OOC: Log - Cloud, Aerith, and Zack
Who: Cloud, Aerith, and Zack
What: Some comforting, worrying, and memory loss
When: Thursday January 24
Where: Zack and Aerith's house
Why: We felt like it.
Also: Rated PG.
Cloud finished his deliveries as quickly as he could Thursday morning then headed to Aerith and Zack's. It seemed like the drive took forever, but he eventually arrived. He was worried, Aerith hadn't said a whole lot when they'd spoken on livejournal, but what she had said, didn't sound promising. He pulled up in the driveway and parked, albeit haphazardly, before running up to the front door.
Aerith ran to the door as she heard Fenrir pulling into the driveway. She knew it had to be Cloud. She wiped some tears away before opening the door. She wasn't able to give Cloud her usual smile as she let him in. Ryuu stood beside her for a moment before going to quietly nudge Cloud's hand with his nose. The entire house seemed so quiet compared to its usual active atmosphere.
Feeling the nudge at his hand, Cloud instinctively pet the dog as he stepped further into the house. The atmosphere was somber, and seeing Aerith in such a state was enough to tug at his heart. Aerith was supposed to be everyone's support, and now he was supposed to be hers. He wasn't sure he could do it, but he was certainly going to try.
"Thank you Cloud. For coming" Aerith's voice was quiet even to her ears. For once, she just couldn't think right. She didn't know what to say right now and she was so tired. She hadn't slept much since everything happened and it was noticeable.
Cloud didn't say anything, only closed the distance between them and gave Aerith a much needed hug. He knew she would have done the same for him.
Aerith quickly gave into the embrace as tears began to again stream down her cheeks. She buried her face into Clouds chest to hide them.
He could feel the tears staining his shirt as Aerith cried against his chest. Cloud let out a breath and ran his hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her. He wasn't sure if now was a good time to ask to see Zack, but he didn't really understand what was going on and wasn't sure he would until he had that chance.
She felt Cloud's hand on her back and knew he was trying his best to comfort her. She had cried so much in the last few days that the tears stopped within a few minutes. It seemed like she has run out of tears to cry. Another few minutes passed before she felt comfortable enough for Cloud to release her from the embrace. Her eyes were even more red and puffy then they had been when Cloud had arrived but she was able to manage an almost unnoticeable forced smile. "Thanks Cloud...I think I really needed that." Normally it would have been Zack comforting her when she was upset, but today it was Cloud.
Cloud made a soft sound and nodded. He watched her for a minute before speaking. "You want to tell me what's going on? Or let me see Zack?" His voice conveyed nothing short of concern despite the lack of it in the words he'd chosen - he was never great with those anyways.
Aerith decided she'd explain as much as she could as she led Cloud to Zack's room. It was an uncomfortable topic but she knew that she could tell Cloud. "I'm not completely sure what happened since some of my memory is a little fuzzy. But I'll explain as best I can." She took a breath before beginning. "Something happened to me a few days ago. It was like a nightmare that I couldn't control. My personality completely changed into one that...." She was trying hard to keep her voice steady. "that wanted to kill people. I almost killed a couple of kids because of it. Zack stopped me before anything too serious happened. I don't really remember much after that. When I came to, Zack just...collapsed. It was like he had been fighting nonstop for days. I tried healing him and waking him up, but nothing has worked. I couldn't even heal him." Aerith went quiet as they entered Zack's room. Ryuu walked past her and Cloud to lay down next to Zack's bed. As Aerith had said, he was unconscious on the bed. A few cuts and bruises, but nothing that looked too serious.
The words that came out of Aerith's mouth, while he had expected some of it, from what she'd said in the comments on livejournal, actually hearing them come from her mouth made it really sink in. "Shit," he said quietly, unsure of how else to react. However, nothing she'd said had prepared him for seeing Zack. He looked a lot better than he had when Cloud had watched him die, but the image of that memory wouldn't leave him as he looked down at his friend.
He stood in silence for several minutes unsure of what to say or do before he sunk down onto the bed, sitting next to Zack and reaching out for his hand. It was warm and Cloud mentally kicked himself for expecting otherwise.
Aerith broke the silence. "He's alive."
"I know that," Cloud replied.
Aerith looked at him for a moment before speaking again. "I don't think you understand what I meant when I said that. I mean he's really alive Cloud. He's human, not just a spirit anymore." The look on her face showed how serious she was when she said this. "He's not dead anymore."
Blinking, Cloud looked over at Aerith. It took several minutes for the information to process and even then he couldn't believe it. "What do you mean? How is that possible?"
Aerith knew how unbelievable it sounded. She had thought it was impossible too, but the proof was now lying right in front of her. "I don't know. I didn't think it was possible. I thought I had been mistaken at first, but I wasn't. He has a heart beat, a pulse, and a real body."
"How did this happen?" Cloud asked. He needed answers. He looked down at Zack and then back at Aerith. He sighed, 'Sorry, if you had answers you'd have given them already. You said he won't wake up?"
Aerith shook her head. "He hasn't woken up since everything happened. I've tried everything I can think of but it just doesn't work. I don't know what to do anymore." Her eyes moved from Cloud to the floor. She didn't want to look at Zack. She felt she would start crying again if she looked at him.
"Have you tried taking him to a doctor?" Cloud asked.
"I had one come here, but they said there was nothing wrong with him except that he had the minor cuts and bruises. But that's obvious." Aerith replied.
Zack was starting to hear voices despite the darkness that seemed to be surrounding him. Who did the voices belong to? he thought to himself. He couldn't recognize the two voices as his mind started telling him to wake up and open his eyes.
As Cloud was still holding Zack's hand, he noticed the slight movement of the other man stirring. He didn't say anything though; it could just be a false alarm. He could have twitched slightly himself and mistook it for Zack. He focused his attention back on his friend, willing him to wake up.
Zack felt someone holding his hand as he barely managed to slightly open his eyes. Seeing the light so suddenly was difficult on his eyes since they hadn't adjusted to it yet. As he looked around he could see two blurry figures. When the blurred eyesight faded he could see that the figures were a man with blond hair and a woman with long, light brown hair. "Heaven?" he asked. His mind was still groggy.
Aerith had noticed Zack stirring and couldn't believe it when he opened his eyes. She had tried so long and hard to get him to wake up, and now he was finally awake. "Thank god." she said under her breath as she ran over to the bed. When he asked if he was in heaven, she couldn't help but put on a slight smile and say "No such luck" as she had when they first met.
Cloud watched as Zack woke up. He was alive again. He'd been dead, but now he was alive. For real, not just a spirit that could solidify himself. Alive. Human. Solid. Alive. The concept wasn't sinking in properly and he decided to sit there staring until it did.
Zack slowly sat up and swung his feet off the bed before looking at the two people before him. "If this isn't heaven then I guess you two aren't angels. Though I thought you were at first." he said with his usual grin. "Thanks for the help though." He then held his chin in thought. "Hmmm...now what can I do to repay you guys for the help?"
Aerith was looking at Zack confused. She felt that something wasn't right, though she couldn't tell what it was.
"Zack? That's Aerith, your fiancée. And I'm Cloud, your best friend." Cloud was worried that Zack didn't recognize them.
Zack's face went blank at hearing this as he stood up. A few minutes went by before he spoke. "If Kunsel put you two up to this then it's a really bad joke."
Aerith couldn't say anything from the shock of hearing Zack say that. She knew he had his moments for joking around, but she could tell he wasn't joking, she could see the seriousness on his face.
"Aerith?" Cloud asked. He was worried and didn't know what to do.
Aerith looked from Zack to Cloud and back to Zack again. She knew she had to say something. "Zack? What's the last thing you remember?"
Zack turned to look at her with a somewhat sad expression. "Angeal...he attacked me...and then I fell through the floor."
"Into the church..." Aerith said under her breath. She knew what happened after that because she had been there. It had been when she and Zack first met.
Cloud looked between his two friends, not sure what they were talking about.
"Zack, would you mind waiting in here for a few minutes?" Aerith asked him with her usual smile. It was hard for her to smile like that after not doing it for days.
Zack looked at her curiously but agreed as he watched the woman named Aerith ask the blond to come with her for a moment.
Cloud got up and followed Aerith out of the room, glancing back a few times to look at Zack.
Aerith closed the door to Zack's room before turning to talk to Cloud. "I bet Zack never told you how he and I met. See, I met Zack after he fell through the roof of that church in the slums." She paused for a moment. "I found out later that his friend Angeal had attacked him and caused him to fall through the floor just before that." She was hoping that Cloud was picking up on what she was trying to say but chose to explain it to him in simpler terms anyway. "What I mean is that I think he only remembers everything prior to meeting me in the slums church." Aerith was still shocked about Zack's memory but was trying her best to be strong.
"That's a lot to have forgotten," Cloud ran a hand nervously through his hair. "You think he's going to be all right?"
"I don't know." Aerith's voice had gone quiet as she folded her hands together like she was going to pray. "But I want to know...I want to know what made him forget only a part of his memory." She closed her eyes in silence for a moment and then opened them again. It was clear that she was worried.
Zack opened the door in that moment. "You two a couple or something? You're taking a pretty long time." Amusement seemed to show on his face as he made the comment.
Cloud was about to reply to Aerith when Zack came out into the hall. His question caught Cloud off guard, but he quickly recovered and replied. "No, you two are. She's your fiancée."
Zack looked at him confused. "As nice as that sounds I don't even have a girlfriend let alone a fiancée." There was silence before he spoke again. "Listen, as nice as you guys are, I really need to get going."
Hearing Zack say those things was starting to take a toll on Aerith's heart. Her strength was breaking fast as she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to hold them back. "Zack..." was all she could say under her breath.
"Do you even know where you are, Zack? You're nowhere near where you think you are. You're not even on the same world. This is your home and," Cloud pointed at Aerith, "She's the love of your life. I don't know what happened to make you forget, but there's years of information, of experience, years of life and things that you've forgotten. And as much as I wouldn't have minded stealing her away for myself five years ago, she's not really my type anymore. I'm supposed to be the best man in your wedding. Why don't you remember any of this? You're my best friend, my mentor, the man who saved my life. It hurts that you can't remember any of that. What's it going to take to get you to remember?"
Cloud hadn't even realized it until he was crouching down on the floor just how upset he was. His body was shaking, and he could hardly breathe.
"Whoa, slow down!" Zack had barely made out everything said as he looked at the blond man in front of him. He was so confused by what he was hearing but decided to give the two a chance to explain and prove what they were saying. "Alright, then can you two prove that I really lost my memory?"
Zack asking this gave Aerith an idea. "Cloud, can you get Zack's sword really quick? It's against the wall downstairs."
Confused, Cloud glanced at Aerith before standing. With a nod he left the room and went to grab Zack's sword. He wasn't sure what Aerith had in mind, but he hoped it would work.
Aerith waited for Cloud to return with the sword before speaking again. "Zack, do you recognize this?" She pointed to the sword that Cloud was now holding.
Zack hadn't needed her to say anything to know that sword. He knew it well. "That's Angeal's sword! But why do you two have it?" he exclaimed. He noticed that it seemed older and more worn out then he had remembered. He was wondering why it looked that way when he had only seen Angeal use it once. The last time he had seen it he was sure it had been in perfect condition. Angeal had always made sure to keep it that way.
"It's your sword now, Zack. It was mine for a while." Cloud gave the sword a light swing, careful not to bring it near anyone or knock anything over. He'd missed it, though his own sword was admittedly much cooler.
Zack still wasn't sure if the two people before him were speaking truth, but a small part of him was now saying that they might be. "If that's my sword now, then what's happened to Angeal?"
Aerith sent him a very sad expression. She wished she didn't have to tell him about Angeal. "He's dead Zack. He died a long time ago. He gave you this sword when he died. He entrusted it to you."
Cloud was unsure of whether he should tell Zack that he'd died and passed it onto him, or if he should make something up if Zack questioned why he'd had it. He looked to Aerith, leaving the decision up to her. He wasn't sure how to tell someone that they used to be dead.
Zack had gone silent at hearing about Angeal's death. He could see that the woman named Aerith wasn't lying about it. He dropped to the floor and looked down. He felt the tears starting to stream down his face. The news hurt his heart. He had not been expecting this. Angeal had been his mentor, and most important, his friend. He had trained Zack since his first day as a SOLDIER. Now he was gone. Zack would never see him again. He could hardly bare it.
Aerith remained silent as she knelt down and hugged Zack to help comfort him. This is why she hadn't wanted to tell him about Angeal. She knew how hard he would take it.
Seeing how Zack was taking the news about Angeal, he decided it was probably best not to inform him of his own death tonight. He shifted uncomfortably, still holding the sword.
It took a long time before Zack finally calmed down enough for Aerith to let him go and to stand again. He was starting to believe that they were telling the truth about his lost memories. "What are your names again? I missed them before. And I want you to tell me how I know you two." Zack felt he wanted to get back whatever memories he had lost, even if it meant someone else telling him.
Aerith stood after releasing him from her embrace and smiled. She was glad that he seemed to believe them a bit more now. "My name is Aerith. We met when you fell through the roof of the church in the slums. I had been taking care of some flowers. Then you asked me to go on a date with you so you could repay me for my help." Aerith couldn't help but giggle a little at the memory. Zack had been very persistent in trying to get her to go on a date with him.
"I'm Cloud, I was just a guard when you were a SOLDIER, but I looked up to you and you were my mentor." He glanced over at Zack, then added, "And you asked me to look after this sword for you before we parted ways." He glanced over at Aerith, asking if he should state just how they had parted ways.
Zack had a very confused look on his face as he looked from Cloud to Aerith and back to Cloud. "Parted ways?" Zack felt that there was something he was missing.
Aerith had given Cloud an uncomfortable look when he mentioned the parting ways. She hadn't been ready to tell Zack that he had actually been dead at one point, and honestly, she still wasn't. On the other hand, she didn't want to lie to him about it and if she tried to avoid the question she knew he would notice. She chose to let Cloud handle it since he knew more about what happened then she did.
"It's kind of a tough story, Zack. Do you mind if we save the details on it for later?" Cloud nervously ran a hand through his hair.
Zack had noticed the nervous movement and it made him give Cloud a more serious look. "I think I might want to know now."
Aerith gave Zack a smile. She was hoping it would help cover up her own nervousness. "Zack, please. Let's save that story for another time." She was wrong to think saying that would change his mind about wanting to know. The look she saw on his face hadn't changed at all as he kept his eyes pinned on Cloud for an answer.
"Don't say I didn't warn you, Zack." Cloud sighed, trying to figure out how best to inform Zack of what happened. "We were in a lab being experimented upon for about five years, Zack. One day you finally managed to find a way for us to escape, but I had mako poisoning. I told you to leave without me, because I'd just weigh you down, and I did. They came after us." He wondered if he could just leave it at that, if Zack could draw his own conclusions or if he'd have to actually say it.
Zack wasn't too surprised to hear that Shinra had used him as an experiment. He knew Hollander had done the same to Angeal and Genesis. What did surprise him was hearing that it had been for five years. Only one question came to mind as he thought about what Cloud had just told him. "What was the experiment? What did they do?" Zack wanted to know what they had done to him. He knew how it had affected Angeal, and he wanted to know if he would feel the same effects.
Aerith kept silent, allowing Cloud to continue explaining.
"I don't know what they did to you. I wasn't very aware of my surroundings. I'm not sure how often they were dosing me with mako, but I'd say it was frequent enough. I don't think you were getting the same treatment I was though." Cloud set the sword against the wall then slid down to the floor; he didn't feel like standing anymore.
Zack leaned against the wall and held his chin in thought. The news of being experimented on was easier information for him to handle then hearing about Angeal's death. "Who was it running the experiment then? Was it Hollander?"
Aerith was relieved that Zack was taking this all pretty well. He seemed to believe them completely now, and he also seemed to want to remember what he'd forgotten. Though she had been relieved when he hadn't asked what happened after he and Cloud had been pursued.
"Hojo," Cloud replied. "Hojo was in charge of the experimentations."
Zack knew the name. In his current memories he remembered meeting Hojo not too long ago. "Figures. I knew that guy was a damn bastard the day I met him! He was working on something called Project S I think. There were notes for it scattered all over one of the labs that Sephiroth and I were searching. We were trying to find some clues about Project G. It was all kind of creepy."
"Sephiroth went crazy. I had to kill him and that's how we ended up Hojo's experiments." It was hard to believe just how much there was that Zack didn't remember.
Zack couldn't believe what Cloud had just said. "Sephiroth going crazy? I just can't see that happening to a guy like him." It was obvious that Zack really didn't believe it.
"He's telling the truth Zack. Sephiroth...he..." Aerith chose not to finish her sentence. She had a feeling that Zack wasn't ready to know that he was talking with a spirit of someone Sephiroth had killed. She hoped that Cloud would be able to handle the rest.
"He went to Neibelheim, killed a bunch of people trying to get to Jenova's head. He nearly killed me in the process. Not that killing him actually stopped him. He keeps managing to come back to life."
Hearing this got Zack thinking again. "Neibelheim...I think there's a mako reactor there right?" he seemed to be talking to himself. He spoke to Cloud next. "I don't get it. Why would Sephiroth do something like that? How could that happen? I've worked with Sephiroth, and he's always avoided killing people unless they attacked first. He even refused the mission where he was supposed to kill Angeal and Genesis. I just can't believe Sephiroth would do something like that! It's not something he would do!"
Aerith could understand why it was so hard to believe for Zack. Sephiroth had been both a partner and friend on many missions. Not only that, but she knew Zack had looked up to Sephiroth, and it had been because of him that Zack had joined SOLDIER. "He's not the Sephiroth you know anymore. He's not the SOLDIER you looked up to. He's completely different now."
"Yeah, there is. I looked up to Sephiroth, too. He was my hero, but he went crazy, Zack. That's why. Insanity." Cloud shifted uncomfortably. He knew losing memories wasn't easy to deal with. He knew it took time to get them all in order, but he hadn't lost his, only lost track of them, lost track of what was real and what wasn't. Zack's memories seemed to have completely disappeared.
"It's just hard to believe that! I believe you two when you say that I lost my memories. But I don't know how to believe everything you guys are saying! The memories I do have just don't add up to what you’re telling me! Maybe if it was Tseng or Cissinei, or even Lazard telling me it would be easier to believe! But that's because I remember them! But it's hard to believe people that I don't even remember! I'm not saying I think you two are bad, but it's...how do I fully believe and trust people I don't even remember!" Zack had raised his voice without even noticing. He wanted to know what he'd forgotten, but some of it was so hard for him to take in. He picked up the buster sword. It felt comfortable in his hand. Even if he couldn't remember it, he could feel that he had wielded the sword before. Holding it helped him calm down, it made him feel like Angeal was there with him.
Aerith couldn't help but watch in silence as Zack picked up the sword. She could tell he had a lot on his mind. Though she was sure he believed most of what they had said, she could see that part of him was still doubting or perhaps wishing that they were lying.
Watching Zack handle the sword, Cloud got an idea. Without saying anything he got up and left the house, returning to his bike outside. He pushed the button to release the pieces of his sword and put them together. He then returned to the house and held the sword out to Zack. "Hold this one for a minute."
Zack looked from Cloud to the sword he held. He didn't understand why Cloud was doing this, but he figured it couldn't hurt. He put the buster sword down and grabbed Cloud's. It didn't feel as comfortable in his hand as the buster but there was something about it that seemed familiar all the same. He felt like he had held this sword before but the feeling was very faint, like he had only held it in his hand once, and for a short period of time. There was something else about it too, a familiar presence to it. Zack closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember whose presence it was, but the memory wasn't there. Only the feeling. He knew one thing about it though, he trusted that presence. He trusted it with his very life.
Aerith had been as confused as Zack when Cloud had gotten his own sword and given it to Zack. She hoped that whatever Cloud had planned would work. She watched as Zack held Cloud's sword and then closed his eyes only to open them a moment later. She wasn't sure what was going on.
"Last time I was here we sparred and you used that sword. My sword." Cloud hoped that this would provide the proof Zack needed to know that they did know each other.
"I know. Well, I don't really know but I know you're not lying. This sword...has your presence. I can feel it and I know it...even though I don't remember anything about you. But I trust that presence with my life. I feel that I have for a long time." He looked Cloud straight in the eyes. "I trust you...Cloud." He was showing great confidence about it. He knew now, even without his memories, that Cloud was who he had claimed to be. Cloud was his best friend.
Zack's words put Cloud at ease, though he still wished he knew why this had happened to Zack. He glanced over at the wall and noticed the time. "I'm sorry. Aerith? Zack? I've got to go or I'll never get my deliveries done tomorrow." He turned to face Aerith. "Keep me updated on this, and let me know if you need any more help. I really wish I could stay longer, but I can't."
"I'll let you know if anything happens Cloud." She would have liked for Cloud to stay longer in this type of situation, but knew that he had things he needed to do. "Thank you." She gave him a bright smile. "If you get a chance, come by again. I'm sure it would help."
Zack gave Cloud a slight wave before speaking. "Whether I'll get back my real memories or not, I don't know. But I'm going to try to remember what I can." Zack still showed great confidence. He was sure that he'd get back the memories he had lost.
"Thanks Aerith. I'll try and come by again soon. I want to help." Cloud took back his sword from Zack and gave him a hug before turning to Aerith and doing the same. He then slipped out of the house, and disassembled his sword to put away. He had a long drive ahead of him, and if he could make it back at least most of the way, he wouldn't have any problems finishing his deliveries in the morning.
Zack watched from the window with Aerith as Cloud drove off. He suddenly put his hand to his head. His head had started hurting. He closed his eyes to try and force out the pain. When his head finally stopped aching a few seconds later he opened them again. When he looked out the window again, Cloud was already out of sight. "Neibelheim...was Cloud's hometown." he said under his breath.
Aerith had thought she heard Zack say something, but it had been said so quietly that she hadn't made it out. She chose to think it was just Zack mumbling to himself about something. She knew he had heard so much today, and most likely he had just been making sure he didn't forget everything he had been told. She would probably have to tell him more tomorrow, but for now, she was going to get some sleep.
What: Some comforting, worrying, and memory loss
When: Thursday January 24
Where: Zack and Aerith's house
Why: We felt like it.
Also: Rated PG.
Cloud finished his deliveries as quickly as he could Thursday morning then headed to Aerith and Zack's. It seemed like the drive took forever, but he eventually arrived. He was worried, Aerith hadn't said a whole lot when they'd spoken on livejournal, but what she had said, didn't sound promising. He pulled up in the driveway and parked, albeit haphazardly, before running up to the front door.
Aerith ran to the door as she heard Fenrir pulling into the driveway. She knew it had to be Cloud. She wiped some tears away before opening the door. She wasn't able to give Cloud her usual smile as she let him in. Ryuu stood beside her for a moment before going to quietly nudge Cloud's hand with his nose. The entire house seemed so quiet compared to its usual active atmosphere.
Feeling the nudge at his hand, Cloud instinctively pet the dog as he stepped further into the house. The atmosphere was somber, and seeing Aerith in such a state was enough to tug at his heart. Aerith was supposed to be everyone's support, and now he was supposed to be hers. He wasn't sure he could do it, but he was certainly going to try.
"Thank you Cloud. For coming" Aerith's voice was quiet even to her ears. For once, she just couldn't think right. She didn't know what to say right now and she was so tired. She hadn't slept much since everything happened and it was noticeable.
Cloud didn't say anything, only closed the distance between them and gave Aerith a much needed hug. He knew she would have done the same for him.
Aerith quickly gave into the embrace as tears began to again stream down her cheeks. She buried her face into Clouds chest to hide them.
He could feel the tears staining his shirt as Aerith cried against his chest. Cloud let out a breath and ran his hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her. He wasn't sure if now was a good time to ask to see Zack, but he didn't really understand what was going on and wasn't sure he would until he had that chance.
She felt Cloud's hand on her back and knew he was trying his best to comfort her. She had cried so much in the last few days that the tears stopped within a few minutes. It seemed like she has run out of tears to cry. Another few minutes passed before she felt comfortable enough for Cloud to release her from the embrace. Her eyes were even more red and puffy then they had been when Cloud had arrived but she was able to manage an almost unnoticeable forced smile. "Thanks Cloud...I think I really needed that." Normally it would have been Zack comforting her when she was upset, but today it was Cloud.
Cloud made a soft sound and nodded. He watched her for a minute before speaking. "You want to tell me what's going on? Or let me see Zack?" His voice conveyed nothing short of concern despite the lack of it in the words he'd chosen - he was never great with those anyways.
Aerith decided she'd explain as much as she could as she led Cloud to Zack's room. It was an uncomfortable topic but she knew that she could tell Cloud. "I'm not completely sure what happened since some of my memory is a little fuzzy. But I'll explain as best I can." She took a breath before beginning. "Something happened to me a few days ago. It was like a nightmare that I couldn't control. My personality completely changed into one that...." She was trying hard to keep her voice steady. "that wanted to kill people. I almost killed a couple of kids because of it. Zack stopped me before anything too serious happened. I don't really remember much after that. When I came to, Zack just...collapsed. It was like he had been fighting nonstop for days. I tried healing him and waking him up, but nothing has worked. I couldn't even heal him." Aerith went quiet as they entered Zack's room. Ryuu walked past her and Cloud to lay down next to Zack's bed. As Aerith had said, he was unconscious on the bed. A few cuts and bruises, but nothing that looked too serious.
The words that came out of Aerith's mouth, while he had expected some of it, from what she'd said in the comments on livejournal, actually hearing them come from her mouth made it really sink in. "Shit," he said quietly, unsure of how else to react. However, nothing she'd said had prepared him for seeing Zack. He looked a lot better than he had when Cloud had watched him die, but the image of that memory wouldn't leave him as he looked down at his friend.
He stood in silence for several minutes unsure of what to say or do before he sunk down onto the bed, sitting next to Zack and reaching out for his hand. It was warm and Cloud mentally kicked himself for expecting otherwise.
Aerith broke the silence. "He's alive."
"I know that," Cloud replied.
Aerith looked at him for a moment before speaking again. "I don't think you understand what I meant when I said that. I mean he's really alive Cloud. He's human, not just a spirit anymore." The look on her face showed how serious she was when she said this. "He's not dead anymore."
Blinking, Cloud looked over at Aerith. It took several minutes for the information to process and even then he couldn't believe it. "What do you mean? How is that possible?"
Aerith knew how unbelievable it sounded. She had thought it was impossible too, but the proof was now lying right in front of her. "I don't know. I didn't think it was possible. I thought I had been mistaken at first, but I wasn't. He has a heart beat, a pulse, and a real body."
"How did this happen?" Cloud asked. He needed answers. He looked down at Zack and then back at Aerith. He sighed, 'Sorry, if you had answers you'd have given them already. You said he won't wake up?"
Aerith shook her head. "He hasn't woken up since everything happened. I've tried everything I can think of but it just doesn't work. I don't know what to do anymore." Her eyes moved from Cloud to the floor. She didn't want to look at Zack. She felt she would start crying again if she looked at him.
"Have you tried taking him to a doctor?" Cloud asked.
"I had one come here, but they said there was nothing wrong with him except that he had the minor cuts and bruises. But that's obvious." Aerith replied.
Zack was starting to hear voices despite the darkness that seemed to be surrounding him. Who did the voices belong to? he thought to himself. He couldn't recognize the two voices as his mind started telling him to wake up and open his eyes.
As Cloud was still holding Zack's hand, he noticed the slight movement of the other man stirring. He didn't say anything though; it could just be a false alarm. He could have twitched slightly himself and mistook it for Zack. He focused his attention back on his friend, willing him to wake up.
Zack felt someone holding his hand as he barely managed to slightly open his eyes. Seeing the light so suddenly was difficult on his eyes since they hadn't adjusted to it yet. As he looked around he could see two blurry figures. When the blurred eyesight faded he could see that the figures were a man with blond hair and a woman with long, light brown hair. "Heaven?" he asked. His mind was still groggy.
Aerith had noticed Zack stirring and couldn't believe it when he opened his eyes. She had tried so long and hard to get him to wake up, and now he was finally awake. "Thank god." she said under her breath as she ran over to the bed. When he asked if he was in heaven, she couldn't help but put on a slight smile and say "No such luck" as she had when they first met.
Cloud watched as Zack woke up. He was alive again. He'd been dead, but now he was alive. For real, not just a spirit that could solidify himself. Alive. Human. Solid. Alive. The concept wasn't sinking in properly and he decided to sit there staring until it did.
Zack slowly sat up and swung his feet off the bed before looking at the two people before him. "If this isn't heaven then I guess you two aren't angels. Though I thought you were at first." he said with his usual grin. "Thanks for the help though." He then held his chin in thought. "Hmmm...now what can I do to repay you guys for the help?"
Aerith was looking at Zack confused. She felt that something wasn't right, though she couldn't tell what it was.
"Zack? That's Aerith, your fiancée. And I'm Cloud, your best friend." Cloud was worried that Zack didn't recognize them.
Zack's face went blank at hearing this as he stood up. A few minutes went by before he spoke. "If Kunsel put you two up to this then it's a really bad joke."
Aerith couldn't say anything from the shock of hearing Zack say that. She knew he had his moments for joking around, but she could tell he wasn't joking, she could see the seriousness on his face.
"Aerith?" Cloud asked. He was worried and didn't know what to do.
Aerith looked from Zack to Cloud and back to Zack again. She knew she had to say something. "Zack? What's the last thing you remember?"
Zack turned to look at her with a somewhat sad expression. "Angeal...he attacked me...and then I fell through the floor."
"Into the church..." Aerith said under her breath. She knew what happened after that because she had been there. It had been when she and Zack first met.
Cloud looked between his two friends, not sure what they were talking about.
"Zack, would you mind waiting in here for a few minutes?" Aerith asked him with her usual smile. It was hard for her to smile like that after not doing it for days.
Zack looked at her curiously but agreed as he watched the woman named Aerith ask the blond to come with her for a moment.
Cloud got up and followed Aerith out of the room, glancing back a few times to look at Zack.
Aerith closed the door to Zack's room before turning to talk to Cloud. "I bet Zack never told you how he and I met. See, I met Zack after he fell through the roof of that church in the slums." She paused for a moment. "I found out later that his friend Angeal had attacked him and caused him to fall through the floor just before that." She was hoping that Cloud was picking up on what she was trying to say but chose to explain it to him in simpler terms anyway. "What I mean is that I think he only remembers everything prior to meeting me in the slums church." Aerith was still shocked about Zack's memory but was trying her best to be strong.
"That's a lot to have forgotten," Cloud ran a hand nervously through his hair. "You think he's going to be all right?"
"I don't know." Aerith's voice had gone quiet as she folded her hands together like she was going to pray. "But I want to know...I want to know what made him forget only a part of his memory." She closed her eyes in silence for a moment and then opened them again. It was clear that she was worried.
Zack opened the door in that moment. "You two a couple or something? You're taking a pretty long time." Amusement seemed to show on his face as he made the comment.
Cloud was about to reply to Aerith when Zack came out into the hall. His question caught Cloud off guard, but he quickly recovered and replied. "No, you two are. She's your fiancée."
Zack looked at him confused. "As nice as that sounds I don't even have a girlfriend let alone a fiancée." There was silence before he spoke again. "Listen, as nice as you guys are, I really need to get going."
Hearing Zack say those things was starting to take a toll on Aerith's heart. Her strength was breaking fast as she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't know how much longer she'd be able to hold them back. "Zack..." was all she could say under her breath.
"Do you even know where you are, Zack? You're nowhere near where you think you are. You're not even on the same world. This is your home and," Cloud pointed at Aerith, "She's the love of your life. I don't know what happened to make you forget, but there's years of information, of experience, years of life and things that you've forgotten. And as much as I wouldn't have minded stealing her away for myself five years ago, she's not really my type anymore. I'm supposed to be the best man in your wedding. Why don't you remember any of this? You're my best friend, my mentor, the man who saved my life. It hurts that you can't remember any of that. What's it going to take to get you to remember?"
Cloud hadn't even realized it until he was crouching down on the floor just how upset he was. His body was shaking, and he could hardly breathe.
"Whoa, slow down!" Zack had barely made out everything said as he looked at the blond man in front of him. He was so confused by what he was hearing but decided to give the two a chance to explain and prove what they were saying. "Alright, then can you two prove that I really lost my memory?"
Zack asking this gave Aerith an idea. "Cloud, can you get Zack's sword really quick? It's against the wall downstairs."
Confused, Cloud glanced at Aerith before standing. With a nod he left the room and went to grab Zack's sword. He wasn't sure what Aerith had in mind, but he hoped it would work.
Aerith waited for Cloud to return with the sword before speaking again. "Zack, do you recognize this?" She pointed to the sword that Cloud was now holding.
Zack hadn't needed her to say anything to know that sword. He knew it well. "That's Angeal's sword! But why do you two have it?" he exclaimed. He noticed that it seemed older and more worn out then he had remembered. He was wondering why it looked that way when he had only seen Angeal use it once. The last time he had seen it he was sure it had been in perfect condition. Angeal had always made sure to keep it that way.
"It's your sword now, Zack. It was mine for a while." Cloud gave the sword a light swing, careful not to bring it near anyone or knock anything over. He'd missed it, though his own sword was admittedly much cooler.
Zack still wasn't sure if the two people before him were speaking truth, but a small part of him was now saying that they might be. "If that's my sword now, then what's happened to Angeal?"
Aerith sent him a very sad expression. She wished she didn't have to tell him about Angeal. "He's dead Zack. He died a long time ago. He gave you this sword when he died. He entrusted it to you."
Cloud was unsure of whether he should tell Zack that he'd died and passed it onto him, or if he should make something up if Zack questioned why he'd had it. He looked to Aerith, leaving the decision up to her. He wasn't sure how to tell someone that they used to be dead.
Zack had gone silent at hearing about Angeal's death. He could see that the woman named Aerith wasn't lying about it. He dropped to the floor and looked down. He felt the tears starting to stream down his face. The news hurt his heart. He had not been expecting this. Angeal had been his mentor, and most important, his friend. He had trained Zack since his first day as a SOLDIER. Now he was gone. Zack would never see him again. He could hardly bare it.
Aerith remained silent as she knelt down and hugged Zack to help comfort him. This is why she hadn't wanted to tell him about Angeal. She knew how hard he would take it.
Seeing how Zack was taking the news about Angeal, he decided it was probably best not to inform him of his own death tonight. He shifted uncomfortably, still holding the sword.
It took a long time before Zack finally calmed down enough for Aerith to let him go and to stand again. He was starting to believe that they were telling the truth about his lost memories. "What are your names again? I missed them before. And I want you to tell me how I know you two." Zack felt he wanted to get back whatever memories he had lost, even if it meant someone else telling him.
Aerith stood after releasing him from her embrace and smiled. She was glad that he seemed to believe them a bit more now. "My name is Aerith. We met when you fell through the roof of the church in the slums. I had been taking care of some flowers. Then you asked me to go on a date with you so you could repay me for my help." Aerith couldn't help but giggle a little at the memory. Zack had been very persistent in trying to get her to go on a date with him.
"I'm Cloud, I was just a guard when you were a SOLDIER, but I looked up to you and you were my mentor." He glanced over at Zack, then added, "And you asked me to look after this sword for you before we parted ways." He glanced over at Aerith, asking if he should state just how they had parted ways.
Zack had a very confused look on his face as he looked from Cloud to Aerith and back to Cloud. "Parted ways?" Zack felt that there was something he was missing.
Aerith had given Cloud an uncomfortable look when he mentioned the parting ways. She hadn't been ready to tell Zack that he had actually been dead at one point, and honestly, she still wasn't. On the other hand, she didn't want to lie to him about it and if she tried to avoid the question she knew he would notice. She chose to let Cloud handle it since he knew more about what happened then she did.
"It's kind of a tough story, Zack. Do you mind if we save the details on it for later?" Cloud nervously ran a hand through his hair.
Zack had noticed the nervous movement and it made him give Cloud a more serious look. "I think I might want to know now."
Aerith gave Zack a smile. She was hoping it would help cover up her own nervousness. "Zack, please. Let's save that story for another time." She was wrong to think saying that would change his mind about wanting to know. The look she saw on his face hadn't changed at all as he kept his eyes pinned on Cloud for an answer.
"Don't say I didn't warn you, Zack." Cloud sighed, trying to figure out how best to inform Zack of what happened. "We were in a lab being experimented upon for about five years, Zack. One day you finally managed to find a way for us to escape, but I had mako poisoning. I told you to leave without me, because I'd just weigh you down, and I did. They came after us." He wondered if he could just leave it at that, if Zack could draw his own conclusions or if he'd have to actually say it.
Zack wasn't too surprised to hear that Shinra had used him as an experiment. He knew Hollander had done the same to Angeal and Genesis. What did surprise him was hearing that it had been for five years. Only one question came to mind as he thought about what Cloud had just told him. "What was the experiment? What did they do?" Zack wanted to know what they had done to him. He knew how it had affected Angeal, and he wanted to know if he would feel the same effects.
Aerith kept silent, allowing Cloud to continue explaining.
"I don't know what they did to you. I wasn't very aware of my surroundings. I'm not sure how often they were dosing me with mako, but I'd say it was frequent enough. I don't think you were getting the same treatment I was though." Cloud set the sword against the wall then slid down to the floor; he didn't feel like standing anymore.
Zack leaned against the wall and held his chin in thought. The news of being experimented on was easier information for him to handle then hearing about Angeal's death. "Who was it running the experiment then? Was it Hollander?"
Aerith was relieved that Zack was taking this all pretty well. He seemed to believe them completely now, and he also seemed to want to remember what he'd forgotten. Though she had been relieved when he hadn't asked what happened after he and Cloud had been pursued.
"Hojo," Cloud replied. "Hojo was in charge of the experimentations."
Zack knew the name. In his current memories he remembered meeting Hojo not too long ago. "Figures. I knew that guy was a damn bastard the day I met him! He was working on something called Project S I think. There were notes for it scattered all over one of the labs that Sephiroth and I were searching. We were trying to find some clues about Project G. It was all kind of creepy."
"Sephiroth went crazy. I had to kill him and that's how we ended up Hojo's experiments." It was hard to believe just how much there was that Zack didn't remember.
Zack couldn't believe what Cloud had just said. "Sephiroth going crazy? I just can't see that happening to a guy like him." It was obvious that Zack really didn't believe it.
"He's telling the truth Zack. Sephiroth...he..." Aerith chose not to finish her sentence. She had a feeling that Zack wasn't ready to know that he was talking with a spirit of someone Sephiroth had killed. She hoped that Cloud would be able to handle the rest.
"He went to Neibelheim, killed a bunch of people trying to get to Jenova's head. He nearly killed me in the process. Not that killing him actually stopped him. He keeps managing to come back to life."
Hearing this got Zack thinking again. "Neibelheim...I think there's a mako reactor there right?" he seemed to be talking to himself. He spoke to Cloud next. "I don't get it. Why would Sephiroth do something like that? How could that happen? I've worked with Sephiroth, and he's always avoided killing people unless they attacked first. He even refused the mission where he was supposed to kill Angeal and Genesis. I just can't believe Sephiroth would do something like that! It's not something he would do!"
Aerith could understand why it was so hard to believe for Zack. Sephiroth had been both a partner and friend on many missions. Not only that, but she knew Zack had looked up to Sephiroth, and it had been because of him that Zack had joined SOLDIER. "He's not the Sephiroth you know anymore. He's not the SOLDIER you looked up to. He's completely different now."
"Yeah, there is. I looked up to Sephiroth, too. He was my hero, but he went crazy, Zack. That's why. Insanity." Cloud shifted uncomfortably. He knew losing memories wasn't easy to deal with. He knew it took time to get them all in order, but he hadn't lost his, only lost track of them, lost track of what was real and what wasn't. Zack's memories seemed to have completely disappeared.
"It's just hard to believe that! I believe you two when you say that I lost my memories. But I don't know how to believe everything you guys are saying! The memories I do have just don't add up to what you’re telling me! Maybe if it was Tseng or Cissinei, or even Lazard telling me it would be easier to believe! But that's because I remember them! But it's hard to believe people that I don't even remember! I'm not saying I think you two are bad, but it's...how do I fully believe and trust people I don't even remember!" Zack had raised his voice without even noticing. He wanted to know what he'd forgotten, but some of it was so hard for him to take in. He picked up the buster sword. It felt comfortable in his hand. Even if he couldn't remember it, he could feel that he had wielded the sword before. Holding it helped him calm down, it made him feel like Angeal was there with him.
Aerith couldn't help but watch in silence as Zack picked up the sword. She could tell he had a lot on his mind. Though she was sure he believed most of what they had said, she could see that part of him was still doubting or perhaps wishing that they were lying.
Watching Zack handle the sword, Cloud got an idea. Without saying anything he got up and left the house, returning to his bike outside. He pushed the button to release the pieces of his sword and put them together. He then returned to the house and held the sword out to Zack. "Hold this one for a minute."
Zack looked from Cloud to the sword he held. He didn't understand why Cloud was doing this, but he figured it couldn't hurt. He put the buster sword down and grabbed Cloud's. It didn't feel as comfortable in his hand as the buster but there was something about it that seemed familiar all the same. He felt like he had held this sword before but the feeling was very faint, like he had only held it in his hand once, and for a short period of time. There was something else about it too, a familiar presence to it. Zack closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember whose presence it was, but the memory wasn't there. Only the feeling. He knew one thing about it though, he trusted that presence. He trusted it with his very life.
Aerith had been as confused as Zack when Cloud had gotten his own sword and given it to Zack. She hoped that whatever Cloud had planned would work. She watched as Zack held Cloud's sword and then closed his eyes only to open them a moment later. She wasn't sure what was going on.
"Last time I was here we sparred and you used that sword. My sword." Cloud hoped that this would provide the proof Zack needed to know that they did know each other.
"I know. Well, I don't really know but I know you're not lying. This sword...has your presence. I can feel it and I know it...even though I don't remember anything about you. But I trust that presence with my life. I feel that I have for a long time." He looked Cloud straight in the eyes. "I trust you...Cloud." He was showing great confidence about it. He knew now, even without his memories, that Cloud was who he had claimed to be. Cloud was his best friend.
Zack's words put Cloud at ease, though he still wished he knew why this had happened to Zack. He glanced over at the wall and noticed the time. "I'm sorry. Aerith? Zack? I've got to go or I'll never get my deliveries done tomorrow." He turned to face Aerith. "Keep me updated on this, and let me know if you need any more help. I really wish I could stay longer, but I can't."
"I'll let you know if anything happens Cloud." She would have liked for Cloud to stay longer in this type of situation, but knew that he had things he needed to do. "Thank you." She gave him a bright smile. "If you get a chance, come by again. I'm sure it would help."
Zack gave Cloud a slight wave before speaking. "Whether I'll get back my real memories or not, I don't know. But I'm going to try to remember what I can." Zack still showed great confidence. He was sure that he'd get back the memories he had lost.
"Thanks Aerith. I'll try and come by again soon. I want to help." Cloud took back his sword from Zack and gave him a hug before turning to Aerith and doing the same. He then slipped out of the house, and disassembled his sword to put away. He had a long drive ahead of him, and if he could make it back at least most of the way, he wouldn't have any problems finishing his deliveries in the morning.
Zack watched from the window with Aerith as Cloud drove off. He suddenly put his hand to his head. His head had started hurting. He closed his eyes to try and force out the pain. When his head finally stopped aching a few seconds later he opened them again. When he looked out the window again, Cloud was already out of sight. "Neibelheim...was Cloud's hometown." he said under his breath.
Aerith had thought she heard Zack say something, but it had been said so quietly that she hadn't made it out. She chose to think it was just Zack mumbling to himself about something. She knew he had heard so much today, and most likely he had just been making sure he didn't forget everything he had been told. She would probably have to tell him more tomorrow, but for now, she was going to get some sleep.