Fanfiction: Rewind; Replay, Chapter 1 [CCFFVII]
Title: Rewind; Replay
Chapter: 01: Mentor
Previous Chapter(s): Prologue: Goddess
Genres: Friendship/Drama
Rating: PG-13
Characters (by chapter): Zack Fair, Angeal Hewley, mentions of Minerva, Sephiroth, Cloud Strife, Genesis Rhapsodos & Aerith Gainsborough
Spoilers/Warnings: Most of Crisis Core.
Disclaimer: Crisis Core ~Final Fantasy VII~ belongs to Square-Enix.
A/N: This story is set when Zack is on the run with Cloud, and inspired by the mail Zack receives from Kunsel after he defeats Minerva. ^^
Summary: It sounded unreal, but it wasn't. He'd been given a chance to undo everything. But there was a chance he'd never meet the lives that he'd change. Could he bear to give them all up... Even if he wouldn't even know it the next time he awoke?
When Zack next opened his eyes, he saw the same green of the Lifestream but Minerva was nowhere to be found. Sitting up, he took a look at himself, noting that he looked the same as before. Figures that Minerva wouldn't give him a snazzy new outfit. New powers probably didn't equate to new clothes. Too bad for him then. If he had some new suit of armor that would identify himself as the God of Gaia (for the moment at least), it'd be more impressive if he met anyone he knew while he was here in the Lifestream.
It then occurred to Zack that he could meet people he knew in the Lifestream. The Lifestream held the wills and memories of people who had lived, although the individual wills became diluted to form a mass of indecipherable voices after time. But was it possible to still find wills strong enough to largely resist dilution? Or at least resist enough of it to retain a functioning will? He had to try. There was someone he really, really wanted to see again.
"Angeal," he said aloud.
Almost unconsciously, he began gathering all the memories he had of his mentor, be they pleasant or unpleasant ones. He remembered how he’d first met Angeal, how Angeal eventually became his mentor, the times where Angeal would get exasperated with him over one thing or another, how despite that Angeal would always be there for him when he most needed it, that time in Wutai where Angeal had used his Buster Sword to protect him... and that very fateful day in Modeoheim where Angeal entrusted his prided Buster Sword to him...
Zack wasn't sure what he really was doing, but it felt like he was doing something right. It felt right. Minerva did say Her powers would come to him naturally, so he decided that this was probably one such instance. He wasn't entirely sure what would happen, but since it was related to Angeal, it wouldn't be-
"Zack...?"
That voice... was familiar. So very familiar. Zack scarcely believed that he was hearing it for real again. But...
"Zack...? Is that you?"
It had to be. He wasn't hearing things. He couldn't be. Zack immediately spun around, and sure enough, his mentor was there. Angeal was there. It really was him. Mindless of the fact that he was a good few years older than the last time he'd seen Angeal and should probably act his age (although when had he ever acted his age), Zack immediately ran (glided?) over to his mentor and gave him a big bear hug.
"Angeal! It's... it's really you!"
Angeal staggered backwards slightly at the unexpected, fierce embrace. He wasn't entirely sure how he appeared here. Gaia hadn't been as accepting of his presence due to his tainted cells, but over time, his will had begun to slowly merge with the Lifestream's collective consciousness although he still pulled himself out from time to time to keep an eye on a certain student of his, who was still alive on Gaia. However, he knew that he had been forgetting things already, and that sometimes he wasn't entirely sure if what he was thinking about really was him doing the thinking or the Planet. But then he had suddenly felt as if someone familiar was calling out to him, and some pieces of his forgotten memories started coming back to him...
The next thing he knew, he had emerged largely intact from the collective wills of the Lifestream to see Zack in the Lifestream, when the last time he'd check, Zack was still alive albeit on the run from ShinRa. He thought he had to be hallucinating... until that bear hug. That was absolutely something only Zack would do.
"Zack... Why are you here?" There was no reason Zack would be here... unless... and Angeal really didn't want to entertain that thought.
Realizing that his appearance in the Lifestream had to be confusing (not to mention worrying) the hell out of Angeal, Zack stepped back and hurriedly tried to explain. "I'm not dead, if that's what you're thinking. And I certainly didn't wake up one day and found myself becoming a Cetra... But I was suddenly made the God of Gaia."
There was a long pause as Zack looked expectantly at Angeal and Angeal stared back at Zack, wondering if the puppy had finally gone crazy.
"Right."
Zack sighed mentally. See? Minerva should've totally given him some snazzy new outfit that was similar to the regal armor She wore; it would make convincing Angeal of his story much easier. A whole lot easier, he was sure of it. There was no way ShinRa could make something that looked like Minerva's battle armor even with the copious amounts of technology they had at their disposable. He was going to have to do more to convince Angeal and he really wanted Angeal to believe him.
"Angeal, I swear I am not making it up. Just now, I was... testing out my new powers. I wanted to see you, and I figured that since I was in the Lifestream, perhaps I could try calling out to you. Minerva - that's the Goddess of Gaia - didn't explain what powers She had when she transferred them to me, but it felt right doing what I did," he said honestly. "And then... well, you appeared. You can't deny that, no?"
Angeal had to admit that he had indeed felt someone calling him just now. Plus, as incredulous as it was, he could tell that Zack wasn't lying to him. Oh Zack could be a great liar if he wanted to be - he often had to lie or tell partial truths to get out of some spat of trouble his mischievous, younger self often got into. But being Zack's mentor meant that he could see through those lies. Angeal also had to admit that he much preferred the prospect of Zack being the God of Gaia, than the one of which Zack was actually dead and hence, being in the Lifestream. Although, for the life - or death - of him, he couldn't fathom who would actually make Zack a god. That said, Zack was unquestionably a far better choice than some other people he once knew, but now cared little to think of.
"I suppose," he conceded, "That you really aren't dead. For one, you are far too lively. And... I did hear someone calling me just now-"
"You did? Now that means I can probably call anyone I want to talk to in the Lifestream!"
"But," Angeal continued, ignoring Zack's interruption with practiced ease, "I want to know how exactly you became the... God of Gaia."
Zack grinned, happy that Angeal had asked. Old habits still stuck with him despite the years that had passed and he wanted to impress his mentor now as much as he had when he'd still been a Second Class and when Angeal was technically alive. Pushing those more unpleasant thoughts out from his mind, Zack started to recount all that had happened to him to lead him to his meeting with Minerva, and then the aftermath of that fight. He couldn't help but feel a warm satisfaction bloom within him as Angeal had looked suitably impressed that he had actually held his own against Minerva and had defeated her as much as the Goddess had allowed him to. Zack was quite certain - and he was sure Angeal was thinking the same too - that Minerva hadn't actually gone all out against him. Following that, he finally came to the point where he had to explain what Minerva had planned for him.
"The Goddess of Gaia would like you to change the past to prevent future disasters? That would be caused by Sephiroth?" Angeal repeated rather incredulously.
"Yeah, that's what She said, although I thought Sephiroth had already died in Nibelheim... Well, in any case, She didn't tell me what would happen except that it'd make Nibelheim look like peanuts. If the burning of an entire village can be considered a minor incident... I don't really want to know what else would happen,” Zack said. "Besides, I've... I've always regretted not being able to do more to save you from..." he added, voice trailing off into a murmur.
"Zack, I don't blame you for killing me. It was what had to be done," Angeal quickly said. He was afraid that his student would feel guilty for killing him. Okay, so he knew pretty clearly that Zack would feel guilty for it but it was for the best that he had died. It probably wouldn't soften the blow to Zack, but that was the truth to Angeal.
"No!" came the instant and fierce rebuttal, and Zack's eyes were shining with unwavering conviction of his own views. "No! I know that you don't blame me. But there should have been another way, Angeal! You didn't need to die; I still maintain that you are not a monster. In fact, none of the people who died should have died. It's ShinRa's fault for funding all those experiments, for making use of people and for... for all their lies! That's why... That's why I undertook the task Minerva had for me. I'm going to change the past and make sure all of you, you, Sephiroth, Cloud and even Genesis, will be able to live your lives without ShinRa or any mad scientist screwing around with them!"
"But there is a price, isn't there, Zack?" Changing the past to change the future. It sounded good, but wouldn't that mean certain things would never happen again and that certain people might never have a chance to meet again? Had Zack stopped to carefully consider such possibilities? Angeal didn't know.
However, Zack surprised him with a calm but firm answer. "Yes there is. But I'm willing to pay it. Minerva said that I had to forgo all the relationships I've formed in this life and that it was possible that I will not meet any of you again. But if all of you can be happy and live the lives that you deserved to live, it's really not a bad deal."
"What about your girlfriend?"
That made Zack pause, although Angeal suspected it was due to surprise rather than the fact that he hadn't actually given thought to it before. He knew that he had died before Zack had mentioned his girlfriend to him. However, seeing as he had to occupy his time during the period where the Lifestream was having trouble fully absorbing his will (and there weren't many intact wills around for him to converse with), he had used those times to check up on Zack. To tell the truth, the clone that was now still with the girl had been initially sent to secretly keep an eye on Zack for him, even though it ended up as the girl's guard dog of sorts. And so, it was through that very same clone that he had learnt about Zack's relationship with the pretty flower girl.
"...How... how do you know about Aerith?"
"Long story short, the Lifestream doesn't reabsorb me easily because of the tainted cells that I have. I had to find a way to spend my time while drifting around with an intact will, so I got a living clone to keep an eye on you when I couldn't actively look out of the Lifestream. That clone's been in her church for awhile now."
Zack gawked at Angeal, working his jaw but no sound came out. Angeal had been keeping an eye on him from the Lifestream? "You..."
"Don't look so shocked, Zack. It was partly because I was bored, but I was genuinely worried about you."
"So... you actually know what's been happening to me all this while?"
"Yes. Including Nibelheim and its aftermath."
"Then I really wasn't seeing things before I broke out of the mako tube!"
"You weren't," Angeal agreed. "Because you were immersed in so much mako, which is the Lifestream in a sense, I manage to find your consciousness from the Lifestream and get a stronger grip on it then I otherwise would've. Following that, I tried to help you. You know the rest."
Before he could even anticipate it, Zack had hugged him once again, putting all the strength one had as a SOLDIER First Class and the current temporary God of Gaia into it. If Angeal had been a lesser man - or spirit - his overzealous student would've completely suffocated him to death... which would be really strange - and not the least bit logical - since he was very clearly, already dead. "...Zack."
Zack quickly let go of his mentor, knowing that Angeal didn't like being all touchy-feely. Still, he couldn't wipe off the delighted grin he had on his face. Hey, he hadn't seen his mentor in years! It fully justified, heck, it warranted a hugging or two! Especially more so, since said mentor had helped save his and Cloud's lives! He was really touched, and he had to show his appreciation somehow! Just saying "thank you" didn't seem enough in Zack's eyes. "Aww don't be so touchy, Angeal! I was just saying thank you!"
"And trying to crush my non-existent life out of me at the same time," the other deadpanned, although there was a slight hint of a smile curling the corners of his lips. He knew Zack was like that, and didn't really blame him. In fact, it was one of those things that made Zack all the more puppy-like and adorable, even at his age. "But we were on the topic of your girlfriend before we digressed. So. What will you do about her?"
Zack sobered up immediately, as his thoughts were redirected to the serious topic of potential sacrifices. "...I've thought about it. I really don't want to give up Aerith, I'll admit that, Angeal. Who knows whether I would meet her again in the changed future? But, right now, changing the fates of all those who have suffered, is even more important than my potential future happiness. I think, as long as I explain it to Aerith, she'll understand. She's a really special girl." After a slight pause, he added, "Maybe I should call her now."
When Angeal didn't say anything to object, Zack decided to go ahead with it. Aerith was a Cetra, and he had heard her mention about hearing messages from the Planet before, although she had said they weren't always very clear and understandable. Well, he was going to make his call as clear as he possibly could. Closing his eyes like before, Zack consciously concentrated on every memory he had on Aerith, of all the times they had spent together. In addition to that, he wove in his own mental voice into the call, hoping that it would have a stronger pull for Aerith to immerse her will even deeper into the Lifestream than she usually would. He would make sure that nothing would happen to her.
"Aerith..." Please come. I really want to see you again.
He wasn't sure if he was hearing things when a gentle, but earnest voice seemed to weave into his thoughts. It was also calling out to him, or perhaps to Gaia in general, but he was quite sure he felt something that suggested that it was in relation to him too. He went to follow that voice, directing his own call towards it too. It felt like it would lead his call to Aerith, and to eventually bring her here.
...
"...Zack? Is it... is it really you?"
So, the first chapter is finally done! It survived through a horrible wiping out of my entire thumb drive about a month back, even though it had to be recovered using a bunch of software. Not everything else I had inside, like fics for other fandoms, came back though. *sigh*
Anyway, I hope the ending wasn't too much of an evil cliffhanger. XD I tried my best to make this light-hearted and relatively fluffy, which is not entirely all that easy for me (even if it's Zack I'm writing) as I'm much better at writing angst. ^^" The 'gentle, but earnest voice' that Zack heard at the end is Aerith, or rather her prayers that Zack would come back and all that. Zack/Aerith is just too sweet, and they're my favourite HeT pair in FFVII! ^^ Well, hopefully nothing seems too OOC, since I've never had a very strong Angeal muse in me. Can't promise when the next chapter will be up, but I hope you'll all stick with me until the end! :D
Hope you enjoyed it so far and feel free to comment!
x-posted to:
zackfans
crisis_hardcore
_crisiscore_
acfiction
Chapter: 01: Mentor
Previous Chapter(s): Prologue: Goddess
Genres: Friendship/Drama
Rating: PG-13
Characters (by chapter): Zack Fair, Angeal Hewley, mentions of Minerva, Sephiroth, Cloud Strife, Genesis Rhapsodos & Aerith Gainsborough
Spoilers/Warnings: Most of Crisis Core.
Disclaimer: Crisis Core ~Final Fantasy VII~ belongs to Square-Enix.
A/N: This story is set when Zack is on the run with Cloud, and inspired by the mail Zack receives from Kunsel after he defeats Minerva. ^^
Summary: It sounded unreal, but it wasn't. He'd been given a chance to undo everything. But there was a chance he'd never meet the lives that he'd change. Could he bear to give them all up... Even if he wouldn't even know it the next time he awoke?
When Zack next opened his eyes, he saw the same green of the Lifestream but Minerva was nowhere to be found. Sitting up, he took a look at himself, noting that he looked the same as before. Figures that Minerva wouldn't give him a snazzy new outfit. New powers probably didn't equate to new clothes. Too bad for him then. If he had some new suit of armor that would identify himself as the God of Gaia (for the moment at least), it'd be more impressive if he met anyone he knew while he was here in the Lifestream.
It then occurred to Zack that he could meet people he knew in the Lifestream. The Lifestream held the wills and memories of people who had lived, although the individual wills became diluted to form a mass of indecipherable voices after time. But was it possible to still find wills strong enough to largely resist dilution? Or at least resist enough of it to retain a functioning will? He had to try. There was someone he really, really wanted to see again.
"Angeal," he said aloud.
Almost unconsciously, he began gathering all the memories he had of his mentor, be they pleasant or unpleasant ones. He remembered how he’d first met Angeal, how Angeal eventually became his mentor, the times where Angeal would get exasperated with him over one thing or another, how despite that Angeal would always be there for him when he most needed it, that time in Wutai where Angeal had used his Buster Sword to protect him... and that very fateful day in Modeoheim where Angeal entrusted his prided Buster Sword to him...
Zack wasn't sure what he really was doing, but it felt like he was doing something right. It felt right. Minerva did say Her powers would come to him naturally, so he decided that this was probably one such instance. He wasn't entirely sure what would happen, but since it was related to Angeal, it wouldn't be-
"Zack...?"
That voice... was familiar. So very familiar. Zack scarcely believed that he was hearing it for real again. But...
"Zack...? Is that you?"
It had to be. He wasn't hearing things. He couldn't be. Zack immediately spun around, and sure enough, his mentor was there. Angeal was there. It really was him. Mindless of the fact that he was a good few years older than the last time he'd seen Angeal and should probably act his age (although when had he ever acted his age), Zack immediately ran (glided?) over to his mentor and gave him a big bear hug.
"Angeal! It's... it's really you!"
Angeal staggered backwards slightly at the unexpected, fierce embrace. He wasn't entirely sure how he appeared here. Gaia hadn't been as accepting of his presence due to his tainted cells, but over time, his will had begun to slowly merge with the Lifestream's collective consciousness although he still pulled himself out from time to time to keep an eye on a certain student of his, who was still alive on Gaia. However, he knew that he had been forgetting things already, and that sometimes he wasn't entirely sure if what he was thinking about really was him doing the thinking or the Planet. But then he had suddenly felt as if someone familiar was calling out to him, and some pieces of his forgotten memories started coming back to him...
The next thing he knew, he had emerged largely intact from the collective wills of the Lifestream to see Zack in the Lifestream, when the last time he'd check, Zack was still alive albeit on the run from ShinRa. He thought he had to be hallucinating... until that bear hug. That was absolutely something only Zack would do.
"Zack... Why are you here?" There was no reason Zack would be here... unless... and Angeal really didn't want to entertain that thought.
Realizing that his appearance in the Lifestream had to be confusing (not to mention worrying) the hell out of Angeal, Zack stepped back and hurriedly tried to explain. "I'm not dead, if that's what you're thinking. And I certainly didn't wake up one day and found myself becoming a Cetra... But I was suddenly made the God of Gaia."
There was a long pause as Zack looked expectantly at Angeal and Angeal stared back at Zack, wondering if the puppy had finally gone crazy.
"Right."
Zack sighed mentally. See? Minerva should've totally given him some snazzy new outfit that was similar to the regal armor She wore; it would make convincing Angeal of his story much easier. A whole lot easier, he was sure of it. There was no way ShinRa could make something that looked like Minerva's battle armor even with the copious amounts of technology they had at their disposable. He was going to have to do more to convince Angeal and he really wanted Angeal to believe him.
"Angeal, I swear I am not making it up. Just now, I was... testing out my new powers. I wanted to see you, and I figured that since I was in the Lifestream, perhaps I could try calling out to you. Minerva - that's the Goddess of Gaia - didn't explain what powers She had when she transferred them to me, but it felt right doing what I did," he said honestly. "And then... well, you appeared. You can't deny that, no?"
Angeal had to admit that he had indeed felt someone calling him just now. Plus, as incredulous as it was, he could tell that Zack wasn't lying to him. Oh Zack could be a great liar if he wanted to be - he often had to lie or tell partial truths to get out of some spat of trouble his mischievous, younger self often got into. But being Zack's mentor meant that he could see through those lies. Angeal also had to admit that he much preferred the prospect of Zack being the God of Gaia, than the one of which Zack was actually dead and hence, being in the Lifestream. Although, for the life - or death - of him, he couldn't fathom who would actually make Zack a god. That said, Zack was unquestionably a far better choice than some other people he once knew, but now cared little to think of.
"I suppose," he conceded, "That you really aren't dead. For one, you are far too lively. And... I did hear someone calling me just now-"
"You did? Now that means I can probably call anyone I want to talk to in the Lifestream!"
"But," Angeal continued, ignoring Zack's interruption with practiced ease, "I want to know how exactly you became the... God of Gaia."
Zack grinned, happy that Angeal had asked. Old habits still stuck with him despite the years that had passed and he wanted to impress his mentor now as much as he had when he'd still been a Second Class and when Angeal was technically alive. Pushing those more unpleasant thoughts out from his mind, Zack started to recount all that had happened to him to lead him to his meeting with Minerva, and then the aftermath of that fight. He couldn't help but feel a warm satisfaction bloom within him as Angeal had looked suitably impressed that he had actually held his own against Minerva and had defeated her as much as the Goddess had allowed him to. Zack was quite certain - and he was sure Angeal was thinking the same too - that Minerva hadn't actually gone all out against him. Following that, he finally came to the point where he had to explain what Minerva had planned for him.
"The Goddess of Gaia would like you to change the past to prevent future disasters? That would be caused by Sephiroth?" Angeal repeated rather incredulously.
"Yeah, that's what She said, although I thought Sephiroth had already died in Nibelheim... Well, in any case, She didn't tell me what would happen except that it'd make Nibelheim look like peanuts. If the burning of an entire village can be considered a minor incident... I don't really want to know what else would happen,” Zack said. "Besides, I've... I've always regretted not being able to do more to save you from..." he added, voice trailing off into a murmur.
"Zack, I don't blame you for killing me. It was what had to be done," Angeal quickly said. He was afraid that his student would feel guilty for killing him. Okay, so he knew pretty clearly that Zack would feel guilty for it but it was for the best that he had died. It probably wouldn't soften the blow to Zack, but that was the truth to Angeal.
"No!" came the instant and fierce rebuttal, and Zack's eyes were shining with unwavering conviction of his own views. "No! I know that you don't blame me. But there should have been another way, Angeal! You didn't need to die; I still maintain that you are not a monster. In fact, none of the people who died should have died. It's ShinRa's fault for funding all those experiments, for making use of people and for... for all their lies! That's why... That's why I undertook the task Minerva had for me. I'm going to change the past and make sure all of you, you, Sephiroth, Cloud and even Genesis, will be able to live your lives without ShinRa or any mad scientist screwing around with them!"
"But there is a price, isn't there, Zack?" Changing the past to change the future. It sounded good, but wouldn't that mean certain things would never happen again and that certain people might never have a chance to meet again? Had Zack stopped to carefully consider such possibilities? Angeal didn't know.
However, Zack surprised him with a calm but firm answer. "Yes there is. But I'm willing to pay it. Minerva said that I had to forgo all the relationships I've formed in this life and that it was possible that I will not meet any of you again. But if all of you can be happy and live the lives that you deserved to live, it's really not a bad deal."
"What about your girlfriend?"
That made Zack pause, although Angeal suspected it was due to surprise rather than the fact that he hadn't actually given thought to it before. He knew that he had died before Zack had mentioned his girlfriend to him. However, seeing as he had to occupy his time during the period where the Lifestream was having trouble fully absorbing his will (and there weren't many intact wills around for him to converse with), he had used those times to check up on Zack. To tell the truth, the clone that was now still with the girl had been initially sent to secretly keep an eye on Zack for him, even though it ended up as the girl's guard dog of sorts. And so, it was through that very same clone that he had learnt about Zack's relationship with the pretty flower girl.
"...How... how do you know about Aerith?"
"Long story short, the Lifestream doesn't reabsorb me easily because of the tainted cells that I have. I had to find a way to spend my time while drifting around with an intact will, so I got a living clone to keep an eye on you when I couldn't actively look out of the Lifestream. That clone's been in her church for awhile now."
Zack gawked at Angeal, working his jaw but no sound came out. Angeal had been keeping an eye on him from the Lifestream? "You..."
"Don't look so shocked, Zack. It was partly because I was bored, but I was genuinely worried about you."
"So... you actually know what's been happening to me all this while?"
"Yes. Including Nibelheim and its aftermath."
"Then I really wasn't seeing things before I broke out of the mako tube!"
"You weren't," Angeal agreed. "Because you were immersed in so much mako, which is the Lifestream in a sense, I manage to find your consciousness from the Lifestream and get a stronger grip on it then I otherwise would've. Following that, I tried to help you. You know the rest."
Before he could even anticipate it, Zack had hugged him once again, putting all the strength one had as a SOLDIER First Class and the current temporary God of Gaia into it. If Angeal had been a lesser man - or spirit - his overzealous student would've completely suffocated him to death... which would be really strange - and not the least bit logical - since he was very clearly, already dead. "...Zack."
Zack quickly let go of his mentor, knowing that Angeal didn't like being all touchy-feely. Still, he couldn't wipe off the delighted grin he had on his face. Hey, he hadn't seen his mentor in years! It fully justified, heck, it warranted a hugging or two! Especially more so, since said mentor had helped save his and Cloud's lives! He was really touched, and he had to show his appreciation somehow! Just saying "thank you" didn't seem enough in Zack's eyes. "Aww don't be so touchy, Angeal! I was just saying thank you!"
"And trying to crush my non-existent life out of me at the same time," the other deadpanned, although there was a slight hint of a smile curling the corners of his lips. He knew Zack was like that, and didn't really blame him. In fact, it was one of those things that made Zack all the more puppy-like and adorable, even at his age. "But we were on the topic of your girlfriend before we digressed. So. What will you do about her?"
Zack sobered up immediately, as his thoughts were redirected to the serious topic of potential sacrifices. "...I've thought about it. I really don't want to give up Aerith, I'll admit that, Angeal. Who knows whether I would meet her again in the changed future? But, right now, changing the fates of all those who have suffered, is even more important than my potential future happiness. I think, as long as I explain it to Aerith, she'll understand. She's a really special girl." After a slight pause, he added, "Maybe I should call her now."
When Angeal didn't say anything to object, Zack decided to go ahead with it. Aerith was a Cetra, and he had heard her mention about hearing messages from the Planet before, although she had said they weren't always very clear and understandable. Well, he was going to make his call as clear as he possibly could. Closing his eyes like before, Zack consciously concentrated on every memory he had on Aerith, of all the times they had spent together. In addition to that, he wove in his own mental voice into the call, hoping that it would have a stronger pull for Aerith to immerse her will even deeper into the Lifestream than she usually would. He would make sure that nothing would happen to her.
"Aerith..." Please come. I really want to see you again.
He wasn't sure if he was hearing things when a gentle, but earnest voice seemed to weave into his thoughts. It was also calling out to him, or perhaps to Gaia in general, but he was quite sure he felt something that suggested that it was in relation to him too. He went to follow that voice, directing his own call towards it too. It felt like it would lead his call to Aerith, and to eventually bring her here.
...
"...Zack? Is it... is it really you?"
So, the first chapter is finally done! It survived through a horrible wiping out of my entire thumb drive about a month back, even though it had to be recovered using a bunch of software. Not everything else I had inside, like fics for other fandoms, came back though. *sigh*
Anyway, I hope the ending wasn't too much of an evil cliffhanger. XD I tried my best to make this light-hearted and relatively fluffy, which is not entirely all that easy for me (even if it's Zack I'm writing) as I'm much better at writing angst. ^^" The 'gentle, but earnest voice' that Zack heard at the end is Aerith, or rather her prayers that Zack would come back and all that. Zack/Aerith is just too sweet, and they're my favourite HeT pair in FFVII! ^^ Well, hopefully nothing seems too OOC, since I've never had a very strong Angeal muse in me. Can't promise when the next chapter will be up, but I hope you'll all stick with me until the end! :D
Hope you enjoyed it so far and feel free to comment!
x-posted to:
zackfans
crisis_hardcore
_crisiscore_
acfiction