A/N: I was partially intoxicated while writing this so…yeah…and I was somewhat mad too, just so you know where I'm coming from. "Darkest Days" by Stabbing Westward also played a part in the writing of this. I know this is dark for me but sometimes it's not all fluff and happy endings. Hinted CloTi and ZackxAerith.

Disclaimer: I own nothing FFVII, even though the male main characters of this fic do spend a lot of time in my head.

"Break You Down"

By MakoRain

"Zack…you're alive?"

"Yeah buddy, I am. Glad to see me?"

He was secluded in shadows but Cloud would know that voice from anywhere. Only something was off…something he couldn't put his finger on.

"Are you okay, man? You sound…off."

"Off? Off? Now why would that be, Cloud?"

In one fluid motion the silhouette of a man became flesh, revealing himself whole in the shadows and yet pulling them along as well, as if the darkness was a part of him, wanting to hold on and never let go. Mako glowed in his eyes and the look on his face made it known that he never wanted it to go away. It was a look that chilled Cloud's blood in his veins.

"Where is she, Cloud?"

The voice was so cold, calculating, condescending, and it stopped Cloud in his tracks. How he could have mistaken this thing as his friend was hard to believe, for nothing was left of the charismatic, caring, and cheerful comrade of SOLDIER so long ago he had grown to know and love as a brother.

"Who?"

Zack's smirk was felt more than seen, permeating the air with rage, pain, hate, so odd coming from him. Cloud stepped back at its force and familiarity, trying to shake it off…he wouldn't go down that path again, not against his best friend.

"Don't give me that, Strife. You know who."

"Sephiroth…"

"Sephy Sephy Sephy…why don't you stop blaming everyone else and take responsibility for your mistakes, Strife?"

Zack was moving slowly toward him and Cloud immediately took a step back, instincts kicking in over common sense. What he saw was his dead friend's body miraculously brought back to life but what he felt was all too familiar and it was coming from Zack.

"Zack, you're not yourself. You're being controlled."

There was that cruel laugh that echoed throughout the chamber and yet Cloud still refused to believe it came from Zack, even though it was all unfolding right in front of his eyes.

"I've never felt this good, Cloud. How could this not be me? What I was meant to be? I feel great."

Cloud could hear the fluid movements of Zack's body with each step, each flex of his hands and arms showed how strong he had become, exceeding the SOLDIER First Class rank he had been given so long ago. He could probably defeat The Nightmare in this state without even breaking a sweat, and still, Cloud could do nothing.

"Now, where were we? Oh yeah, your failures. Let's start with Niebelhiem, shall we?"

"That wasn't my fault and you know it."

A glint of mako was all he saw before turning around, not giving Zack long out of his line of sight and especially behind his back.

"Who didn't stop Sephiroth from burning the village to the ground? You. Who didn't stop him from killing Tifa? You. Who didn't stop him from almost killing me? You."

"No…I…that wasn't…"

"What about when I helped you escape after the experiments, hmmm? Did you do anything to help me fight the Turks? No, you just sat there, useless, as you always have been and always will be."

"I was out of it, Zack, and you know that. You were the strongest, you always were."

"That I was. But that doesn't excuse you from the fact that you let her die, Cloud. What kind of hero are you?"

"I never asked to be a hero."

"The hell you didn't! Why else did you join SOLDIER, rookie?"

An image of Tifa went through his mind and he shook it loose, the picture dissipating in his head. He couldn't think of her now, not now.

"You let her die, Cloud."

"Stop it."

"The only woman I ever loved and you killed her."

"No, Sephiroth did."

Zack was circling again but the young man's mind was racing, trying to keep his thoughts clear of the webs Zack's words were weaving through his mind.

"You stood by and did nothing. You might as well have driven the sword through yourself."

"Don't, it wasn't, I didn't…"

His knees hit the cobblestone floor, the memories, images of his past worn weary with age coming back full force to assault his conscience and he no longer knew where the dark haired man that used to be his best friend was, just that his voice came from somewhere above him.

"You did, Cloud. You killed Aerith. And I'm going to kill you."

Before Cloud had the time to react, Zack's buster sword was drawn and coming down in a glint of silver.

Cloud woke up screaming covered in a sheen of sweat. He threw the blankets aside and rubbed his face. Light poured through his open curtains and filled his bed with the warmth of the day. Morning…it was just a dream.

He had to go and see him to make his mind at ease. Cloud knocked on the hardwood door and was greeted with the smiling face of his best friend, Zack Fair.

"Hey buddy, what's up? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I wish." Cloud said with an unlikely chuckle.

"Come on in, Strife."

Zack led him into the living room of the quant house where he stood, too uncomfortable to sit down.

"So what's wrong, Cloud? You look like shit. Are you getting enough sleep?"

"I had a dream last night."

This got Zack's attention enough for him to give Cloud his 'serious big brother' look.

"About Tifa?"

Cloud started pacing, unable to stay still any longer and repeat his nightmares at the same time.

"Kind of. Is she here?"

"Hi, Cloud."

The blond man turned around and felt a little more weight lift off his shoulders at the sight of her.

"Hi, Aerith."

She lightly hugged him and for once he didn't stand stiff as a board but hugged her back loosely.

"Hey, a reaction for once. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just happy to see you. Both of you."

Zack chuckled and stood up, joining the two in the middle of the room.

"You see us everyday, Strife. Why would that change?"

"Anything can happen. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Nothing is going to change that Cloud, nothing. Remember, your nightmares are all in your head." To punctuate this, Zack ruffled the blond man's spikes until Cloud fended him off.

"Everything is alright, Cloud." Aerith gave her warm smile and sent Cloud on his way.

He almost believed her, enough to try sleeping again that night. He laid in bed, restless, his eyes closed, images flashing on closed lids until he heard something at his bedroom door and his eyes flew open. Shadow covered the doorway and all Cloud could do was watch as a flash of green followed with a glint of silver and then it all went cold and dark, his hearing his only sense left.

"Maybe it's not all in your head."

As it was meant to be...