I made this for this year HC-Bingo at Live Journal. The prompt was "Loss of Identity"

Disclaimer: FFVII belongs to Square Enix.

The Proof I Lived

Cloud was struggling with his conscious, but nothing he did seemed to help his situation. The mako around him was controlling his body and suffocating his mind. He was trying to move, trying to break free, but it was impossible.

For how long has he been there? It seemed like a century had passed since he was home… The home Sephiroth had so deliberately destroyed. He could still see the flames, smell the ashes. He wanted to scream in frustration. He joined the Shinra Soldiers to be able to do something, not to be a worthless helpless little boy. Not even Tifa he was able to save.

Tifa… Remembering her hurt. He was worried sick about her. Did she escape? Was she safe? Would they ever see each other again?

But even when he was thinking of her – his one friend, his one love – he couldn't find the strength to move his body. The mako was in his blood and he was sure he would soon die from the poisoning. Each day was worse than the previous one and he got weaker and weaker until he decided to just give up his body and mind completely to the green substance in and around him.

However, the next day found him with Zack breaking his tube's glass. The mako was spilling to the floor as the First Class Soldier put even more effort on the breaking.

Cloud couldn't remember being more relieved in his life. No, that wasn't true. When he saw Sephiroth hadn't killed Tifa was the most relieved he got in his entire life – but that wasn't the point. He was happy that Zack would be able to escape. The alarm was already screaming loudly, but even so, the Fair turned to him and started working on his glassy prison.

"No!" he wanted to scream. "Go alone, save yourself. I'll only be an unnecessary burden to you."

But he couldn't move his mouth to let his voice inform his friend of his wishes.

Zack broke the glass and threw him on his shoulders.

"You sure are heavy, buddy." He laughed. "Now let's get away from here before those bastards catch us again."

Cloud wanted badly to answer, but his brain wasn't sending the right messages to his locomotive nerves. He was left only with the images of Zack running away with him and the Buster Sword on his back. Let it to Zack Fair to be able to find his weapon in all that mess.

Zack ran through the mansion's corridors like he knew exactly where he was going. Maybe he does know, Cloud thought, he is a First Class, just like Sephiroth was.

Incredibly enough, they managed to get to Nibelheim's streets with none of the Turks following them. Zack ran faster as the night's air hit his face, refreshing his guts and making his wild hair even messier. The sounds of the helicopter following them were already too clear, though. Ordinary Soldiers were already popping out of nowhere to hunt them.

"Okay, buddy. Stay here for a while. Don't go running without me, huh?"

He sat Cloud on the floor and stuck the Buster Sword in front of them. The Strife, however, wasn't seeing anything any longer. Maybe it was the lack of the mako – what if it was that hateful substance keeping him alive? He felt like laughing at the irony of it all.

Zack was soon back, with not even a scratch on his body and a motorcycle. He grabbed both Cloud and his sword and forced the vehicle until its limits. The soldiers were staying behind but the helicopter kept getting closer. Zack smirked and manoeuvred the motorcycle violently, making their air chaser find a stone mountain.

It was already dawn when the fuel ran out. But Zack was an incredibly lucky man. An old man passed by with his truck and offered them a ride to Midgar.

"See, buddy?" Zack spoke to Cloud. "We're going to Midgar! We can be anything we want there. We'll find a Sector to live and you can go looking for your girl. Mine is waiting for me." And he smiled warmly, thinking of his Aerith. "She's great, I'm sure you two gonna get along just fine!"

Cloud wanted so much to be able to talk to him. Tell him he was very grateful he brought him along, grateful they've been able to meet. Cloud was just an ordinary weak soldier, but Zack has treated him like they were exactly the same. He wanted so much to just say "thank you".

"Hey, old man, what do you think we can work on?" Zack laughed while asking.

"Eh? You're young, you can do anything."

"That's it! We can be mercenaries! We'll do everything others want us to do and earn some money with it!"

It was a good plan. They could work together, save some money. Zack would be happy with his girlfriend and Cloud could look for Tifa. It was just perfect.

But hell broke loose again.

"Cloud watch out!" Zack screamed as something made the truck explode. The old man died immediately, but Zack endured a bit longer, pushing Cloud until a precipice – Midgar was just ahead, a few feet away.

"Hey, Cloud. I hope you can go on and find your pretty girl. You'll be the proof I lived, 'kay?" his chest had blood all over and is voice was getting weaker.

No! Cloud wanted to scream, but he could neither move nor see anything anymore. Why wouldn't that stupid body just obey him? He couldn't die! Not on his watch!

"Live for me, Cloud."

When Cloud Strife opened his eyes, he had his Buster Sword on his hands. There was blood all over the ground, but he figured it should be from the soldiers he had been fighting with, the ones that tried to stop his escape. They had seen it coming, he was a First Class, after all.

"I'll work as a mercenary." He said to himself, nodding and walking to one of the city's gates. Shinra wouldn't catch him again, never again.

"Hey, Cloud…" Aerith started, feeling nervous, as they sat together on the abandoned children's playground. "While you were with the Soldiers, did you meet a First Class named Zack?"

"Zack? No, I never heard of someone named Zack."