#zerithweek2021

[lightwithinthedarknessu]

Finally finished my belated contribution to @zerith-week Really wanted to celebrate these two due to my love for Crisis Core. A place of healing for both~ Prompt: Church “I’d like to spend more time with you.”

[yellowtrinity]

@zerith-week day 8 - fairy tale au

a companion piece for @naileditiknow’s steadfast tin SOLDIER fic! ♥️

[waltzforthemoon]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough Characters: Zack Fair, Aerith Gainsborough, Marlene Wallace, Barret Wallace, Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII), Angeal Hewley, Genesis Rhapsodos, Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, Hojo (Compilation of FFVII), Kunsel (Compilation of FFVII) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen tale, and the Fantasia 2000 short, Zerith Week 2021

Summary:

Zack is a one-legged toy soldier who falls for the beautiful ballerina, Aerith, whom he is charged to protect—but another jealous toy comes up with a dastardly plan to get rid of Zack and keep him away from Aerith. The course of true love never did run smooth, but nothing can keep this steadfast soldier down!

Written for @zerith-week Day 8: Fairytale AU

I had so much fun writing this cute story and I’m glad that Zerith Week gave me the chance to really indulge in giving Zack and Aerith a fun, cute universe where they could be happy (although, there’s still some drama in this tale lol) 

Enjoy! ❤

p.s. Here is adorable companion fanart for this AU created by @zackfanclub 💕

[scriberat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

it's a rapunzel au! in which aerith is hidden away and zack chances upon an angel~

[waltzforthemoon]

A Promise Kept | Zerith Week 2021

For Day 7: Ever After of @zerith-week

Enjoy ❤

Day 1: Church

Day 3: Letters

Day 6: Reunion

First, there was darkness. 

Quiet. Cold. Like sleep, but heavier.

Aerith felt like she was sinking, further and further down, without end it seemed...until she opened her eyes and a warm, green light shined from above.

Aerith blinked as she stared up at the light. It felt so warm. She reached a hand up for it, wanting to capture it for herself. But as she stared at that light, she saw something come down from within it. A shadow of a man--or no, there was a wing…

“An… angel?” Aerith whispered out.

“That’s my line,” a voice answered.

A voice she knew too well. 

A voice she could identify immediately even though she hadn’t heard it in five years.

A voice she thought she might never hear again in her life--but then, Aerith had to remind herself, she was no longer alive.

“Zack…?” Her voice was just a whisper, cracking with emotion. She closed her eyes and let the tears stream down.

Maybe that’s just what I want to see and hear… Maybe it’s not real. 

Zack is gone. He’s been gone for years.

He’s--

“I’m right here, Aerith.”

It was Zack’s voice again, but closer and clearer. Aerith opened her eyes again and saw a black gloved hand reach out for her. She glanced up from the hand and saw a pair of eyes that were the color of the sky.

“Take my hand!”

Aerith reached out finally and grabbed Zack’s hand, and the darkness became overpowered by the light. Aerith found herself standing in a yellow flower field underneath a clear blue sky, staring up at a young man who looked very much like the first boy she loved.

Aerith pulled her hand away and stepped back. “What is this? Are you real?”

Zack smiled down at her, tears welling up in his eyes. “Well, as real as you can be...when you’re in the Lifestream.”

He was older than Aerith remembered him, but his face was still mostly the same. A bit more matured, and a bit more beautiful.

“And you’re here… because…”

“You waited long enough for me. It was my turn to wait for you. But… I didn’t wait for very long at all.” Zack hung his head and Aerith could hear him quietly cry.

She moved forward and tentatively reached for Zack’s face--everything swimming in her head, all the years that she was filled with anxiety, doubt, fear, and sorrow. Hundreds of nights she must have spent crying herself to sleep, feeling the pain of Zack’s loss, not knowing where he was, praying he would come back to her, praying that he would keep his promise--and deep down in her heart, she had a feeling she would never see him again. 

Alive, that is.

“I was supposed to wait a long time for you, Aerith… This is too soon!” Zack sobbed. “But I wanted to be there for you when it was time…”

Aerith cupped Zack’s cheek and tears welled up in her eyes. “Have you been watching over me?

“In a way… You’re connected to the planet, and the planet is connected to you. I couldn’t exactly see you, but I could feel you,” Zack explained.

Aerith’s face crumpled as she felt another surge of emotion. “Why couldn’t I feel you?! I summoned Holy, but… I couldn’t--”

Zack gently placed his hands on her arms. “I don’t think you were meant to, Aerith. You had more important things to do.”

Aerith nodded and swallowed her tears as she looked Zack in the eye. “You’re right… I’m so happy to see you! I can’t even begin to process it, but I’m not sure that happiness was worth leaving...”

“Don’t say it like it was your choice,” Zack bitterly replied.

Aerith glanced down and sighed, vaguely remembering the cold steel that plunged inside her before everything went dark.

“It wasn’t my choice, but...maybe that’s how it had to be,” Aerith said. “But you…”

Aerith glanced back at Zack, and his eyes still glistened with tears. That is when she noticed that the mako was gone from his eyes.

“Zack… are those your real eyes?” she asked.

Zack blinked in surprise. “Huh? I don’t know. There aren’t mirrors in the Lifestream. Do they look different?”

Aerith shortly smiled. “They’re blue… I know I always talked about how much I loved your SOLDIER eyes, but… this blue, it’s gentler. It’s lovely.”

Zack smiled and then brushed away the tears from his eyes. “You’re lovely, too. Five years, huh? You waited for me all that time... I’m sorry, Aerith. And I’m sorry you’re here now.”

Aerith wrinkled her brow. “No… Zack, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Zack said with a shake of his head. “You should have lived a full life. You should have grown up, had kids, died an old lady in your bed, in your sleep… Not like this!”

“And what about you?” Aerith had no idea of what those five years had contained for Zack...but when she looked at him, he seemed to carry more weight. Yet he also seemed so much stronger than when she last saw him. He was a man now, and the boy she met in the church was long gone. “You should have been able to live a full life, too, Zack. I didn’t even get to see you become the man you are now...”

Zack held Aerith’s hands in his. “It can’t be helped, can it?”

Aerith nodded. “We can’t undo what’s been done or turn back the clock.”

“But we can help Cloud,” Zack continued.

Aerith smiled. “Right! We can guide him--maybe I can do even more from the lifestream than I could by his side. All of them… They’re fighting so hard to save the world. Just like how you fought so hard… It was to protect Cloud, wasn’t it? As soon as I met him and I saw that sword… I knew.”

Zack smiled. “Yeah. I had to do everything I could to protect him. I’m glad he found his way to you.”

Aerith glanced down. “He’s broken, though… He’s not fully himself.”

“He’ll get there. I believe in him,” Zack said.

Aerith nodded. “I have faith in him, too… I just hope he doesn’t blame himself too much.”

Zack sighed. “I hope so, too…”

“I still can’t believe we’re together again, talking like this... ” Aerith reached her hands up to Zack’s face again as she smiled. “You kept your promise, after all.”

Zack leaned forward and gently pressed his forehead against Aerith’s. “Aerith… I never stopped trying to get back to you.”

“I know.” 

Aerith closed the short distance between her and Zack and pressed a tender kiss to his  lips. As he wrapped his arms around her, it felt like the hole in her heart finally became whole once more. She felt whole again.

“Will you stay with me this time?” Aerith asked.

Zack nodded. “As long as you want me, Aerith.”

“How does forever sound? Does forever work for you?” Aerith asked.

Zack grinned. “Forever works just fine.”

[scriberat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Even if the story is over, the Lifestream flows on, and within it, so too do our star-crossed lovers.

[scriberat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Zack and Aerith talk briefly after the defeat of the Remnants and Sephiroth.

[marlenadia]

zerith week | day six 🌸💙

REUNION

Credit: @marlenadia

Thank you so much @zerith-week​ for this wonderful event!