The Terran Rangers/Final Fantasy VII by Heather Ray (summer beach reads txt) 📕

With a soft moan, his strength gave out, his head falling upon the wooden table.

"Where am I?!" Zack demanded, turning around full circle. He stood on a disk-like platform, white in color, which was suspended over a dark black void. It felt eerily familiar, yet very strange, at once.

"We're in your mind," the voice said again. "Well, at least a representation of it."

Before Zack's eyes, a flash of white light appeared, and stretched into the form of a young woman. Her bright green eyes seemed to smile at him warmly.

"Aeris?" he whispered.

"In a manner of speaking," she answered, "I'm just the part of Aeris that still lives, to save the planet by destroying Sephiroth. My essence is contained in the Holy Materia, so when you speak to it, you're actually speaking to me."

"Um, okay..." Zack said, rubbing his head, "I...I need to know how to save a friend of mine."

Aeris smiled. "I know. I heard you ask me before. Back in the City of the Ancients."

Zack frowned slightly. "Then, why didn't you answer me?"

"Zack, the power of the Holy Materia is governed entirely by the force of love. That is the reason why I am so instrumental to Sephiroth's defeat. I'm Aeris' heart. The part of her that will live forever, and will do its utmost to preserve everything she ever cared about. Cloud was able to get in touch with his heart, after so many years of denying it. That's what enabled him to save Tifa's life."

Aeris stepped closer to Zack, and lay her hand on his shoulder. "Your love for Aisha is the only thing that can save her now."

Zack swallowed. "But...but...I don't know what I feel for Aisha!" he admitted, "I mean, I know I like her in a different way from the other girls I know, but...it's not like I get butterflies in my stomach when I'm near her, or something like that. I don't get nervous around her. I'm comfortable around her."

"Well, that's a good thing, Zack. Perhaps the reason why is because you know you aren't trying to impress her. Like... you always did for that girl Angela."

Zack's dark eyes widened. "How did you...?"

"I'm inside your mind," Aeris reminded him, reaching out and tapping his forehead playfully, "I can sense your thoughts. You've had a crush on a young woman at your school for quite some time, and you've tried just about everything in your Book of Charms to get her attention. True?"

Zack shrugged in response.

"Yet with Aisha, you don't feel the need to charm her, because she already knows what kind of person you are. Look at your friends who are in love. Take...Kimberly and Tommy, for example. Do they seem uncomfortable when they're together?"

Zack shook his head. "But that's different! They've been going out forever! They're practically married!"

"True, but that also means they've passed the awkward stage. Now tell me, Zack Taylor, if you had gotten to know Aisha before she was a Power Ranger, would you have felt those 'butterflies,' as it were? If she were just another girl, you would have to work your way into her life. Since she was a Ranger, she became part of your life on principle. Right?"

Zack blinked. "Uh...I don't know."

"Perhaps, since you've been working with her so long, you've already passed the awkward stage. Hence, no butterflies."

Zack frowned, clearly unconvinced. Aeris sighed slightly.

"Look, Zack, the reason why I'm here isn't to convince you to declare your love for Aisha Campbell. That is something you have to figure out for yourself. But perhaps you should stop denying it, and start considering the possibility."

Then, Aeris turned around to leave.

"Wait!" Zack shouted. "You didn't tell me how to save her!"

Aeris turned to him, a downcast look in her emerald eyes. "Zack, you can't take the Holy Materia with you to Earth. If you do, it will be impossible for Cloud and his team to stop Sephiroth before his Meteor spell destroys Midgar. There is one chance, however; but I warn you...it is very risky."

Zack pursed his lips. "Well, what is it?"

"No materia works outside the realm of Midgar, because of its connection to the Lifestream. However, if you had a container to hold some of the Lifestream's energies in its raw form, you'd be able to transport it to Earth. That's the only way to bring the cure to your friend."

Zack considered this. "What kind of container do I need?"

Aeris locked eyes with Zack. "Your body."

Zack blinked. "Come again?"

"Bodies can absorb Mako energy. Most often, it is deadly for a human to do so in any significant quantity, but on the rare occasion that the person is strong enough, he can survive it. It happened for Cloud and Tifa. Their love for each other gave them the strength to fight for their lives within the Lifestream. It ignited the Lifestream's power to heal, rather than to destroy. You must do the same."

Zack swallowed. Did he have the needed conviction? Did he have the strength?

Although he wasn't too sure about his feelings for Aisha, he did know one thing...he'd risk his life to save hers.

What that meant, as far as love was concerned, still alluded the Silver Ranger.

"So, how do I do it?" Zack asked.

A bright smile crossed Aeris' lips. "First, make sure you're willing to take the chance."

Zack nodded. "I already am. Now, how do I do it?" he repeated.

"Return to Mideel, the town where you first arrived. That lake of Mako is the only Lifestream spring that is easy to reach. Once inside, you will go on a quest of sorts, within your mind. The Lifestream will grant you the power you seek if your heart is strong enough."

With that, Aeris' form began to fade. "Take care, Zack. And remember what you're doing this for..."

Zack's eyes sprang open, only to be treated to a close-up view of his sleeve. He blinked, and pulled his head from the pillow of his folded arms. He stretched his weary body, and weakly rose to his feet, balancing himself on the back of the chair.

"Mideel..." he whispered, his eyes narrowing with determination.

Chapter Forty

Adam sat down on a stool beside the med-unit, watching the computer screens that measured Aisha's vital signs. He exhaled heavily when he saw the dire situation.

His close friend since childhood was slowly slipping away.

Shaking his head in frustration, Adam ran his fingers through his curly raven hair, and clenched a few locks of it, holding on tightly. Over and over in his mind, the same words resounded.

This is all my fault!

True, it wasn't a very logical conclusion to draw. Nonetheless, he couldn't deny the fact that, if it were him in the fight against Contagion, he would have healed just like the other Terran Rangers. Yet, that wasn't the case. True, it wasn't his fault that he was injured, yet he certainly could have insisted on reclaiming the Green Terra Power, or at least that she abandon it. There were signs of Aisha's distress. She was rather sickly the past few days. Why couldn't he read the signs? Wasn't he supposed to be her friend, looking out for her?

"I think it's time you got some sleep," said a gentle voice, as slender arms wrapped around Adam's waist. Tanya rested her chin on his broad shoulder, her dark curls brushing against his cheek softly.

"There's no way I'll be able to sleep," Adam muttered, resting his head against Tanya's. "Not when Aisha's hanging on by a thread."

"There's nothing you can do for her now," Tanya reminded him. She lifted her head from his shoulder, and slowly massaged his neck in order to relax him.

It didn't work, though.

"Adam, don't do this," Tanya pleaded, walking in front of him and gazing into his deep brown eyes. "You need to get some rest."

Almost unconsciously, Adam turned his eyes away from Tanya, resting them on the green crystal shard still hovering on a console, accompanied by Zack's white shard.

"That crystal is mine," he whispered, "I'm the one who should have used it. It's my destiny...not hers! I'm the one who put Aisha in danger."

"Adam, you're not making any sense," Tanya said sternly, grasping his upper arm and pulling him off the stool gently. "I'll watch Aisha, and I promise you, I'll get you if there's even the slightest change. Your heart is still weak, you know. Pushing yourself too far will only make things worse."

Adam frowned. He hated being babied, but he saw the logic in Tanya's words. He weakly walked across the CAC towards the back rooms, casting one final glance toward the green Zeo shard.

His shard.

Suddenly, a pulse of green light flashed from the core of the crystal. Adam blinked, and kept his gaze upon the crystal. The energy remained steady.

"Tanya," he whispered, keeping his eyes on the crystal, "is there something strange about the green crystal?"

Tanya glanced at her boyfriend worriedly, and then turned back to the crystal. She shrugged. "Adam, there's nothing strange about it. You're...starting to scare me."

Adam forced a grin on his face. "Maybe I'm more tired than I thought."

"Get some rest," Tanya insisted, "while things are quiet around here."

With a heavy sigh, Adam conceded to his girlfriend's wishes, dragging his feet towards the rooms. As he walked absently through the narrow hallways, he was startled by the soft thud of shoes against the tiled floor. His eyes narrowing in confusion, he turned the corner, and saw Jason marching along wearily, his muscular arms folded tightly over his chest, and a pensive, restless expression on his face.

Jason was so contained in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Adam's arrival.

"Did you at least try to get some rest?" Adam asked, his voice causing the Black Ranger to whirl his head around in surprise.

Jason's frown deepened. "No luck," he muttered, shaking his head, "I'm so tired, I feel like a zombie...but I can't relax enough to fall asleep, or even sit still. I've gotta burn off this anxiety."

Jason sighed, and leaned heavily against the wall. "I can't help feeling that...this is all my fault."

Adam blinked, a wry smile crossing his face. "How much you wanna bet everyone here is ready to claim responsibility?"

Jason shrugged. "I don't know...I feel like I should have taken the time to get to know Aisha better. Maybe if I had paid more attention to her, then I would have seen the signs. I should have noticed something wasn't quite right with her! You saw those wounds Billy revealed earlier! This has been going