FF7: Horizon ~ Chapter Two
Apr. 20th, 2006 06:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
laneroseTitle: Horizon ~ Chapter Two
Fandom: FF7, Last Order, Advent Children, Before Crisis / AU for different elements of the last two
Beta: The talented![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ladylore, who catches all my slips ^.^
Rating: Eh... PG-13 ish because of language
Notes: Hmmm... so, I said I was going to be really slow on the whole updating thing. This was kinda slower than I'd anticipated. ^^;;;; Anyways, please tell me if I completely messed up the whole medical thing, since I was kinda completely making things up. The pre-meds down the hall rocked my socks and helped me get some accurate details, but... all I know about medicine is what I learned in first aid. ^^;;;
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter One
“The flesh endures the storms of the present alone; the mind, those of the past and the future as well as the present.” ~Thomas Hobbes
Chapter Two
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Rude heard Elena chanting under her breath as they ran around the pile of rubble before them. The piece of white cloth that had first caught her attention grew larger as they approached, and Rude could tell that it was attached to a coat that could only have been Rufus’s. They rounded the pile at top speed.
“Rufus!” Rude shouted as the president came clearly into sight, and he could hear his partners’ echoing shouts beside him. For a moment, they stood frozen together.
He looks awful…
Rufus lay facedown upon the ground, clearly not where he had fallen originally. His hands gripped tightly to the rubble before him, and an empty water bottle lay on the ground beside him. The back of his head had been badly burned – his vanity will take a blow when he realizes he’s missing half his hair – and his left leg was bent at a hideous angle. Casting aside his paralysis, Rude checked the area for hazards with a glance and then strode swiftly forward to gingerly roll Rufus over.
“He’s still alive.” Rude said to the other two when a quick check confirmed that Rufus’s airway was open and he was breathing.
“Thank the Planet.” Elena replied, sighing. From the corner of his eye, Rude could see Reno shoving the girl back into action. He could hear his partner castigating her for getting distracted, and forcing her to help him prepare the collapsible backboard they had brought.
“Come on!” Reno – the cheerful son of a bitch – was saying. “Pull yourself together! What kind of Turk are you? We’re on duty today, and we’ve got a job to do!”
Although the president’s left knee had swollen to a distinctly unnatural size, his arms seemed relatively unharmed. A line of blood trickled down the side of his head from slightly above his left temple. Rude positioned his hands carefully, stabilizing Rufus’s head as best he could. Elena positioned the backboard onto the ground beside Rufus, which was mercifully about even with the ground beneath him.
“Now.” Rude said softly, and together he and Reno carefully rolled Rufus onto his side. Elena quickly slid the backboard beneath him, and then they rolled him back down.
“Rude, you’re so cool!” Reno remarked, a cocky grin lighting his face once more. The smile on Elena’s face briefly eclipsed the continued worry for Rufus’s health. The president may have been badly injured, but at least he was alive, and would probably stay that way. Elena reached down and gently brushed away the locks of hair from Rufus’s face – she’s such a mother – before she efficiently fastened the C-spine collar around Rufus’s neck while Rude continued to stabilize the injury. Reno had quickly fastened the straps that would hold Rufus to the stretcher, and once the collar was on, Rude did likewise to the strap over his forehead.
“Let’s move.” He said, grabbing a hold of the top of the board. Reno carefully seized the lower hand-holds, and together they lifted the board in to the air. Moving as quickly as they dared, the three Turks hurried their president from the scene of his recovery, Elena trying to get a hold of the others from her PHS the whole way.
“What’s that?” Elena asked suddenly as they boarded the helicopter they had stowed in the outskirts of Midgar. She pointed back into the sky, where a large glowing light had begun to descend upon the city.
Rude’s only response was to drag her into the helicopter and take off as quickly as possible.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Aerith knelt amongst the flowers and grass conjured by her own mind to provide the most comforting setting for her work, the pale pink of her dress in sharp contrast to the deep green around her. An all-encompassing calm wrapped around her, freeing her to focus upon the physical world from within the Lifestream. It carried her slowly towards the point of need, the focus of her casting. Since her death, she had known it was only a matter of time, time that now seemed to be running out.
Soon… Her hands clasped tightly before her. Please, noble Planet, use me as your vessel. I gave my life to call Holy forward and save my people, the people I have chosen to be my own. Let the ending of my race be the promise of your own, for they will learn in time to care for you as we once did, if you allow them. Please, precious one. Heed me, I pray.
She could feel it beneath her, around her, responding to her call. If a soul praying for Holy reaches the Planet… It was a fable Aerith had been told since she was a child, since her mother had entrusted to her the last, the most important and most precious tool of the Cetra.
“The Planet cannot use Holy alone, Aeri.” Her mother had said, running a brush through Aerith’s hair before capturing it deftly in her own hands and tying a ribbon around it against the back of her head. Aerith remembered the weight of the small bauble on the ribbon, a little white gem the mean man had called useless. “I don’t think anyone, or anything, can.”
“Why, Mama? Isn’t the Planet strong enough?” She had asked, pulling her half-plaited hair from her mother’s hands as she’d turned to face her mother. “I thought the Planet could do anything, anything at all!”
Ifalna had laughed then, and Aerith had huffed and turned away, crossing her arms as she pouted. Loving hands had gathered Aerith’s hair, brushing it once more before starting to braid it again. She had sighed, relaxing almost against her will at the pleasant sensation of the touch.
“It isn’t that the Planet isn’t strong enough, Aeri.” Her mother had said as she finished the last of the plait and began to tie another ribbon around the end of it. “The Planet has the power to do just about anything it wants to do. The problem is, Aeri, that power alone isn’t enough to summon Holy.”
“Why not?” She had replied, waiting until the ribbon was secure before facing her mother again.
“Because.” Her mother had answered with a grin and a wink. Then she had paused, seeing Aerith’s expression, and said more seriously, “Some things, Aeri – not everything, but some things – some things depend on more than just power. Even the strongest of all powers can be bent, can be bowed. The greatest power anyone has ever had isn’t a power at all, but a feeling. The Planet has strength, many strengths, but emotion and connection to those living on it is not among them. Holy, Aeri, needs that strong emotion to become active. If a soul using that strong emotion reaches the Planet, the Planet will respond and provide the physical power necessary to use Holy. So you see, dearling, neither the Planet nor a person can use Holy alone. Promise me you’ll remember?”
“So the Planet works with the person, and the person has to work with the Planet?” Aerith had asked then, eyes wide.
“Exactly.” Her mother had replied, brushing Aerith’s bangs from her face before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Now, it’s past your bedtime, so you’d best get some sleep.”
“Yes, Momma.” Aerith said, lying down on the pallet on the right side of the cell. Her mother walked over to the door and knocked twice, waiting patiently until the guard came over and opened it. Aerith had drifted off to sleep as Hojo appeared to lead her mother off to more experiments.
I remember, Momma. Wisps of green mist danced around her, called by the strength of her desire. For my friends… For Cloud… For Marlene, and the other children… For everyone…
The white glow of Holy mixed and mingled with the green of the Lifestream around her, and suddenly Aerith could see everything. Ants crawled along the ground, wolves roamed the planes, fish swam in the depths of the sea – people laughed, and cried, and feared. Behind it all, headed straight for her former home, was the glowing, ominous presence of Meteor. The white light of Holy sprang from her, covering the city in a blanket of light attempting to repel the intruder. The mindless, empty child of hatred bore down upon Aerith. Her feelings, her love were strong, but even she knew that her strength could not last under the continued attack.
I’m not strong enough, not alone. Help me, help us! Please…!
The green glow of the Lifestream surged forward then, heading straight for Midgar, but Aerith knew in an instant of sharp clarity that she wouldn’t be able to wait for the help. Her strength had already been stretched to its limit, had begun to bend, and headed towards the inevitable moment when it broke.
Sorry, I’m so sorry. Her anguish increased the urgency of her call to the Planet, and Holy flared brighter for a moment as the Lifestream rushed to join it. The flare faded, though, leaving the bright white light weaker then it had been and fading by the moment.
I’m so sorry. I couldn’t –
A hand landed on her shoulder, resting there steadfastly, and Aerith gasped as her energy suddenly increased. Smiling, she drew on the new reserves that she could tell would be enough. The green rush of Lifestream drew closer and closer until it washed over her as a cool, soothing balm.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Darkness surrounded him. The air was thick and heavy with it, weighing oppressively upon him. His body felt limp, denying his best efforts to move, and so Cloud contented himself to merely drifting, drifting in the emptiness around him. The memory of fighting Sephiroth shone sharply in his mind, and Cloud could not deny his satisfaction with the victory.
But Meteor was still falling… We were on the Highwind, watching it hit Midgar, and Holy was there, but it was weak… Did it fail? Is this what being dead feels like? It’s really not so bad…
The darkness was warm, and it carried him gently towards a glow he hadn’t noticed at first. It glimmered bright green, twinkling against the blackness all around. Slowly, slowly it drew nearer, and Cloud could see a figure outlined against the splash of colour. She reached a hand towards him, and Cloud’s suddenly functional arm returned the grasp and allowed himself to be pulled into the light.
Aerith…
“Hello, Cloud.” She said, and her smile shone as radiantly as the light around her. “How have you been?”
“Aerith, I…” He began. This is impossible. I know she’s dead… am I? I guess I must be… How do I tell her? How can I explain that her sacrifice has gone to waste, that Midgar –
“Awww, Cloud!” Cloud was pulled from his distracted thoughts as she reached out and grabbed his face, turning it towards her. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me! I’ll be very upset if you have!”
She was grinning at him again, eyes lit up impishly as his arms acted of their own volition and drew her into a tight embrace. She responded in kind, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against his chest.
“So you do remember.” She said. She’s so solid, so real… Aerith remained motionless in his arms, and he savoured the sensation of touch. “Good.”
“Aerith, I… I…” Cloud stammered, drawing back so he could look at her.
“Geez, Cloud, does everything have to be about you? You… you… what?” She replied. Her smile was softer then, and something close to sorrow glimmered in her eyes. “You don’t have to worry any more. Holy came, and the Planet is safe. Everything will be fine, you’ll see!”
“But Meteor…!”
Aerith shook her head, the long braid swaying visibly behind her.
“No buts!” She replied firmly, thumping him square in the chest with one of her hands and pulling back. “After all, Turks only scout the best for Soldier, and you know that as one of the best I clearly can tell whether or not there’s something to worry about. So, since I’m telling you that there’s nothing to worry about, everything must be all right!”
Aerith… His heart ached at the sight of her, standing surrounded by a field of flowers now, as independent and playful as she had been the first time he met her. “Will you be my bodyguard?” Her request flashed across his mind, and then Reno chasing after them. “Why is he after you?” “I don’t know!” “Turks scout for new Soldier candidates, and take care of things like kidnappings and assassinations.” “I can’t think of why anyone would want to kidnap me, so they must want me for Soldier!” “We’re going on a date!” “What?” “Come on!” Being pulled swiftly into the Gold Saucer’s Enchantment Evening… A long sword swinging slowly down towards her, but being frozen and unable to act. She stood before him now, grinning and waiting impatiently for his response, and he reached out to seize her hands in his.
“Aerith, I’m so sorry!” The words burst forth from Cloud as the images of the past played across his mind. Staring into her wide, bewildered eyes, Cloud found suddenly that he couldn’t abide looking at her – don’t deserve to see her, don’t deserve her forgiveness – and glanced away.
“Hey, it’s all right!” Aerith replied, no sign of hatred or sorrow in her gentle voice. “I know it’s almost time for you to go back to the others now. Don’t worry, though! You’ll see me again!”
“What?” He answered, head jerking back towards her. She stood among the yellow irises, looking healthy as ever, and for a moment he could have sworn she meant that she wasn’t dead after all.
“It seems that after everything you did to defeat Sephiroth, and the number of times you’ve nearly drowned in the Lifestream, the Planet’s decided that She likes you.” Aerith huffed, pouting at him. “But don’t go thinking She wants to date you or anything. The Planet and I made a deal – you’ll protect both of us, and I’ll be your date.”
Cloud blushed a dark crimson and shook his head. “Aerith…”
“Stop saying my name like that! It’s too sad.” She smiled at him, and the white light swelled around her again, blocking the flowers from his view. “It’s time.”
“Time for what?” He asked bewilderedly. He got no response, though, as the glow washed over him, blinding him. Aerith’s smile was the last thing he saw before the world disappeared in the brilliant blaze of light.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“WOAH!” Zack exclaimed as the waves rocked the small boat to and fro, jarring him awake. The trip had been long and tedious, but they were finally nearing the Northern Continent. The ex-Soldier jumped to his feet and looked towards the source of the blast force. The glare of a brilliant light shot across the water from the direction of Midgar. Zack stared straight into it, ignoring the pain of the brightness.
“What the hell is going on?” shouted the pilot of the ship from below deck. Zack gazed into the over-bright glow, red and white mixing around the Eastern Continent in an incomprehensible pattern. Midgar… The lights are over Midgar. He glanced quickly overhead. Oh, Planet, the information was wrong and Midgar’s paying for my mistake! The Mako in the air was tangible, flowing past him and headed for the brilliant glow.
“Turn around!” He shouted, watching the colors mixing. The red spread across the layer of white like blood on snow, seeping through in pockets. Is that… Holy? Zack watched in growing horror as the red gained strength, pushing deeper into the white. The white flickered slightly, caving a bit, and then –
What in Hades…? Lifestream?!
Mako green joined together with the brilliant white light, empowering it to repulse the red attack of Meteor. More Mako streamed into the city, strengthening the light until even Zack’s enhanced eyes could not handle the strain and he was forced to look away.
“What’s going on?” The boat owner’s voice was nearer now, possibly at the cabin door. When the light faded, Zack spun around to face her, hurrying her back to the controls. “What happened?”
“We need to get back to Midgar, now!” The Soldier replied, feeling the shift of the boat’s direction upon the water as she altered the controls. “The information I received was wrong. It looks like Meteor just hit Midgar.”
“It what?” the woman asked, aghast. She turned to stare at him until he shooed her back to the controls. “How are we still here?”
“I don’t know,” Zack replied honestly, shaking his head as he squinted at the horizon. The retreating Mako again saturated the air, Lifestream flowing back towards wherever it had come from now that the danger had passed. Fortunately, the city was close enough that it would be mere hours before they arrived. He continued, “But I can’t take the chance that Cloud’s still here, too, and still intent on destroying the world.”
The woman looked at him incredulously – he could feel it even though he couldn’t see it.
“Okay…” she said, disbelief strong in her voice. Nevertheless, the boat began to head unerringly for the nearest shore, and whatever arrival there might bring.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Cloud!” Tifa shouted, running over to him as the brilliant light of what must have been Holy faded slowly away. The blond ex-Soldier lay motionless on the deck, his eyes closed. She fell to her knees beside him, resting her hand upon his forehead as she checked his pulse.
“Shit.” She cursed, hastily pulling her gloves off and trying again. Oh, thank the Planet. To her relief, it still beat soundly beneath her fingers. Cloud’s head felt warm, but not overly so. Tifa used the pad of her thumbs to gently lift his eyelids. Though his pupils were slightly dilated, nothing seemed to be too wrong with him.
“Yo,” Barrett said, coming up beside her, “he all right?”
“Mm.” She nodded affirmatively. How am I supposed to know, hmm? Do I look like a doctor? She lifted her head and looked up at him. “I think so, but we should probably get him to a doctor soon. What happened?”
“Holy,” Nanaki replied. The soft sound of his paws padding across the floor echoed as he approached the window. Staring towards Midgar, he continued, “It’s just like Grandpa always said it would be. A brilliant white light, shining against the darkness, that glows green as it becomes effective. I wonder if he knew that the green came from the Lifestream…?”
“Wait, wait – hold on!” Yuffie interrupted, bounding forward from her place on the bridge. She looks almost as green as the Lifestream herself… I’m so happy I don’t get motion sickness… The ninja leaned over the railing towards the glass at the front of the window, then turned away as her face became a still deeper shade of green. “So Meteor is gone now? It’s all really over?”
“It’s because of Aerith.” Tifa said, now cradling Cloud’s head in her lap. She ran a hand carelessly through his wild hair, gently stroking it. “What else could it have been? Her prayer must have reached the Planet, just like Cloud said it would. Aerith saved us.”
“But she’s dead!” Barrett protested, waving his arm about in the air. No, you think? Oh, Barrett, I wish you would realize that not everything in the world has to make sense… Sometimes things simply are…
“It was her.” Tifa repeated, firmer and with more confidence. A pretty girl in a red dress, grabbing her hands over the body of the creeps they had knocked out. “Come on, we’ve gotta help Cloud!” The same girl in pink, kneeling in prayer, smiling at them as a sword descended through her from above… Tifa shook her head and looked up at her partners. “I bet she just had a long way to go to get to the Planet. It can’t have been an easy trip, but she did it. Don’t ever doubt it!”
Can’t let them see… have to be strong… Tifa turn her head down, staring at Cloud again and letting her hair shield her face from view as tears welled up in her eyes. With loving care, she brushed the stray locks of hair away from his face, focusing on him as a way to distract herself from her missing friend.
“Well, obviously! Who else could it have been aside from Aerith?” Yuffie’s voice contained a strange texture to it, and for a moment Tifa thought the girl might have been as upset as she herself felt. She changed her mind, however, when the younger girl continued, “After all, no one could use Materia like Aerith could! She must have spent time in Wutai when she was younger to learn her skills.”
“Hmph.” Cid grunted. What the…? Tifa glanced up as the world began to tilt forward. She turned to their pilot, noticing that the others had done so as well. “I don’t know anything about that damn Holy or any of that shit, but I do know that if we don’t get the Highwind on the ground soon, it’ll run out of fuel.”
“Oh, no!” The ninja exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. “Are we at least near a town? I don’t want to have to drag Mr. Spiky-Haired-But-Can’t-Stay-Conscious along with us if we’re going far.”
“You won’t have to.” Vincent said from his usual spot near the monitors. “Compared to other burdens, I’m sure Cloud will be light.”
I wonder what he means, other burdens… Maybe something to do with the sin that he never talks ab- ?
The plane landed with a jolt on the field, tearing Tifa from her thoughts. As she glanced through the front glass of the Highwind, the welcoming lights of Kalm town were clearly visible. It rolled slowly along the grassy plain, coming to a halt just outside the town proper.
“Great job, sir! A perfect landing!” chorused the crewmen. Cid grinned proudly, tossing the end of his scarf over his shoulder. He really loves to be the center of attention, doesn’t he? Tifa stifled her laughter, turning back to the blond before her. A pair of strong arms, one covered in a bronze claw, reached suddenly under Cloud’s body and lifted him into the air. When Tifa glanced up, Vincent nodded at her, and she smiled in reply.
“All right everyone, let’s go!” She said, rising to her feet and leading the way off the airship and into Kalm.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
At least, Tseng thought wryly as he began counting the ceiling tiles again, this room has something for me to do.
It had been two and a half months since Sephiroth had run him through at the Temple of the Ancients. In that time, Tseng had had a splenectomy and had the left lobe of his liver excised. After such invasive surgery, his body had been subjected to a wide host of complications caused by infection. He’d been feverish and incoherent for several weeks, and as such needed to take his time in getting well if he wished to make a full recovery.
Or so they told him.
For his part, Tseng didn’t remember much of the first two weeks he’d been at Junon Military Hospital. Being sedated and delirious will do that, though. On the other hand, he remembered the following two months with painstakingly sharp clarity. Turks as a whole were fanatically loyal to one another. Tseng had encouraged this in them, had developed that vaguely nurturing impulse towards one another, and had used it both to boost morale and protect his people.
None of this would stop him from killing them all if they didn’t stop being so ridiculously overprotective of him.
It had taken them a month to even begin giving him information about the current state of the world. A month. When one is the leader of an intelligence unit, one expects to be kept informed every minute of every day. That a month had gone by… it was unthinkable. Even now, Tseng felt certain that they were keeping things from him. And the excuses…!
“We can’t tell you that, Boss. You’d just get stressed, and raise your blood pressure, and have a relapse.” “Yo, I ain’t gonna tell you, so you can quite asking!” “… … … No.” “Sorry sir, I’m under orders from the acting Turk leader not to discuss those matters with you.”
That particular phrase had grown exceedingly irritating, especially when they refused to tell him who the acting leader was. Pity that that sort of thing was decided by committee – or, occasionally, by the President alone.
“Can I get anything for you, sir?” Janice asked, her long silver-gray ponytail swinging behind her as she headed towards the door. The lack of privacy had also grown irritating. Tseng had not been alone at any point, ever. As Janice opened the door, Brick wandered in – proving that no end was in sight, and while it’s nice to know I’m appreciated, Tseng reflected, I wish they would stop treating me like fine Wutaiian crystal.
“An update on the search for Rufus.” He replied sternly, trying to look as threatening as possible while lying in bed. The doctors had said it should be all right for him to start walking around a bit; his subordinates had threatened to hurt him if he even tried, and right now, I’m just not a match for them.
Stupid stab wound.
“I’ll do my best to find out,” she replied, slipping carefully from the room. Well worded – she guaranteed she’d discover the information without promising to tell me… Clearly, I need to scale back on teaching advanced diplomatic techniques early in training. Running a hand through his short brown hair, Brick seated himself in the chair they’d been keeping in what served as Tseng’s bedroom. Best guess suggested they were still in Junon, but they had been careful to sedate him during the time of the trip from the hospital. This was ostensibly done to prevent him from experiencing any discomfort – though it’ll be a cold day in Hades before I’ll believe that – and Tseng consequently couldn’t be sure where he was.
“How are you feeling today, sir?” Brick asked gruffly, studying him with a critical eye.
Even if I tell you I feel fine, you’re not letting me get out of bed, so what does it matter? This is… pathetic. Tseng stared expressionlessly at him for a moment before resuming his count of the ceiling tiles. Fifty one, fifty two, fifty three…
“Don’t worry about the President, sir.” Brick continued, staring at a point somewhere on the far wall. “Reno, Rude, and Elena are out looking for him. I’m sure they’ll find him. Besides, he’s too stubborn to die.”
Tseng raised an eyebrow at the naïve assurance before continuing in his new hobby. I’d even try to decipher one of Reno’s illegible reports if it meant I got information. Even a novel would be great, if only for the distraction! He noted idly that there were still one-hundred and forty four tiles on the ceiling, a perfect twelve by twelve pattern.
“Sir!” Janice exclaimed, hurriedly pushing the door open and entering. She closed it behind her before looking at him, her deep brown eyes wide with excitement and a smile dancing on her lips. “They’ve found the President! He’s alive, and they’re taking him to Junon Hospital to recover. Meteor has also been stopped, though no one seems to know how it happened. Initial reports mention a bright green and white glow.”
Holy…? So Aerith did succeed…
“Well then,” Tseng said, pushing himself gingerly into a sitting position, ignoring the instant protests of his Turks and the stabbing ache in his side, “we’d better get back to Junon Hospital quickly.”
“Sir, please, you need your rest! If you move too much you could aggravate the injury, or tear the stitches -”
“C’mon, Tseng, you know how much trouble we’ll be in if we bring you back there!”
“I said,” Tseng repeated, glaring at the two of them, “we’d better get back to Junon Hospital.”
“… Yes, sir.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“How’s the kid?” Barrett asked as Vincent wandered back down the stairs. The dark-haired man said nothing in reply, a fact which made complete sense when the kid followed him back down the stairs. Damn, he’s tough. Hard to kill, ain’t he? The blond glared at him for his thoughtful concern, and Barrett glared right back at him.
The lobby of their hotel in Kalm was crowded with the different members of their traveling band, all waiting to find out what had happened. Barrett had been to see Marlene, my little angel – I’ll take care of her, Dyne, and had just gotten back to hear that there was still no word. The large man had settled down on a stool, drinking a zolom Tifa had made for him, to wait with the rest of them for news. A little alcohol sure helps after a long day, he had thought as the drink slid down his throat.
“Geez, Barrett, you almost sounded like you were worried about Cloud for a second there!” Yuffie said, throwing her elbow into his ribs with more force than was necessary as Cloud came over to stand by their table. Yuffie leaned against Barrett for a moment before sitting up and continuing to nurse her current drink as she continued, “Better be careful or people will start to mistake you for someone who cares!”
The ninja was more than a little drunk at the moment, having consumed at least three Horny Hades that he had seen, and who knew how many before that, but when ya spent the day saving the fuckin’ world, ya deserved a fuckin’ drink. Tifa poured Cloud a flaming cactuar, which the kid gulped down. Fuckin’ Sephiroth, man, he defeated fuckin’ Sephiroth! That’s fuckin’ unbelievable! Tifa poured him another, but he shook her off and rose to his feet.
“Where are you going, Cloud?” Tifa – who, it should be added, was the only sober one in the group aside from Vincent – asked. Cloud, Cloud, Cloud – it’s always about that kid with her, isn’t it? The kid didn’t bother answering, just headed out the door. “Cloud!” Tifa called after him. “Hey, Cloud!”
“Leave ‘im ‘lone.” Barrett said, draining the last of his own drink dry. Cid nodded in agreement and pulled a fresh cigarette from its pack as he put the last one out in the ash tray. The robot thing’s lights were out, but the giant feline and the vampire seemed to agree. The ninja didn’t say a word, just held out her drink for more.
“Someone should be making sure he doesn’t get hurt out there, or collapse again!” Tifa said, biting her lower lip.
Cid, Vincent, and Barrett exchanged glances. The pilot was too drunk to go; he had had even more to drink than Yuffie had. Aw, fuck, man, c’mon, you know we don’t get along… But Vincent’s eyes seemed to say that he’d earned a break after keeping the dark-haired girl away from their mighty leader while he was sleeping. All right, all right, already…
“Don’t worry, Teef.” Barrett replied, checking to make sure his gun was loaded before getting to his feet and heading out the door. Fuckin’ great, just fuckin’ great. I’m baby-sitting for the fuckin’ saviour of the world. He pulled it open and headed out into the street, calling, “Hey Cloud, wait up!”
The blond man didn’t seem to be listening, heading intently out of town. Where exactly he was going, Barrett didn’t have any clue, but Teef’ll kill me if I let him go off alone. Barrett picked up his pace, running after the still strolling ex-Soldier.
It was a beautiful evening in Kalm. With Meteor’s destruction, the sky had gone back to the way it always had been – crystal clear and completely open, a sky completely different from the one Barrett had known in Midgar, blocked by the Plate and a cloud of perpetual smog. If we had been there, if Marlene had been there… The glaring absence of the towering Plate stared at him from the western horizon, and he resisted thinking about the lives lost to Diamond Weapon and Meteor.
“Ow!” Barrett shouted as he ran straight into Cloud, bouncing off the solid man and falling flat on his ass. “What the hell, man?”
Cloud didn’t answer, though. Fuckin’ kid... Not even gonna help me up, is he? He stood frozen as Barrett got to his feet and dusted himself off, muttering the whole while. Once the dust was off as best it could be, Barrett finally realized that there was something wrong with such unnatural stillness.
“Cloud?” he repeated. When the blond didn’t answer, Barrett followed his gaze. Across the field, standing as frozenly as the ex-Soldier himself, stood another spiky haired man, staring intently at Cloud.
“Zack…” the kid whispered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“I’m sorry,” the boat’s owner said apologetically to Zack as she released him on the shores near Kalm. The wreckage floating in the water near Midgar had proved too treacherous for her to navigate, and she had consequently floated the boat to the next closest shore area.
“Don’t worry about it,” Zack replied, smiling at her. He jumped off the boat and walked onto shore, turning back to give her a quick wink. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Good luck!” she called, pulling the boat back from the shallows and motoring carefully back through the canal.
Zack watched her go briefly before heading up into the town. Midgar seemed to still be standing, for the most part – What the hell happened to the Plate? Where once a steel tribute to the dominance of Shinra tower had stood, a giant towering over the bustling metropolis, now only a single steel support bar remained. Did Meteor… Cloud, Cloud, how could you? The vacant horizon stared at Zack, a condemnation of all he had failed to do.
The moon’s pale light was the only thing guiding his way now, now that Meteor was gone. Mako enhanced vision meant that it wasn’t a problem in terms of continuing on his way, but I need to be at full strength before I face him. He won’t give me any quarter... After all, I taught him to take on enemies with his full strength, didn’t I? A bitter chuckle escaped Zack’s throat, forcing its way past his lips. With a sigh, he turned to head into Kalm and catch a good night’s rest – sleep in a real bed, see if anyone’s selling high level material, maybe get more infor –
Cloud.
Zack froze, dazed by the sight of the very last person he had expected to see.
The blond haired man looked so very much the same, and yet so very different. His spiky blond locks stood up at all angles – What’s up, Chocobo Head? – gathered in an unruly and barely combed mass. He was still short – Need a boost? – and didn’t look to have gotten any taller at all. The shape of his face, even his sword – I don’t think a little thing like you is suited for a big weapon like mine – was achingly familiar.
The clothes were different, though – I’m going to make Soldier, just you wait! – they reminded Zack of his own. The weapon, however much he had loved it, still looked out of place on the younger man. The most striking difference, though – Do they glow in the dark? I always wondered… - was his eyes. The Mako in them stood out brightly in a way Zack had only ever seen on Sephiroth’s face, unnatural luminescence shining from cornflower blue eyes.
“Cloud…” The word escaped, more breathed than said. Oh, fuck, fuck… what do I do now?
The former trooper looked as dumbstruck as he felt, completely pole-axed, and for one beautiful, terrible moment Zack could almost believe that everything could go back to the way it had been before Hojo had gotten his hands on them, that they could have the tearful happy reunion that movies always promised. Don’t worry about it, Cloud! We’ll go to Midgar and be mercenaries together, and everything will be fine! The unfulfilled promise, the promise he had made but been kept from keeping.
“Zack…” Anything less than Mako-enhanced hearing would never have caught the whisper from as far away as they currently stood. Oh, Cloud, what am I going to do with you? It drifted between them, hanging in the suddenly deep silence that surrounded them. I’ll make this right Cloud, I promise! It’ll be all right! The blond’s Mako-clouded eyes stared through him, wide and vacant, and Zack could feel his last hopes of Cloud’s sanity drift away. Unbidden, his earlier convictions rose to the front of Zack’s mind.
Promise… if I… like Sephiroth…
A glint of light reflected into Zack’s eyes, and he looked in the direction from which it had come. The remains of Shinra tower condemned him for his inaction. Zack… if I… like Sephiroth… From the edges of memory, pale blue eyes stared at him as the last edges of sunlight faded away, and Zack knew that he could wait no longer.
Promise!
Unsheathing his sword as he went, Zack charged without hesitation at the stolen body that had once housed his best friend’s soul.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Next Chapter
Fandom: FF7, Last Order, Advent Children, Before Crisis / AU for different elements of the last two
Beta: The talented
ladylore, who catches all my slips ^.^Rating: Eh... PG-13 ish because of language
Notes: Hmmm... so, I said I was going to be really slow on the whole updating thing. This was kinda slower than I'd anticipated. ^^;;;; Anyways, please tell me if I completely messed up the whole medical thing, since I was kinda completely making things up. The pre-meds down the hall rocked my socks and helped me get some accurate details, but... all I know about medicine is what I learned in first aid. ^^;;;
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter One
“The flesh endures the storms of the present alone; the mind, those of the past and the future as well as the present.” ~Thomas Hobbes
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Rude heard Elena chanting under her breath as they ran around the pile of rubble before them. The piece of white cloth that had first caught her attention grew larger as they approached, and Rude could tell that it was attached to a coat that could only have been Rufus’s. They rounded the pile at top speed.
“Rufus!” Rude shouted as the president came clearly into sight, and he could hear his partners’ echoing shouts beside him. For a moment, they stood frozen together.
He looks awful…
Rufus lay facedown upon the ground, clearly not where he had fallen originally. His hands gripped tightly to the rubble before him, and an empty water bottle lay on the ground beside him. The back of his head had been badly burned – his vanity will take a blow when he realizes he’s missing half his hair – and his left leg was bent at a hideous angle. Casting aside his paralysis, Rude checked the area for hazards with a glance and then strode swiftly forward to gingerly roll Rufus over.
“He’s still alive.” Rude said to the other two when a quick check confirmed that Rufus’s airway was open and he was breathing.
“Thank the Planet.” Elena replied, sighing. From the corner of his eye, Rude could see Reno shoving the girl back into action. He could hear his partner castigating her for getting distracted, and forcing her to help him prepare the collapsible backboard they had brought.
“Come on!” Reno – the cheerful son of a bitch – was saying. “Pull yourself together! What kind of Turk are you? We’re on duty today, and we’ve got a job to do!”
Although the president’s left knee had swollen to a distinctly unnatural size, his arms seemed relatively unharmed. A line of blood trickled down the side of his head from slightly above his left temple. Rude positioned his hands carefully, stabilizing Rufus’s head as best he could. Elena positioned the backboard onto the ground beside Rufus, which was mercifully about even with the ground beneath him.
“Now.” Rude said softly, and together he and Reno carefully rolled Rufus onto his side. Elena quickly slid the backboard beneath him, and then they rolled him back down.
“Rude, you’re so cool!” Reno remarked, a cocky grin lighting his face once more. The smile on Elena’s face briefly eclipsed the continued worry for Rufus’s health. The president may have been badly injured, but at least he was alive, and would probably stay that way. Elena reached down and gently brushed away the locks of hair from Rufus’s face – she’s such a mother – before she efficiently fastened the C-spine collar around Rufus’s neck while Rude continued to stabilize the injury. Reno had quickly fastened the straps that would hold Rufus to the stretcher, and once the collar was on, Rude did likewise to the strap over his forehead.
“Let’s move.” He said, grabbing a hold of the top of the board. Reno carefully seized the lower hand-holds, and together they lifted the board in to the air. Moving as quickly as they dared, the three Turks hurried their president from the scene of his recovery, Elena trying to get a hold of the others from her PHS the whole way.
“What’s that?” Elena asked suddenly as they boarded the helicopter they had stowed in the outskirts of Midgar. She pointed back into the sky, where a large glowing light had begun to descend upon the city.
Rude’s only response was to drag her into the helicopter and take off as quickly as possible.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Aerith knelt amongst the flowers and grass conjured by her own mind to provide the most comforting setting for her work, the pale pink of her dress in sharp contrast to the deep green around her. An all-encompassing calm wrapped around her, freeing her to focus upon the physical world from within the Lifestream. It carried her slowly towards the point of need, the focus of her casting. Since her death, she had known it was only a matter of time, time that now seemed to be running out.
Soon… Her hands clasped tightly before her. Please, noble Planet, use me as your vessel. I gave my life to call Holy forward and save my people, the people I have chosen to be my own. Let the ending of my race be the promise of your own, for they will learn in time to care for you as we once did, if you allow them. Please, precious one. Heed me, I pray.
She could feel it beneath her, around her, responding to her call. If a soul praying for Holy reaches the Planet… It was a fable Aerith had been told since she was a child, since her mother had entrusted to her the last, the most important and most precious tool of the Cetra.
“The Planet cannot use Holy alone, Aeri.” Her mother had said, running a brush through Aerith’s hair before capturing it deftly in her own hands and tying a ribbon around it against the back of her head. Aerith remembered the weight of the small bauble on the ribbon, a little white gem the mean man had called useless. “I don’t think anyone, or anything, can.”
“Why, Mama? Isn’t the Planet strong enough?” She had asked, pulling her half-plaited hair from her mother’s hands as she’d turned to face her mother. “I thought the Planet could do anything, anything at all!”
Ifalna had laughed then, and Aerith had huffed and turned away, crossing her arms as she pouted. Loving hands had gathered Aerith’s hair, brushing it once more before starting to braid it again. She had sighed, relaxing almost against her will at the pleasant sensation of the touch.
“It isn’t that the Planet isn’t strong enough, Aeri.” Her mother had said as she finished the last of the plait and began to tie another ribbon around the end of it. “The Planet has the power to do just about anything it wants to do. The problem is, Aeri, that power alone isn’t enough to summon Holy.”
“Why not?” She had replied, waiting until the ribbon was secure before facing her mother again.
“Because.” Her mother had answered with a grin and a wink. Then she had paused, seeing Aerith’s expression, and said more seriously, “Some things, Aeri – not everything, but some things – some things depend on more than just power. Even the strongest of all powers can be bent, can be bowed. The greatest power anyone has ever had isn’t a power at all, but a feeling. The Planet has strength, many strengths, but emotion and connection to those living on it is not among them. Holy, Aeri, needs that strong emotion to become active. If a soul using that strong emotion reaches the Planet, the Planet will respond and provide the physical power necessary to use Holy. So you see, dearling, neither the Planet nor a person can use Holy alone. Promise me you’ll remember?”
“So the Planet works with the person, and the person has to work with the Planet?” Aerith had asked then, eyes wide.
“Exactly.” Her mother had replied, brushing Aerith’s bangs from her face before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Now, it’s past your bedtime, so you’d best get some sleep.”
“Yes, Momma.” Aerith said, lying down on the pallet on the right side of the cell. Her mother walked over to the door and knocked twice, waiting patiently until the guard came over and opened it. Aerith had drifted off to sleep as Hojo appeared to lead her mother off to more experiments.
I remember, Momma. Wisps of green mist danced around her, called by the strength of her desire. For my friends… For Cloud… For Marlene, and the other children… For everyone…
The white glow of Holy mixed and mingled with the green of the Lifestream around her, and suddenly Aerith could see everything. Ants crawled along the ground, wolves roamed the planes, fish swam in the depths of the sea – people laughed, and cried, and feared. Behind it all, headed straight for her former home, was the glowing, ominous presence of Meteor. The white light of Holy sprang from her, covering the city in a blanket of light attempting to repel the intruder. The mindless, empty child of hatred bore down upon Aerith. Her feelings, her love were strong, but even she knew that her strength could not last under the continued attack.
I’m not strong enough, not alone. Help me, help us! Please…!
The green glow of the Lifestream surged forward then, heading straight for Midgar, but Aerith knew in an instant of sharp clarity that she wouldn’t be able to wait for the help. Her strength had already been stretched to its limit, had begun to bend, and headed towards the inevitable moment when it broke.
Sorry, I’m so sorry. Her anguish increased the urgency of her call to the Planet, and Holy flared brighter for a moment as the Lifestream rushed to join it. The flare faded, though, leaving the bright white light weaker then it had been and fading by the moment.
I’m so sorry. I couldn’t –
A hand landed on her shoulder, resting there steadfastly, and Aerith gasped as her energy suddenly increased. Smiling, she drew on the new reserves that she could tell would be enough. The green rush of Lifestream drew closer and closer until it washed over her as a cool, soothing balm.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Darkness surrounded him. The air was thick and heavy with it, weighing oppressively upon him. His body felt limp, denying his best efforts to move, and so Cloud contented himself to merely drifting, drifting in the emptiness around him. The memory of fighting Sephiroth shone sharply in his mind, and Cloud could not deny his satisfaction with the victory.
But Meteor was still falling… We were on the Highwind, watching it hit Midgar, and Holy was there, but it was weak… Did it fail? Is this what being dead feels like? It’s really not so bad…
The darkness was warm, and it carried him gently towards a glow he hadn’t noticed at first. It glimmered bright green, twinkling against the blackness all around. Slowly, slowly it drew nearer, and Cloud could see a figure outlined against the splash of colour. She reached a hand towards him, and Cloud’s suddenly functional arm returned the grasp and allowed himself to be pulled into the light.
Aerith…
“Hello, Cloud.” She said, and her smile shone as radiantly as the light around her. “How have you been?”
“Aerith, I…” He began. This is impossible. I know she’s dead… am I? I guess I must be… How do I tell her? How can I explain that her sacrifice has gone to waste, that Midgar –
“Awww, Cloud!” Cloud was pulled from his distracted thoughts as she reached out and grabbed his face, turning it towards her. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me! I’ll be very upset if you have!”
She was grinning at him again, eyes lit up impishly as his arms acted of their own volition and drew her into a tight embrace. She responded in kind, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against his chest.
“So you do remember.” She said. She’s so solid, so real… Aerith remained motionless in his arms, and he savoured the sensation of touch. “Good.”
“Aerith, I… I…” Cloud stammered, drawing back so he could look at her.
“Geez, Cloud, does everything have to be about you? You… you… what?” She replied. Her smile was softer then, and something close to sorrow glimmered in her eyes. “You don’t have to worry any more. Holy came, and the Planet is safe. Everything will be fine, you’ll see!”
“But Meteor…!”
Aerith shook her head, the long braid swaying visibly behind her.
“No buts!” She replied firmly, thumping him square in the chest with one of her hands and pulling back. “After all, Turks only scout the best for Soldier, and you know that as one of the best I clearly can tell whether or not there’s something to worry about. So, since I’m telling you that there’s nothing to worry about, everything must be all right!”
Aerith… His heart ached at the sight of her, standing surrounded by a field of flowers now, as independent and playful as she had been the first time he met her. “Will you be my bodyguard?” Her request flashed across his mind, and then Reno chasing after them. “Why is he after you?” “I don’t know!” “Turks scout for new Soldier candidates, and take care of things like kidnappings and assassinations.” “I can’t think of why anyone would want to kidnap me, so they must want me for Soldier!” “We’re going on a date!” “What?” “Come on!” Being pulled swiftly into the Gold Saucer’s Enchantment Evening… A long sword swinging slowly down towards her, but being frozen and unable to act. She stood before him now, grinning and waiting impatiently for his response, and he reached out to seize her hands in his.
“Aerith, I’m so sorry!” The words burst forth from Cloud as the images of the past played across his mind. Staring into her wide, bewildered eyes, Cloud found suddenly that he couldn’t abide looking at her – don’t deserve to see her, don’t deserve her forgiveness – and glanced away.
“Hey, it’s all right!” Aerith replied, no sign of hatred or sorrow in her gentle voice. “I know it’s almost time for you to go back to the others now. Don’t worry, though! You’ll see me again!”
“What?” He answered, head jerking back towards her. She stood among the yellow irises, looking healthy as ever, and for a moment he could have sworn she meant that she wasn’t dead after all.
“It seems that after everything you did to defeat Sephiroth, and the number of times you’ve nearly drowned in the Lifestream, the Planet’s decided that She likes you.” Aerith huffed, pouting at him. “But don’t go thinking She wants to date you or anything. The Planet and I made a deal – you’ll protect both of us, and I’ll be your date.”
Cloud blushed a dark crimson and shook his head. “Aerith…”
“Stop saying my name like that! It’s too sad.” She smiled at him, and the white light swelled around her again, blocking the flowers from his view. “It’s time.”
“Time for what?” He asked bewilderedly. He got no response, though, as the glow washed over him, blinding him. Aerith’s smile was the last thing he saw before the world disappeared in the brilliant blaze of light.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“WOAH!” Zack exclaimed as the waves rocked the small boat to and fro, jarring him awake. The trip had been long and tedious, but they were finally nearing the Northern Continent. The ex-Soldier jumped to his feet and looked towards the source of the blast force. The glare of a brilliant light shot across the water from the direction of Midgar. Zack stared straight into it, ignoring the pain of the brightness.
“What the hell is going on?” shouted the pilot of the ship from below deck. Zack gazed into the over-bright glow, red and white mixing around the Eastern Continent in an incomprehensible pattern. Midgar… The lights are over Midgar. He glanced quickly overhead. Oh, Planet, the information was wrong and Midgar’s paying for my mistake! The Mako in the air was tangible, flowing past him and headed for the brilliant glow.
“Turn around!” He shouted, watching the colors mixing. The red spread across the layer of white like blood on snow, seeping through in pockets. Is that… Holy? Zack watched in growing horror as the red gained strength, pushing deeper into the white. The white flickered slightly, caving a bit, and then –
What in Hades…? Lifestream?!
Mako green joined together with the brilliant white light, empowering it to repulse the red attack of Meteor. More Mako streamed into the city, strengthening the light until even Zack’s enhanced eyes could not handle the strain and he was forced to look away.
“What’s going on?” The boat owner’s voice was nearer now, possibly at the cabin door. When the light faded, Zack spun around to face her, hurrying her back to the controls. “What happened?”
“We need to get back to Midgar, now!” The Soldier replied, feeling the shift of the boat’s direction upon the water as she altered the controls. “The information I received was wrong. It looks like Meteor just hit Midgar.”
“It what?” the woman asked, aghast. She turned to stare at him until he shooed her back to the controls. “How are we still here?”
“I don’t know,” Zack replied honestly, shaking his head as he squinted at the horizon. The retreating Mako again saturated the air, Lifestream flowing back towards wherever it had come from now that the danger had passed. Fortunately, the city was close enough that it would be mere hours before they arrived. He continued, “But I can’t take the chance that Cloud’s still here, too, and still intent on destroying the world.”
The woman looked at him incredulously – he could feel it even though he couldn’t see it.
“Okay…” she said, disbelief strong in her voice. Nevertheless, the boat began to head unerringly for the nearest shore, and whatever arrival there might bring.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Cloud!” Tifa shouted, running over to him as the brilliant light of what must have been Holy faded slowly away. The blond ex-Soldier lay motionless on the deck, his eyes closed. She fell to her knees beside him, resting her hand upon his forehead as she checked his pulse.
“Shit.” She cursed, hastily pulling her gloves off and trying again. Oh, thank the Planet. To her relief, it still beat soundly beneath her fingers. Cloud’s head felt warm, but not overly so. Tifa used the pad of her thumbs to gently lift his eyelids. Though his pupils were slightly dilated, nothing seemed to be too wrong with him.
“Yo,” Barrett said, coming up beside her, “he all right?”
“Mm.” She nodded affirmatively. How am I supposed to know, hmm? Do I look like a doctor? She lifted her head and looked up at him. “I think so, but we should probably get him to a doctor soon. What happened?”
“Holy,” Nanaki replied. The soft sound of his paws padding across the floor echoed as he approached the window. Staring towards Midgar, he continued, “It’s just like Grandpa always said it would be. A brilliant white light, shining against the darkness, that glows green as it becomes effective. I wonder if he knew that the green came from the Lifestream…?”
“Wait, wait – hold on!” Yuffie interrupted, bounding forward from her place on the bridge. She looks almost as green as the Lifestream herself… I’m so happy I don’t get motion sickness… The ninja leaned over the railing towards the glass at the front of the window, then turned away as her face became a still deeper shade of green. “So Meteor is gone now? It’s all really over?”
“It’s because of Aerith.” Tifa said, now cradling Cloud’s head in her lap. She ran a hand carelessly through his wild hair, gently stroking it. “What else could it have been? Her prayer must have reached the Planet, just like Cloud said it would. Aerith saved us.”
“But she’s dead!” Barrett protested, waving his arm about in the air. No, you think? Oh, Barrett, I wish you would realize that not everything in the world has to make sense… Sometimes things simply are…
“It was her.” Tifa repeated, firmer and with more confidence. A pretty girl in a red dress, grabbing her hands over the body of the creeps they had knocked out. “Come on, we’ve gotta help Cloud!” The same girl in pink, kneeling in prayer, smiling at them as a sword descended through her from above… Tifa shook her head and looked up at her partners. “I bet she just had a long way to go to get to the Planet. It can’t have been an easy trip, but she did it. Don’t ever doubt it!”
Can’t let them see… have to be strong… Tifa turn her head down, staring at Cloud again and letting her hair shield her face from view as tears welled up in her eyes. With loving care, she brushed the stray locks of hair away from his face, focusing on him as a way to distract herself from her missing friend.
“Well, obviously! Who else could it have been aside from Aerith?” Yuffie’s voice contained a strange texture to it, and for a moment Tifa thought the girl might have been as upset as she herself felt. She changed her mind, however, when the younger girl continued, “After all, no one could use Materia like Aerith could! She must have spent time in Wutai when she was younger to learn her skills.”
“Hmph.” Cid grunted. What the…? Tifa glanced up as the world began to tilt forward. She turned to their pilot, noticing that the others had done so as well. “I don’t know anything about that damn Holy or any of that shit, but I do know that if we don’t get the Highwind on the ground soon, it’ll run out of fuel.”
“Oh, no!” The ninja exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation. “Are we at least near a town? I don’t want to have to drag Mr. Spiky-Haired-But-Can’t-Stay-Conscious along with us if we’re going far.”
“You won’t have to.” Vincent said from his usual spot near the monitors. “Compared to other burdens, I’m sure Cloud will be light.”
I wonder what he means, other burdens… Maybe something to do with the sin that he never talks ab- ?
The plane landed with a jolt on the field, tearing Tifa from her thoughts. As she glanced through the front glass of the Highwind, the welcoming lights of Kalm town were clearly visible. It rolled slowly along the grassy plain, coming to a halt just outside the town proper.
“Great job, sir! A perfect landing!” chorused the crewmen. Cid grinned proudly, tossing the end of his scarf over his shoulder. He really loves to be the center of attention, doesn’t he? Tifa stifled her laughter, turning back to the blond before her. A pair of strong arms, one covered in a bronze claw, reached suddenly under Cloud’s body and lifted him into the air. When Tifa glanced up, Vincent nodded at her, and she smiled in reply.
“All right everyone, let’s go!” She said, rising to her feet and leading the way off the airship and into Kalm.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
At least, Tseng thought wryly as he began counting the ceiling tiles again, this room has something for me to do.
It had been two and a half months since Sephiroth had run him through at the Temple of the Ancients. In that time, Tseng had had a splenectomy and had the left lobe of his liver excised. After such invasive surgery, his body had been subjected to a wide host of complications caused by infection. He’d been feverish and incoherent for several weeks, and as such needed to take his time in getting well if he wished to make a full recovery.
Or so they told him.
For his part, Tseng didn’t remember much of the first two weeks he’d been at Junon Military Hospital. Being sedated and delirious will do that, though. On the other hand, he remembered the following two months with painstakingly sharp clarity. Turks as a whole were fanatically loyal to one another. Tseng had encouraged this in them, had developed that vaguely nurturing impulse towards one another, and had used it both to boost morale and protect his people.
None of this would stop him from killing them all if they didn’t stop being so ridiculously overprotective of him.
It had taken them a month to even begin giving him information about the current state of the world. A month. When one is the leader of an intelligence unit, one expects to be kept informed every minute of every day. That a month had gone by… it was unthinkable. Even now, Tseng felt certain that they were keeping things from him. And the excuses…!
“We can’t tell you that, Boss. You’d just get stressed, and raise your blood pressure, and have a relapse.” “Yo, I ain’t gonna tell you, so you can quite asking!” “… … … No.” “Sorry sir, I’m under orders from the acting Turk leader not to discuss those matters with you.”
That particular phrase had grown exceedingly irritating, especially when they refused to tell him who the acting leader was. Pity that that sort of thing was decided by committee – or, occasionally, by the President alone.
“Can I get anything for you, sir?” Janice asked, her long silver-gray ponytail swinging behind her as she headed towards the door. The lack of privacy had also grown irritating. Tseng had not been alone at any point, ever. As Janice opened the door, Brick wandered in – proving that no end was in sight, and while it’s nice to know I’m appreciated, Tseng reflected, I wish they would stop treating me like fine Wutaiian crystal.
“An update on the search for Rufus.” He replied sternly, trying to look as threatening as possible while lying in bed. The doctors had said it should be all right for him to start walking around a bit; his subordinates had threatened to hurt him if he even tried, and right now, I’m just not a match for them.
Stupid stab wound.
“I’ll do my best to find out,” she replied, slipping carefully from the room. Well worded – she guaranteed she’d discover the information without promising to tell me… Clearly, I need to scale back on teaching advanced diplomatic techniques early in training. Running a hand through his short brown hair, Brick seated himself in the chair they’d been keeping in what served as Tseng’s bedroom. Best guess suggested they were still in Junon, but they had been careful to sedate him during the time of the trip from the hospital. This was ostensibly done to prevent him from experiencing any discomfort – though it’ll be a cold day in Hades before I’ll believe that – and Tseng consequently couldn’t be sure where he was.
“How are you feeling today, sir?” Brick asked gruffly, studying him with a critical eye.
Even if I tell you I feel fine, you’re not letting me get out of bed, so what does it matter? This is… pathetic. Tseng stared expressionlessly at him for a moment before resuming his count of the ceiling tiles. Fifty one, fifty two, fifty three…
“Don’t worry about the President, sir.” Brick continued, staring at a point somewhere on the far wall. “Reno, Rude, and Elena are out looking for him. I’m sure they’ll find him. Besides, he’s too stubborn to die.”
Tseng raised an eyebrow at the naïve assurance before continuing in his new hobby. I’d even try to decipher one of Reno’s illegible reports if it meant I got information. Even a novel would be great, if only for the distraction! He noted idly that there were still one-hundred and forty four tiles on the ceiling, a perfect twelve by twelve pattern.
“Sir!” Janice exclaimed, hurriedly pushing the door open and entering. She closed it behind her before looking at him, her deep brown eyes wide with excitement and a smile dancing on her lips. “They’ve found the President! He’s alive, and they’re taking him to Junon Hospital to recover. Meteor has also been stopped, though no one seems to know how it happened. Initial reports mention a bright green and white glow.”
Holy…? So Aerith did succeed…
“Well then,” Tseng said, pushing himself gingerly into a sitting position, ignoring the instant protests of his Turks and the stabbing ache in his side, “we’d better get back to Junon Hospital quickly.”
“Sir, please, you need your rest! If you move too much you could aggravate the injury, or tear the stitches -”
“C’mon, Tseng, you know how much trouble we’ll be in if we bring you back there!”
“I said,” Tseng repeated, glaring at the two of them, “we’d better get back to Junon Hospital.”
“… Yes, sir.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“How’s the kid?” Barrett asked as Vincent wandered back down the stairs. The dark-haired man said nothing in reply, a fact which made complete sense when the kid followed him back down the stairs. Damn, he’s tough. Hard to kill, ain’t he? The blond glared at him for his thoughtful concern, and Barrett glared right back at him.
The lobby of their hotel in Kalm was crowded with the different members of their traveling band, all waiting to find out what had happened. Barrett had been to see Marlene, my little angel – I’ll take care of her, Dyne, and had just gotten back to hear that there was still no word. The large man had settled down on a stool, drinking a zolom Tifa had made for him, to wait with the rest of them for news. A little alcohol sure helps after a long day, he had thought as the drink slid down his throat.
“Geez, Barrett, you almost sounded like you were worried about Cloud for a second there!” Yuffie said, throwing her elbow into his ribs with more force than was necessary as Cloud came over to stand by their table. Yuffie leaned against Barrett for a moment before sitting up and continuing to nurse her current drink as she continued, “Better be careful or people will start to mistake you for someone who cares!”
The ninja was more than a little drunk at the moment, having consumed at least three Horny Hades that he had seen, and who knew how many before that, but when ya spent the day saving the fuckin’ world, ya deserved a fuckin’ drink. Tifa poured Cloud a flaming cactuar, which the kid gulped down. Fuckin’ Sephiroth, man, he defeated fuckin’ Sephiroth! That’s fuckin’ unbelievable! Tifa poured him another, but he shook her off and rose to his feet.
“Where are you going, Cloud?” Tifa – who, it should be added, was the only sober one in the group aside from Vincent – asked. Cloud, Cloud, Cloud – it’s always about that kid with her, isn’t it? The kid didn’t bother answering, just headed out the door. “Cloud!” Tifa called after him. “Hey, Cloud!”
“Leave ‘im ‘lone.” Barrett said, draining the last of his own drink dry. Cid nodded in agreement and pulled a fresh cigarette from its pack as he put the last one out in the ash tray. The robot thing’s lights were out, but the giant feline and the vampire seemed to agree. The ninja didn’t say a word, just held out her drink for more.
“Someone should be making sure he doesn’t get hurt out there, or collapse again!” Tifa said, biting her lower lip.
Cid, Vincent, and Barrett exchanged glances. The pilot was too drunk to go; he had had even more to drink than Yuffie had. Aw, fuck, man, c’mon, you know we don’t get along… But Vincent’s eyes seemed to say that he’d earned a break after keeping the dark-haired girl away from their mighty leader while he was sleeping. All right, all right, already…
“Don’t worry, Teef.” Barrett replied, checking to make sure his gun was loaded before getting to his feet and heading out the door. Fuckin’ great, just fuckin’ great. I’m baby-sitting for the fuckin’ saviour of the world. He pulled it open and headed out into the street, calling, “Hey Cloud, wait up!”
The blond man didn’t seem to be listening, heading intently out of town. Where exactly he was going, Barrett didn’t have any clue, but Teef’ll kill me if I let him go off alone. Barrett picked up his pace, running after the still strolling ex-Soldier.
It was a beautiful evening in Kalm. With Meteor’s destruction, the sky had gone back to the way it always had been – crystal clear and completely open, a sky completely different from the one Barrett had known in Midgar, blocked by the Plate and a cloud of perpetual smog. If we had been there, if Marlene had been there… The glaring absence of the towering Plate stared at him from the western horizon, and he resisted thinking about the lives lost to Diamond Weapon and Meteor.
“Ow!” Barrett shouted as he ran straight into Cloud, bouncing off the solid man and falling flat on his ass. “What the hell, man?”
Cloud didn’t answer, though. Fuckin’ kid... Not even gonna help me up, is he? He stood frozen as Barrett got to his feet and dusted himself off, muttering the whole while. Once the dust was off as best it could be, Barrett finally realized that there was something wrong with such unnatural stillness.
“Cloud?” he repeated. When the blond didn’t answer, Barrett followed his gaze. Across the field, standing as frozenly as the ex-Soldier himself, stood another spiky haired man, staring intently at Cloud.
“Zack…” the kid whispered.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“I’m sorry,” the boat’s owner said apologetically to Zack as she released him on the shores near Kalm. The wreckage floating in the water near Midgar had proved too treacherous for her to navigate, and she had consequently floated the boat to the next closest shore area.
“Don’t worry about it,” Zack replied, smiling at her. He jumped off the boat and walked onto shore, turning back to give her a quick wink. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Good luck!” she called, pulling the boat back from the shallows and motoring carefully back through the canal.
Zack watched her go briefly before heading up into the town. Midgar seemed to still be standing, for the most part – What the hell happened to the Plate? Where once a steel tribute to the dominance of Shinra tower had stood, a giant towering over the bustling metropolis, now only a single steel support bar remained. Did Meteor… Cloud, Cloud, how could you? The vacant horizon stared at Zack, a condemnation of all he had failed to do.
The moon’s pale light was the only thing guiding his way now, now that Meteor was gone. Mako enhanced vision meant that it wasn’t a problem in terms of continuing on his way, but I need to be at full strength before I face him. He won’t give me any quarter... After all, I taught him to take on enemies with his full strength, didn’t I? A bitter chuckle escaped Zack’s throat, forcing its way past his lips. With a sigh, he turned to head into Kalm and catch a good night’s rest – sleep in a real bed, see if anyone’s selling high level material, maybe get more infor –
Cloud.
Zack froze, dazed by the sight of the very last person he had expected to see.
The blond haired man looked so very much the same, and yet so very different. His spiky blond locks stood up at all angles – What’s up, Chocobo Head? – gathered in an unruly and barely combed mass. He was still short – Need a boost? – and didn’t look to have gotten any taller at all. The shape of his face, even his sword – I don’t think a little thing like you is suited for a big weapon like mine – was achingly familiar.
The clothes were different, though – I’m going to make Soldier, just you wait! – they reminded Zack of his own. The weapon, however much he had loved it, still looked out of place on the younger man. The most striking difference, though – Do they glow in the dark? I always wondered… - was his eyes. The Mako in them stood out brightly in a way Zack had only ever seen on Sephiroth’s face, unnatural luminescence shining from cornflower blue eyes.
“Cloud…” The word escaped, more breathed than said. Oh, fuck, fuck… what do I do now?
The former trooper looked as dumbstruck as he felt, completely pole-axed, and for one beautiful, terrible moment Zack could almost believe that everything could go back to the way it had been before Hojo had gotten his hands on them, that they could have the tearful happy reunion that movies always promised. Don’t worry about it, Cloud! We’ll go to Midgar and be mercenaries together, and everything will be fine! The unfulfilled promise, the promise he had made but been kept from keeping.
“Zack…” Anything less than Mako-enhanced hearing would never have caught the whisper from as far away as they currently stood. Oh, Cloud, what am I going to do with you? It drifted between them, hanging in the suddenly deep silence that surrounded them. I’ll make this right Cloud, I promise! It’ll be all right! The blond’s Mako-clouded eyes stared through him, wide and vacant, and Zack could feel his last hopes of Cloud’s sanity drift away. Unbidden, his earlier convictions rose to the front of Zack’s mind.
Promise… if I… like Sephiroth…
A glint of light reflected into Zack’s eyes, and he looked in the direction from which it had come. The remains of Shinra tower condemned him for his inaction. Zack… if I… like Sephiroth… From the edges of memory, pale blue eyes stared at him as the last edges of sunlight faded away, and Zack knew that he could wait no longer.
Promise!
Unsheathing his sword as he went, Zack charged without hesitation at the stolen body that had once housed his best friend’s soul.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2006-04-20 11:31 pm (UTC)YOU NEED TO WRITE MORE. Don't keep me waiting!
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Date: 2006-04-21 05:21 am (UTC)And I'll try. ^^;;;
Also, you might find it makes more sense now that my beta's poked me into putting in the italics I forgot earlier. XDDD
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Date: 2006-04-22 02:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-21 04:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-21 05:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-21 02:12 pm (UTC)PS. Just who gave Aerith the energy? You evil cliffhanger maker! XD
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Date: 2006-04-21 03:41 pm (UTC)Also, in fairness to me, I wanted the fight seen in this chapter. Go yell at Zack for the cliffie, I certainly am!!! ^.^;;;;
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Date: 2006-04-21 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-21 09:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-22 02:42 am (UTC)Tseng had encouraged this in them, had developed that vaguely nurturing impulse towards one another, and had used it both to boost morale and protect his people.
None of this would stop him from killing them all if they didn’t stop being so ridiculously overprotective of him.
That ... cracked me up.
Also, much love for some original characters, and for AVALANCHE as well. The scenes with Aeris were really touching. Can't wait to see more updates. ^^
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Date: 2006-04-22 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-27 04:26 pm (UTC)The doctors had said it should be all right for him to start walking around a bit; his subordinates had threatened to hurt him if he even tried, and right now, I’m just not a match for them.
Poor Tseng. Such dedicated underlings he has.
Cloud's going to be even more messed up now that Zack has returned.
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Date: 2006-04-27 07:05 pm (UTC)Cloud... You're absolutely right. On the plus side, they may actually both survive the fight, and then fix things! Maybe... XD
Thanks for commenting!!! ^______^