Stained Halo
Chapter 10: Life Like Weeds
"And true love waits, in haunted attics
And true love lives, on lollipops and crisps
Just don't leave, don't leave"
-Radiohead
Tiny lights shone through the darkness from the plate looming over him, giving off the illusion that he was gazing at a starry night. A blanket of silence covered the area, hushing him down to quiet breaths. He was lying flat on his back on a rooftop, so still that his form blended easily into the darkness. Only his eyes stood out; the dazzling green smoldering the surrounding obscurity. Had someone actually noticed him there, they might have thought him to be fantasizing about far-off pipe dreams.
But no, that was the last thing on Zack's mind at that moment. In fact, he was keeping all thoughts away. His entire concentration was focused on listening—the rest would come automatically. For the scene around him was a deceiving one. While the stillness suggested peace, it was actually the kind of calm found in the eye of a hurricane.
The roof he was laying on was that of an old warehouse thought to have been abandoned for the past ten years. In reality, it was the dwelling of the most menacing rebel group in Midgar. Many of these factions had sprung up in the slums, most of them harmless. But according to a Shinra spy who pretended to be loyal to the rebellion, this particular party had collected the firepower necessary to do some serious damage. And now it was time to neutralize the situation.
The spy convinced the rebels that Shinra had been tipped off about their weaponry's storage site, and that they had to move all the supplies as soon as possible. All the members agreed to meet there that night and work hidden in the darkness to transport the artillery to a new warehouse. Unbeknownst to them, the man who had given them the helpful suggestion went back to Shinra that very day to organize an attack. So it came that all the rebels were in the warehouse below Zack, oblivious that they were being shut in by three Turks who had crept inside after them.
The plan was for the Turks to open fire and push all the rebels to the back. Then Tseng would give the signal, and Zack, along with four other SOLDIERs, would come down through five openings that the spy had cut in the metal roof the night before. From the information he'd been given, Zack knew the five of them were up against an estimated thirty. He wasn't even slightly nervous.
As the minutes rolled by, he felt the moment of action steadily nearing. Closing his eyes, he shut out everything except the feel of the metal under him. He only heard one scream before the sound of the first bullet rang through the air, shattering the peaceful illusion from before. Numerous shouts rose up as gunfire spread below him, but he and the other men on the roof remained static. Zack's hand moved down to his belt, wherea cable attached to the roofwas wound around his buckle. He gripped it, knowing it would only be a matter of seconds now.
"Go." Tseng's quiet command came through his earpiece and Zack rolled over into the roof's gap in a flash. Fifty feet in the air, he shifted as he fell, so that his feet were below him.
As Zack slid down, he held onto the cable with one hand and unsheathed his massive sword from his back with the other. Three of the SOLDIERs dropping down next to him opened fire on the unsuspecting men below them, clearing landing spots, while the fifth SOLDIER pulled out two Katanas. Once he was about five feet from the ground, Zack unclasped the belt buckle, releasing himself from the cable and landed nimbly.
The drop-down maneuver had caused panic among the rebels, and they were shooting frantically as they ran for cover. With the quality of their aim reduced significantly, Zack was able to move in close enough to use his sword. This kicked off that essential moment of battle that he found so difficult to explain to those that weren't warriors. His mind became empty of everything and warped into a device used only to evaluate movement. It was a dance to him—he saw a flash of metal in the corner of his eye, rolled back and swooped his sword upwards, cutting into a gunman's hand so that he dropped his weapon before receiving a hit in the stomach. Without losing momentum, he shot the blunt end of his sword out behind him, having sensed an enemy there before the man had even had a chance to turn around. He twisted on his heel, so that a rebel running at him with a dagger missed his target by inches. The man swung once more, but Zack moved too fast. The SOLDIER turned so that the man missed again, and without giving him a chance for a third swing, grabbed his head and smashed it against a crate, knocking him out.
It continued that way for the next few seconds. Zack took down three more men before he moved behind two crates for cover. There he took a moment to assess the situation. The blue suit visible through the railing on the upper level indicated that the Turks had moved in again, and were shooting from above. He guessed about fifteen rebels were strewn on the floor either knocked out or dead. The rest were hiding or engaged in battle with his fellow SOLDIERs.
Zack was about to jump back out when the sound of glass shattering to his left caused him to spin around. Three rebels had managed to break open a window, and were escaping through it holding what appeared to be grenades. He was on his feet in less than a second, trying to run soundlessly up to them without being seen. But one of them turned around and saw him, opening up fire as the other two quickly took the chance to jump through. Zack leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the spray of bullets. He crouched low to the ground behind some more crates as the man continued shooting. Scanning the area around him, he spotted an empty wooden box at his side. Grabbing it, he rose from his cover just high enough to hurl it at the gunman. The rebel brought his arms up to shield himself from the collision, and Zack used that moment to jump up at him and land a hard punch in his face. As the man fell from his spot at the window, Zack did not waste a second before pulling himself through it and running swiftly after the two escapees.
The gunman had delayed Zack enough to where he'd given his comrades a good head start. He ran straight forward, reasoning that they would have been more likely to run away from the building than along it. He searched the area as he ran, and for a while he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to find them. He wound up in a smaller street lined with alleys, and decided to stop running in order to give himself a chance to try to listen for any movement. It was almost immediate—the sound of a pin hitting the ground in the alley next to him. The image of the grenades the men were carrying flashed in Zack's mind and not a second later he broke into a dash. The explosion roared behind him, its heat licking his legs as he and the dirt from the ground were sent hurling into the air. All he could do was grit his teeth and brace himself before he felt the impact with the wall. His arms took most of the blow, but he still felt his ribs crush against the stone painfully.
The sound of running footsteps elicited a frustrated growl out of Zack. He lifted himself from his resting position against the wall, ignoring the throbbing protest in his side. They may have managed to hurt him, but in the process, had given away their position. Zack saw them a ways ahead, running together along the alleyway. That was their second mistake—they should have split up. Clutching his sword, he chased after them. Tried as they would to escape him, Zack was the far faster runner, and was inching closer by the second. One of the men noticed this, and in a desperate endeavor, reached for a grenade at his side once again. This time, however, Zack was prepared.
With his arms and legs pumping furiously, he increased his speed, and reached the man as soon as he'd pulled the pin out of the cartridge. Zack's knee landed in the man's stomach, and he released the grenade into the air with a grunt. Time seemed to stop as Zack grabbed the rebel around the waist and took another dive. This time he managed to land behind the next alley before the blast went off, and the wall shielded him and the man from the detonation. Catching his breath, he saw the other man already running into the distance again. Zack looked down at his captive, who was staring up at him in disbelief that he'd saved him. But Zack didn't feel as grateful towards the man for trying to blow him up.
"I'll deal with you later."
He punched him in the face, knocking him out, before breaking into a run again. He just had one more to catch and was determined to make this a short chase. The rebel kept winding his way around narrow alleys, in a manner that proved he knew this area of the slums far better than Zack. Tiring of the disadvantage, Zack picked up momentum, and launched himself toward the edge of a low rooftop at the next house. His legs swung over almost instinctively and he was running and leaping along the rooftops. With the newfound help of his improved visibility, he was able to keep sight of the rebel, and not be slowed down by annoying twists and turns. The gap between them closed almost instantly, but before Zack had the chance to jump down and confront him, the man fled inside a large, wooden building.
Zack wasted no time going after him, bursting through the door quickly enough to prevent the other man from finding a hiding spot. It worked—as soon as he was inside he found himself in a large hall, with the man across from him. He had nowhere to run. The rebel had a frantic look about him, pulling out a gun and aiming it at Zack.
"Stay where you are," he spat, taking slow steps back as his hands shook nervously.
But Zack kept up his slow stride forward with his sword raised and a defiant grin on his lips.
"I'm gonna give you three seconds to put that gun down. If you do, you'll walk out of here in handcuffs. If you don't, you'll walk out without an arm."
The man didn't even think before shooting. Zack saw it coming, and hurled himself sideways, landing behind a bench. The whole room was lined with them.
"One!" He yelled, crouching low to the ground while running to the other side of the room. The bullets persisted, one almost grazing his neck.
"Two!" He was running full force now, heading straight for the wall at the side while the bullets chased him furiously.
"Three!" He lifted his leg, so his left foot landed on the wall, and he pushed himself off towards the corner. His right boot hit the next wall, and he pushed off again, twisting in the air so he flew back and landed on the top of a bench facing the gunman. The man had not expected this at all, and was still shooting in the wrong direction, giving Zack the opening he needed to jump across the benches and hurl himself at him. He sliced at his arm, cutting it from his shoulder to his elbow. The gun clanked noisily as it hit the floor. Zack grabbed the man's injured arm, twisted it back, and raised his sword.
The man winced violently, shielding his face with his free arm. It took him a full three seconds to open his eyes and see Zack had sheathed his sword in its holster on his back.
"C'mon man, I wasn't really going to cut your arm off. That's just excessive." Zack gave him a smile, and the man could not understand how the SOLDIER could joke at such a time.
"Don't be mad, it's just my job."Zack's apology sounded surprisingly honest.He gave therebel a small, contrite shrug, before twisting his other arm behind him and placing cuffs on his wrists. He patted him on the side of his arm, and pulled him up, so they were standing in the middle of the hall.
It was the first chance Zack got to really look around. His eyes swept over the high wooden ceiling and down the beams on each side. These lead to partially broken windows, which despite their blemishes still gave off an ethereal glow through colorful stained glass. The whole place seemed to sing of something sacred and so lost to the rest of the city. And as he stepped towards the altar at the end of the hall, he could only think of one person.
An automatic door slid open for Aeris, admitting her into the "Midgar Clarity Center", a nonprofit rehabilitation facility for drug and alcohol abusers. It was housed in a fairly large building that was as clean as a hospital and personal as a school. The pictures of doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, and patients that lined the walls were a familiar sight to her by then. For the past three years, the young girl visited the center at least once a month, every month. Passing the standing sign with the inspirational slogan,He who has hope has everything,was like saying hello to a dear, old friend.
She made her way to the front counter with a cheery smile. An older lady sat there shuffling through some papers, and her eyes brightened joyfully once she saw Aeris' approaching form.
"Aeris! Good to see you, dear! How are you?"
How the girl loved the old woman. She, like everyone else there, was always so friendly and appreciative of every act of kindness Aeris put forth. Over the years she had grown to know the staff very well and admired them all for their dedication to their cause. Half of them were volunteers, using their spare time to come to the center and help out. Aeris always compared them to the rare rays of light that would shine downin Midgar's darkness.
"I'm doing just fine. Dropping off the usual." Aeris set three baskets filled with flowers on the counter, freeing her hands to dig through her purse and pull out the $1000 gil check she handed over each month. The receptionist gave her the same whispered "thank you" she always did, her eyes grateful.
"This always helps us out so much. And these flowers!" She leaned over to catch a whiff of their pure scent. "They smell wonderful, what are they?"
Aeris handed one of the small apricot-colored flowers to the woman. "They're Verbenas. I just planted them two weeks ago and they're already springing up. Seems they were ready to bloom as soon as they hit the soil."
The old lady looked lovingly down at the flower she was holding. "Just divine… Well, Rosie should be in the lobby if you want to take those baskets to her."
Aeris nodded and grabbed the baskets, turning to make her way towards the lobby. Rosie was a nice older woman with a very rich husband.Her free time and good heart allowed her to dedicate herself to volunteer causes such as this.She loved to gossip but never meant any harm by it, always working long hours to make sure the patients were well taken care of. Aeris could see her small figure wipingdirt offa table diligently. Skipping up to her, she waved the baskets around, showing off like a little child.
"Oh my, aren't those something? And look at you, you're getting prettier every time I see you!" With her hands on her hips, she affectionately shook her head at Aeris, admiring the girl's youthful charm.
Aeris rolled her eyes playfully. "I am not. Do you have time to help me with these?"
"Sure, sure, let's get those in some water!"
They spent the next half hour in one of the kitchens, chatting while they poured water into dozens of vases that had held Aeris' flowers over the years. With the ordeal being a monthly ritual and all, they knew it by heart, and walked out to the lobby together, placing the vases in the same places they did each time. Once the room was positively blooming with the reds and purples of the petals, they moved on to decorate the visitor's lounge. Then they placed one flower in each of the in-house patients' mail boxes before moving on to the cafeteria, where they set the remaining ten flowers in glass cups on random tables.
After Aeris fixed the position of the last vase, she decided to grab two sodas for her and Rosie. The eatery was mildly busy since the visitor's hour was coming to a close. Tables here and there seated families and friends ending their conversations with loved ones before saying their goodbyes. Aeris was always amazed at the mixture of hope and worry that filled the place at that time; the struggle between the optimism for the future and the bad experiences of the past surfacing in firm hugs and tearful kisses. After picking up the two cans that had dropped to the bottom of the soda machine, she took a good look around her.
Sadly, some of the people she recognized were the same ones she'd seen there for three years. They would always seem to overcome their addictions, but once they were released from care, one thing or another would drive them back to their substances. Whether it was their lack of money, a bad relationship, or just the city, no one really knew.What really afflicted Aeris was that one of the people was Magda—her head housekeeper, the woman who had practically raised Aeris. She was not surprised to see her there, visiting her son, who had once again hit a bad spot in his fight against his addiction. There was a tragic irony to it all; that Magda worked for the kind of man who made money off her son's downfall.
Aeris always stayed out of Magda's way there. She didn't think it was her place to say hello or even apologize for her troubles. Magda never approached her either and the guilt in Aeris weighed heavy knowing why. She was about to go back to Rosie without a second glance at Magda and her son, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who was sitting with them.
Reno!
She jumped behind the soda machine, hoping he hadn't seen her. After a few moments, she dared to peek back around to make sure it was him. The wild red hair spilling over goggle-like sunglasses and mischievous features verified the matter. Holding the two cans up so they hid her face from view, she stepped out of her hiding place, then turned and ran back to Rosie. The woman was still messing with some of the flowers when Aeris grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the cafeteria.
"Just where is the fire, young lady?"
Aeris stopped behind the doorway, so they were shielded from view by the wall. She poked her head back around to look inside the cafeteria then turned back to Rosie looking quite vexed.
"Do you know who that guy sitting with Magda and her son is?"
With a raised brow, Rosie looked behind Aeris to search for what she was talking about. Recognition hit her and she turned back to the girl.
"Ah yes, Reno. Reno of the Turks."
She noticed the way Aeris bit down on her lip nervously, and asked, "Why? Did he cause you trouble?"
"Oh, no, no, no! I just, uhm, thought he was someone else." Aeris never quite figured out how she could be such a bad liar after all those years of living with Luke. Rosie was looking at her skeptically, so Aeris suggested going back to the lobby, hoping to avoid further questioning.
As they walked, Aeris touched on the subject of Reno again. "So, that Turk, is he a patient or what?" She figured if anyone there would know about him, it would be Rosie. The woman loved gossip and spread it freely.
"No, no. He's probably a friend of Magda's son."
Aeris helped her wipe up some tables, guessing that if she remained silent long enough, Rosie would continue the story on him. Her guess was right.
"He started coming to this place maybe five or six years ago, now that I think about it. Very young. Very, very young, he's only about eighteen now. Grew up in the slums, so he's always had one friend or another in here. Never visited much, and we all thought he'd stop coming all together when he was recruited by the Turks last year, but he still shows up once every few months. He has no manners whatsoever, that boy. He used to be even worse, before the Turks hired him. He was probably about sixteen, visiting one of his friends, and do you know what he was doing? He was drinking beer right in front of him. Right in the middle of the cafeteria! And he was so rude when we told him to throw it away. It's sad really, what growing up in the slums can turn a person into."
Rosie shook her head critically, muttering about what a shame it all was. Aeris didn't really have anything to say to her. While the account of him bringing beer into a rehabilitation center didn't surprise her, the fact that he visited at all did. Despite not knowing him very well, she couldn't help but pin him as too selfish and uncaring for that sort of thing.
It didn't take much longer for them to finish up and for Aeris to say her goodbyes. She promised to be back within the month and began to make her way out. Sticking her hands in her pockets, she realized there was still a flower inside. Aeris hated to waste flowers; she thought they were all precious and deserved to be treasured. She looked around and saw a small girl hugging her mother goodbye, while the father stood by sadly. Aeris went over to them after their embrace ended and leaned down to the girl.
"Hey sweetie, want a flower?"
The girl nodded shyly, half-hiding behind her mother's legs. Smiling, Aeris handed the small flower over to her, unable to push away the tender feeling that arose in her upon seeing the girl hand it to her mother as a present to help her feel better. The parents thanked Aeris before she turned to walk away again. Once she was near the exit, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Figuring it was them again, she turned around smiling, but wound up face to face with Reno.
"You know," he began, scratching his chin in a mockingly contemplative look, "I thought people with your kind of money usually go to private rehab places out in the country when you're knocking back too many."
Aeris rolled her eyes. "That's not why I'm here."
"Yeah, I know. I saw you going all home-decorator on the place before you ducked behind the soda machine." He twirled one of her flowers between his fingers, grinning fiendishly. "You know, most people just put a check in the right place when they're feeling guilty about the state of the less fortunate."
"First off, I don't know who you think you are, saying anything about me feeling guilty. Second, I think it's a nice gesture to do something more than just 'put a check in the right place.' And third, that's for the patients." She tried to snatch the flower out of his hands, but he folded his arm behind his back, so it was out of her grasp.
"It's a nice gesture, alright. Trust me, you'll be their hero if they find a way to roll your flowers up and smoke them. 'Till then, they ain't gonna do much good here."
Aeris took a deep breath, trying to calm herself so that she wouldn't lose her cool. It seemed as if the patience she usually had for people completely diminished when it came to him. "If nothing other than money helps, then why are you here?"
She thought she could see his grin waver just the slightest bit. Had she actually managed to hit a nerve? "Old habits die hard."
She searched his face, finding this new, more serious expression very interesting on him. "It's not such a bad habit to have. You're giving your friend something money can't buy. Something more important." Aeris wasn't sure, but she could have sworn that the first bit of understanding passed between them at that moment. She wondered if she'd managed to crack past the mocking exterior of the Turk.
"Still say someone's gonna try to smoke your flowers." And the moment was over.
"I'm leaving." Aeris turned away from him, deciding to end the quarrel before it really got started. Unfortunately, he remained by her side.
"What a coincidence, so am I. I'll walk with you." She glared at him out of the corner of her eye.
As they exited through the sliding doors, he spoke up again. "You know, we should all go on a fun little outing sometime. You, Gloria, and me. We could invite Luke for kicks, make it a whole family thing, what do you say?"
Aeris turned on him, fuming. "Why do you have to be so rude? I never did anything to you. If anything, you should be kissing my boots for me keeping my mouth shut about you sleeping with an engaged woman who, by the way, is about ten years older than you!"
He took a step closer to her, so that she had to tilt her face up sharply to face him. Straightening up to give herself an extra inch of height, Aeris refused to make herself feel small in front of him. It was proving more difficult as his jocular grin faded into a more dangerous expression. Although he still carried that lazy indolence about him, she felt as if his slightly narrowed aquamarine eyes were slicing into her.
"Mostly, I just give everyone a hard time. But there's something about you..." She flinched a bit when he brought his hand up to her shoulder and began to twirl a loose strand of her hair between his fingers the way he'd been doing to the flower. He watched it idly as he spoke on softly, "You've got this whole holier-than-thou attitude which I just can't stand. Ever since the first time I met you, you've acted like this prim and proper little schoolgirl. And I don't know where you get off thinking you're some divine being, considering your last name."
Something sparked inside Aeris. A fury roared within her that she hadn't experienced since that one morning with Gloria. Slapping his hand away roughly, she opened her mouth to give him an angry piece of her mind, but stopped when she realized he was looking at someone past her.
"Zack?"
"Reno!" A masculine voice behind her answered. Aeris twirled around and sure enough, there was Zack. Anger gave way to surprise and confusion.
"What are you doing here?" The question came in unison from all three of them. Reno and Aeris turned to each other, baffled about how the other knew Zack.
Zack was the first to speak up. "You two know each other?"
"No." Aeris crossed her arms stubbornly.
Reno laughed. "She's such a kidder. Of course we do."
If Aeris hadn't been shooting mental daggers at Reno, she would have noticed the slightly unpleasant look that crossed Zack's usually cheerful face. The ever-keen Turk, however, caught it and found it highly amusing.
"So what's up with you Zack? Just in the area?" Reno pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket and offered one to Aeris, knowing the act would annoy her. It did. Zack scratched his head, looking vaguely uncomfortable.
"I was actually here to see Aeris." The girl looked up at him, meeting his gaze for the first time. She tried hard to keep their last parting out of her mind.
"Yeah, the doc's keeping an eye on her." Reno nodded towards the rehabilitation center, a cigarette dangling through his partially open lips. "She's been hitting the liquor cabinet again."
"I have not!" She shoved the redhead, but it only served to widen his wicked grin. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to Zack. "I do volunteer work here."
Dusting off the part of his shirt that Aeris had grabbed when she shoved him, Reno spoke up. "And I'm just visiting. I'd love to stay and chitchat, but I've got more interesting things to do. You going to the bar tonight, Zack?"
"Probably, yeah. You and Rude going?"
With a final drag of his cigarette, he flicked it to the ground. "'Course. Later, man." His green eyes shifted to meet those of Aeris, who was doing her best to avoid looking at him. He addressed her in an overly sweet tone. "Bye,flower girl." Aeris' teeth dug into the edge of her tongue, keeping her temper in check. It was only once she heard the opening and closing of a car door behind her that she visibly relaxed.
As casually as possible, she spoke to Zack. "So, how did you know I was here?"
"Well, actually I called your house. Your dad's number isn't hard to find if you work for Shinra." He looked slightly abashed, and his shy smile did wonders in abating the annoyance the Turk had drawn out in Aeris. "It's just…you haven't really returned my calls. Anyway, one of the maids told me you'd be here. I didn't mean to intrude on anything or disturb you. I hope this isn't creepy."
Aeris shook her head, giving him a small smile. "Not creepy at all, and you weren't intruding on anything, trust me. How do you know Reno, anyway?"
"He's a Turk. They recruit for us and we work together a lot. I've known him for a year now, so we hang out sometimes. You?"
She scrunched her nose up slightly, giving off the clear impression that she wasn't too keen on discussing the subject. "It's a long story. We don't really get along."
"Ah, he's a good guy once you get to know him." Despite his words, Aeris could have sworn his smile brightened after her statement. She shrugged, notthat sure about how correct he was about Reno being a 'good guy.'
"So, I think I owe you an apology," she muttered. Her feet shuffled nervously beneath her.
"No, no, you don't. That's not why I'm here." When Aeris began to protest, he silenced her again. "Look, I'm sure you just needed your space. Don't worry about it. I'm here cause I wanted to show you something."
"Show me what?"
"It's a surprise. But I think you'll love it, honest."
"So go on, show me." Her eyes widened with childlike curiosity--her interest was piqued.
He thought that the small pout of impatience that formed on her pretty, pink lips managed to be as enticing as her smile. "Well, it's kind of a drive away. Do you have an hour?"
"Well, now I want to know what this surprise is, so I guess I'll have to spare one for you. I have my car right over there." Tilting sideways, she pointed behind her at her vehicle. But Zack had a different idea.
"Nah, let's take my ride." Aeris traced his line of vision and found that it was pointed directly at a large, black motorcycle a few feet away. A small lump of fear formed in the back of her throat, and she swallowed nervously, trying to get rid of it. With an uncertain smile, she followed Zack to what suddenly appeared to be the most dangerous hunk of metal she'd ever laid eyes on. After she climbed on behind him, she made him check and recheck that her helmet was on right, before letting him start the engine. As it roared to life under her, she wrapped her arms around Zack's waist and prayed for protection.
The buildings that lined the streets were blurs amidst their speed. At first, Aeris kept her eyes shut tightly and squealed every time they hit a turn. Zack, on the other hand, couldn't help but enjoy the way she clung to him and therefore didn't feel very inspired to slow down. It took a full five minutes before Aeris would open her eyes and felt her fear slowly ebb. No longer paralyzed with worry, she was able to take notice of things around her. Like how they were heading towards the slums. And how the buildings became so much drearier. But mostly, she noticed how muscular Zack's torso felt underneath the cotton shirt he was wearing. And that is how the ride stopped being completely unpleasant.
Her musings about Zack's great body were cut short once they were deeper in the slums. Although the pollution over the top of the plate prevented any day from being wholly beautiful, it was an absolute paradise compared to the scene underneath. Everything was dark. Everything was falling apart. Hopelessness leered through each broken window. Aeris thought the gloom might suffocate her. Almost involuntary, she pressed herself closer to Zack, needing to make sure that human warmth still existed.
They stopped in front of buildings that didn't look special at all. In fact, they looked abandoned, with no one in sight. Zack shut off the engine, and they both climbed down. Aeris looked around, more confused than ever about what he could possibly want to show her there.
Zack turned to her, seeming completely unaffected by their surroundings. "Alright, close your eyes." Aeris furrowed her brows, giving him a look that told him exactly what she thought of that suggestion. She was in the middle of a run-down area in the slums, and he wanted her to close her eyes and blindly follow his lead?
"C'mon, or it won't be a surprise. I promise I'll take care that you don't run into too many walls."
Aeris raised a brow. "Too many?" Nevertheless, his kind eagerness put an end to her suspicions and she closed her eyes, allowing him to take her hand and lead her slowly forward. Having lost one of her senses, she focused on the sounds around her and the way the ground felt. She heard him open a door before he had her wrap her arm around his and helped her step through what she assumed to be the doorway. They were inside a building, but she had no idea where. From the way their footsteps resounded, she guessed they were walking on a wooden floor. Everything around them sounded still and for some reason, she herself felt quieted.
"Okay," he whispered. "Open your eyes."
Her lids fluttered open and a small gasp fell through her lips. It was beautiful. She found herself in an old, deserted church, which was somehow in a spot under the plate that allowed rays of bright sunshine through. These beams danced in the darkness, making the very air seem holy and alive. She turned slowly on her heel to take the whole place in, stopping once her vision fell on the high rising altar at the front. Light spilled all around it, its image took her breath away. And beneath it…could it be? Rushing forward, she dropped to her knees to take a closer look at what looked like nothing less than a miracle.
Flowers. Flowers. Wild and untamed, and so very alive. They had fought their way through the weeds, blooming proudly in soil that was thought to carry no life. While they weren't the dainty things she was used to growing in the greenhouses, she couldn't help but admire their strength and resilience. She was so caught up in her wonder that she barely noticed when Zack knelt down next to her.
"I hope you don't think this is dumb or whatever."
She turned to him wrought with so much emotion that she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
"It's just, I've never seen flowers grow in Midgar on their own. And I know this is a pretty shabby place, so I hope you're not mad I dragged you down here. But like, I know this is going to sound cheesy or strange or whatever, but, I don't know. It reminded me of you—that they'd bloom despite no one looking out for them. They're as out of place and, well, asstriking as you."
Her continuing silence caused him to turn red. He scratched his head nervously. "Ah, I'm an idiot. I don't know what I'm spewing on about. This is retar--."
Zack never got a chance to finish his statement. For in that moment, the doubts and the fear and the bad memories lost their grasp on Aeris. If only for that moment, she saw Zack for what he was. The most kind-hearted, thoughtful, beautiful man she had ever met. And there was no way for her to tell him that. So she reached forward before even thinking, and pulled his lips down to hers, conveying all of her raw emotions for him in one passionate touch. She'd never kissed anyone before, but she didn't care. With him guiding her, she'd learn how—how to push aside all her hesitations, how to not second-guess everything, how to let herself go and just feel.
And by god, did it feel beautiful.
"This is what you're paid to do!" A handful of test tubes smashed into the wall behind some very frightened looking lab workers. A moment earlier, they'd been taking a break from their work, sitting around a table talking over coffee and newspapers. They'd been doing experiments non-stop for the past four hours and thought that the head scientist wouldn't mind if they rested for a half hour.
The way he fumed before them, his scrawny form shaking with rage as he belittled them, indicated that he certainly did mind. He stormed towards the table they were sitting around, grabbing the newspaper out of one of their hands.
"Reading this trash? This unimportant trash? This is why you will never amount to anything in science!" He ripped it open, spitting out the titles of various headlines contemptuously. "Top Ten Hot New Midgar Restaurants. TRASH. Featherdust Wins The Chocobo Racing Gold Cup Final. TRASH. Interview With Shinra And His New Partner. TRASH. TRASH. TRASH!"
With each word he shook the paper at them, as if it were their fault that such "trash" was published. Snarling, he looked down at the paper one last time, ready to throw it in the bin and order his assistants back to work. But something that he saw caused him to freeze. He brought the paper closer to his face, scrutinizing the image that had caused his sudden immobility.
"P…professor Hojo?"
"Shut up." It was a picture of President Shinra standing next to a man the caption said was Luke Cole. But Hojo wasn't looking at either of them. His eyes were focused on the background, where a girl was seen in the corner. She had long brown hair and carried a neutral expression, seemingly unaware of being in the picture at all. While Hojo wasn't sure exactly who she was, he was positive he'd dealt with her in the past. He never forgot important subjects—and right then, his memory was screaming that she was someone very important. Licking his chapped lips hungrily, he made it his aim to find out who.
A/N: Yeah, so the short chapter thing didn't last very long. Sorry, I guess it's not really my style. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, nevertheless. I'm not sure if any of my symbolism and whatnot is coming across at all or is just looking stupid. But I will say it's a lot of fun thinking of plot devices that tie in the story from the game with the twist I've thrown in. Hope I'm not making this too redundant or boring.
Anyway, biiiiig thank you to everyone who reads this. And an even bigger thank you to all who have taken the time to review. I appreciate every single word I get from you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you.