Allow me to be crystal clear," the girl started, "I know... that one day, my life will end by your blade, by your hands, but not IN YOUR hands. And though you will feel no remorse or guilt, I want you to know that I forgive you anyway, because what you will claim to be your victory..." she said, running her hand up Sephiroth's collar, his neck, and finally his ear and pulling down on it, "...will ensure your failure," she whispered. With that, she smiled, turned on her heel and walked away with a bit of a sway, proud of herself, her hair bouncing in a light breeze behind her.
It was just then that Zack emerged from the large red house, almost bumping into his girlfriend. Zack thanked her for inviting him and Sephiroth over, exchanged a good bye and a kiss, prompting Zack to jog back over to Sephiroth, who still stood in the garden.
"Hey sir. Ready to head back?"
"Y-yes," Sephiroth replied almost hesitantly, "You know, you have some strange friends..."
***
Aeris smiled at the memory, but that smile soon faded. It had been five years since then, an event that was not supposed to happen. And soon would come time for her words to become true. Or would they? So far, she had failed to meet her destiny twice, and the world was a different place than it was supposed to be. AVALANCHE being a very public anti-Shinra "organization", the decimation of a town as oppose to the relatively simple destruction of a reactor. And now Zack was here, with her, alive. Though she began to wonder about the phenomenon he began to describe before he suspiciously passed out.
At that, a memory within her stirred. She "remembered" when such a thing happened to another, though it had never been quite as violent, she instantly recognized it. Standing up and balling her fist, the usually serene and peaceful flower-girl held a look of angry determination on her face.
"Sephiroth.." she muttered. So it IS starting again...