Incomplete.

[curatia]

Who: Zack Fair [existenta] + Aerith Gainsborough [curatia]
What: Sephiroth has released Aerith and she's asked Zack to meet her.
Where: Outskirts of the city.
When: After Sephy leaves Aerith to go to the docks.

Comments

[curatia]

Her eyes closed as the soft pressure of his lips met her forehead. It was a comforting gesture, something her mother used to do when she wasn't feeling up to scratch. The memory and the feeling of Zack being close immediately allowed her to relax. Aerith sighed, both hands moving from his chest to lightly rest at his sides. She was grateful that he had rushed over immediately to come and get her. She honestly wouldn't have made it back home on her own and to know that the little things he did showed he cared helped more than she'd want to admit to him.

Her staff also seemed to be lost. That definitely wouldn't have helped.

She remained silent until Zack spoke. He didn't know about the dormant materia...in fact, no one except for herself and her mother knew, and now unfortunately Sephiroth had proven he did too. How he had known she needed to find out...maybe he knew her biological mother...

"Well....my ribbon." She started slow, trying to find the words to use that would express exactly what she wanted to say without her exploding into a tearful tirade over her biological mother again. "But...he also took something else. I used the ribbon to tie something else into my hair, so I could keep it close to me all the time." Aerith's eyes rose to meet Zack's, the sadness she felt earlier still painfully evident. "My...mother...my real mother gave me something just before she died. I don't know exactly what it was, but I think it was a piece of materia that didn't work anymore. It was white..and it glowed slightly in the dark..."

Absently describing the bauble almost caused her to break into fresh tears all over again. She knew however, with Zack's resolve, that she'd get her materia back. The white bauble and the ribbon Zack had bought her all those years ago would come back into her possession.

Aerith was known for being bright and positive almost all of the time. Truth is her friends were a big part of that. Since meeting Tifa, Yuffie and soon Rinoa...well, she knew for a fact that Sephiroth didn't have a chance. The thought made her smile slightly.

SORRY MILLA I'VE BEEN SO BAD WITH TAGGING YOU ;___; *loves and apologies forever*

[existenta]

Ah, now it made sense.

Zack had always felt particularly lucky in his arguably short lifetime; despite all the hardships he'd went through, he'd never lost his parents. While it seemed almost common with many of the people he met-or watched them lose their parents while he knew them-he just never had the misfortune himself. It was a wonder if that made him less sensitive to the entire concept of never knowing a parent, but for Zack he was pretty sure it made him all the more sensitive to the idea. He felt lucky to have them, and to think someone else didn't... well, it was bothersome to say the least.

So to hear a gift from her mother had been taken-not even Elmyra, but her biological one-put it into perspective. Just as he suspected, right? Something indeed really irreplaceable. "Sounds kind of like a materia I found on my way back from Nibelheim," he said offhandedly, referencing the goddess materia, but his mind was from even paying attention to conversation. It scattered itself thin in an attempt to think of something...anything... that could convince him that they could get those items back for her. But, when he came up empty handed on ideas, he wasn't surprised. For whatever reason Sephiroth had wanted it and taken it meant it the possibility of getting it back was practically zero to none. But he would not say that to Aerith, and he knew that if she wanted them back, he'd help her regardless of the odds for being successful.

Besides, the item was more than personally precious, right? If Sephiroth had it, trouble was almost bound to ensue. It being that important to Aerith had decided Zack would help her get it back. It being something Sephiroth could use to cause more damage had decided that he needed to get it back. The last thing Nuadoria needed to deal with was some ridiculous circumstance like the one Tifa had described. Even if it was one-fourth the magnitude of that incident...

"Anyway, don't worry!" Zack smiled cheerfully, pushing the other feelings tumbling around away. He was upset that she was upset. He was angry because of what Sephiroth did. He was guilty because he'd let it happen in the first place. But, optimism was always the best way to go. And when there was nothing else that could be done, it was really the only way to go. "Those are pretty obvious items, we'll get them back. But for now, let's get you back somewhere safe." Yes, thinking about getting the items back later was the best idea. It also gave him a chance to talk to Tifa, Cloud, and Yuffie about this so-called useless materia. Sephiroth didn't do things without a reason. While Zack still couldn't understand him taking the ribbon, the materia must have been of more importance than a simple mother's memento. He'd bring Aerith for that conversation if circumstances allowed, as she above all had a right to know why that man had taken her item. Such options could be discussed later.

It was now Zack's turn to step back, far enough to end the hug only to instead reach to take one of her hands and gently pull her along to start walking back to the city. It was a bit colder than he'd have expected and her getting physically sick on top of her distress was the last thing either of the would have wanted. "We'll have to get you something temporary for your hair, too, okay?" Continuing a conversation that veered off into a less serious subject was probably the best idea for their trip back instead of silence.

IT'S OKAI. I took awhile with this one. Just exhausted. ;_;

[curatia]

His cheerfulness had always been contagious, much like her own had been. His quick outburst immediately had her believing that yes, he was right, they would get her belongings back. The slight stinging behind her eyes faded as she managed a small smile at him, both bright green eyes slightly red from her distress. There was no use being upset. She had always believed that it didn't really change anything. Shedding tears for someone that had moved back into the Lifestream never brought them back. Crying over things that one wanted to be changed never changed them.

Crying over her materia and her ribbon wouldn't make Sephiroth turn around and return them to her.

He was still out there somewhere, yet close by. It had felt like a lifetime, waiting there until she had heard Zack's voice carry her name over the wind, however it couldn't have been more than an hour. Where had Sephiroth gone? He had just suddenly left, gone to take over some other business at the harbour, it had seemed...

Zack's hand sliding over hers broke her from her thoughts, both green eyes settling on his own and softening immediately. His words made her smile again, a hand absently raising to smooth over the thick braid she kept tied all the time. "I guess so..." It felt strange having nothing there to brush against her head whenever she moved it. It was empty, an empty cold that pressed against her skull and made her head feel faint. She didn't like it.

There was more in that ribbon than anyone could ever understand. There was friendship, hope, serenity and most importantly love within it. She had clutched at it at her most desperate times. It had been given to her on their first date.

Aerith shut her eyes tightly and took a moment to gather her thoughts, before allowing herself to be lead into the city to where ever Zack wanted to take her. She fell into silence, thinking to herself about the various things that would inevitable just upset her again. She couldn't help that however. The only thing she could do was hold onto Zack's warm hand and walk by his side just to feel that little bit safer.