Thank You Leah ^_^
Chapter 3: On the Way
“Come on buddy, don't you think you could wake up? You're such a dead weight!” Zack joked to a non responsive Cloud. The ex-SOLDIER could see all of Midgar clearly now, Shinra's building looming ominously over the plates. Zack bit his lip, coming to a stop and hoisting Cloud up into a more comfortable position. He knew that if he were to just stroll into Midgar, Cloud dragging limply alongside, without a care in the world, that Shinra would pounce on them like a giant, crazed cat onto two innocent, weak mice. There was only one solution – sneak into Midgar and bring the help to Cloud.
“You'll be okay, right Cloud?” he muttered, casting his mako blue eyes around for a decent hiding place. He knew he wouldn't be able to sneak very well with Cloud groaning and lolling about. Zack sighed in frustration – every hiding place he could see was too exposed; if a monster was anywhere around, Cloud would be found without a doubt. His 'only solution' seemed to be shattered. 'I'll just have to sneak in with Cloud at night...and I think I know just where to bring him.' He grinned, eyes glowing with renewed hope.
“Let's rest up, Cloud. Wouldn't want to tire ourselves out, would we?” he asked sarcastically, setting Cloud down gently and plopping down with a grunt beside him. “Now, we wait.”
--
Tseng grimaced, rubbing his temples tiredly. He had just gotten a lecture from both the President and Hojo about failing to apprehend Aerith. Now, he was sitting in his office, trying vainly to come up with a way to grant Aerith more time to escape. His orders were to 'seize the damn girl immediately, and no dilly dallying', and Tseng knew that if the Turks didn't do it first, then the new Shinra SOLDIERs would, and they would be much less gentle about it. He exhaled loudly, brows furrowed in frustration. 'Damn it! This job isn't worth it anymore!' With vehemence, he scattered the papers on his desk onto the floor, knocking a small box off in the process. He sighed once again, this time in a worn, tired sort of way and bent down to pick the box up.
“Zack's letters...” he said softly to himself, frowning. Of course, he was curious as to what was written on all of them – what could anyone have to say for eighty-eight letters? But, he would not pry. These letters were between Aerith and Zack – even if he could never read them now. Grief welled up in him again at the thought of his friend's death; he began to pick up his papers, and wracked his brain for a solution for Aerith. It was the least he could do for Zack.
--
“Aerith!” a gasping Zack came bursting through the church doors, grinning wildly at the sight of her.
“Z-zack?” Aerith could only blink, mouth open in wonder and amazement.
“You bet! Here and in the flesh! I promised to remake that wagon, didn't I?” he laughed, raising a brow at her as thought she had forgotten.
“But...you were...gone.” she finished lamely, shaking her head.
“Well, yeah, I was on a mission. But I'm back now, and that's all that matters. But, I'd better hurry before I get called away again!” he exclaimed.
“Zack, you were gone for four years! Where were you?” she demanded, tears welling up in her eyes. Suddenly, everything around her changed. They were no longer in the church, but in a field of flowers with the sky looming above her, dark clouds gathering. “Wh-where are we?” she whispered, feeling very vulnerable under the sky. The clouds seemed so...angry.
“Check it out, Aerith! There are tons of flowers here. Plenty for your wagon!” he grinned cheerfully, then began plucking flowers up from the ground and putting them into a wagon she had never seen before.
“Zack!” she cried out suddenly, eyes wavering uncertainly between him and the sky. “I'm scared...the sky...it feels like it's going to swallow me.”
“I'm kind of busy here,” he stood up, waving a hand at the flowers impatiently. “We need to make a lot of money right? Just forget about the sky.” He went back to the flowers, seemingly oblivious to her. Suddenly, the sky let out a deafening roar of thunder and lightning raked across the sky. Aerith screamed in terror as it opened up to swallow her. Zack waved cheerfully at her, then began to wheel the wagon away. A pair of glowing green eyes appeared in front of her, and a dark chuckle echoed eerily around her.
“Zack!” she cried, tears running down her face. “Help!”
“Zack is gone...” a cold voice replied. “There is no more help for you. Now DIE!” it roared, and Aerith screamed again.
“Aerith! Wake up!” a voice said in her ear. Aerith was aware now of her shoulders being shaken gently, and she opened her eyes. She was surprised to find her cheeks were wet with tears and her mother standing over her. “Aerith!” her mother cried gently, a concerned look on her face. “What were you dreaming? You were shouting dreadfully...it nearly scared me half to death.”
“I...it was just a nightmare...nothing...” Aerith replied dazedly, her heart still pounding from the vivid dream. “Don't worry...” she added, feeling embarrassed now. Her mother didn't look convinced, but respected her daughter's wishes to keep it to herself.
“Are you going to go back to sleep?” her mother asked, gazing out the window. It was dark, but then it was usually dark in Midgar. It took longer for the sun to find its way under the plates, it seemed.
Aerith shook her head, brown locks of hair flying in her face. “I think...I'll go to the church to think,” she said softly, eyes already distant. “I'll be back later,” she promised her mother, rising from her bed.
“No breakfast?” Aerith shook her head again, making her way blindly to the bathroom to scrub the sleep from her face. She couldn't make sense of her dream, but she shuddered at the memory of those dreadful, crazed eyes. She hoped that tending to her flowers would soothe her fears.