I do not own anything nor do I make any money from this story. All rights apply.
Set after FFVII Advent Children and before FFVII Dirge of Cerberus. Thanks to beta ~Rei Mumei The Nameless Actor for picking up the spelling errors.
Run from the Past
Zack knew this feeling. The feeling of being soaked in Mako for hours. For days. He remembered the last time he woke feeling like this. There had been days of running and the final fight. He remembered being hit a few times… How many, he couldn't remember. He knew Cloud had been tucked away among the rocks. He knew he had fallen. Had they been caught? He forced his eyes open, he knew what to expect. Except everything was different. He wasn't in a tank, he was on a bed. He was dressed in comfortable clothes – a long sleeved T-shirt and track pants. Sitting up slowly he found himself in a small room, sparsely furnished with a bed, desk and chair. Next to the bed were some boots. There were no windows and the air had an earthy tinge to it – underground. He sat quietly, listening for sounds of movement. He heard nothing, not even the sounds of machines. Quietly he stood and went over to the table.
There were a few loose pages and a couple of pencils as well as a timer. His brow farrowed at the timer but something else caught his eye. It was a small plastic cap. He recognised it, he couldn't not. It was the cap of a hypodermic. So the 'comfortable' room wasn't what it appeared, he was still in a lab. He went to retrieve the boots by the bed. He wanted to move about quietly inside but as soon as he was out he would need the boots. He wasn't so much surprised as intrigued to find the door unlocked. The passage outside was more what he had in mind when he first woke. Opening the door opposite, he found another room like the one he had just left. Staff quarters? Quite possibly. There were six rooms in total but only his showed any sign of having anyone in them recently. To be more accurate, his room was the only one that was still intact enough to house anyone. The building was more than just abandoned, it was partly destroyed. Earthquake came immediately to mind but where would that put him. Not in Midgar, for sure. Definitely north though. He smiled to himself – north, such a huge area. Hopefully there would be more distinguishing landmarks outside.
The air was getting a little fresher as he went along. Before long it became apparent that there was no one else around and the pathway was seriously dilapidated in some areas. Stopping, Zack crouched down to pull on the boots. They fitted. Just like his clothes. It was all too suspicious. Something was up, something was happening and he was the centre of it. He came to a flight of stairs that lead up, he had ignored the previous flight that lead down. The smell that drifted up told him was the lab. He had thought of going down to check if Cloud, or anyone else for that matter, was down there but it was too quiet. If anyone was down there, their machines were off. And the machines were only turned off when there was nothing left living. The stair in front of him was different to the rest of the building as was the door at the top. Looking past the stair Zack saw the passage way continue but it was soon lost in the darkness. No lights lit that direction and Zack suspected that it ended rather abruptly, most likely with a pile of rubble. This stair had been added after whatever had destroyed this building. This was the way out.
The door didn't open out to the outside. Zack hadn't expected it to, this was a secret lab after all. It would be pointless if it was easily found. What he had not expected was the scale of destruction within the room. The only exit was up a pile of rubble to the first floor, as it appeared he was in the basement. Zack stared at the fallen slabs of concrete and twisted metal rods. He began to feel as if something huge had happened while he slept underground. Gingerly, he climbed to the first floor to find all the windows boarded up. From the inside. Someone defiantly didn't want anyone looking in. With little effort, Zack managed to pry one of the boards off, he smiled briefly as the sunlight blinded him. But as he blinked his eyes into focus, he felt himself shrink inside. He knew this place, knew what it had been. He stared through the window at ruins of Midgar, the ruins of his memory.
Zack didn't know how long he stood at the window but eventually his mind processed what he saw. He climbed through the window and stumble along the streets of the once great city. It was worse than a ghost town – no earthquake had done this. But what had? What had happened to its people? What had happened to Aerith? He turned toward the church and started to run. He didn't stop until he came to what remained of the building. He stood outside looking at it for a long time, all his memories playing in his mind. He knew in his heart, Aerith was gone. He realised he had know it when he woke up, just like he knew Cloud had not been recaptured like he had. But his mind refused to listen to his heart and so he went into the church looking for his love but found someone else instead.
He recognised the spiky hair first. Cloud was lying on the church floor in front of a pool of water. Zack smiled as Cloud leisurely tilted his head back to see who was coming into the church. Zack grinned at the look of shock on Cloud's face as he slowly rolled over and got to his feet.
"Hey," called Zack.
He was surprised when Cloud flinched and stepped backwards.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"It's me, man – Zack."
Cloud shook his head and stepped back again.
Zack stopped and studied the boy, no – the man before him. He wasn't surprised, he was terrified.
"Who are you!" he yelled. "Why are you here?"
"Cloud, it me, really," said Zack calmly. "I got out. It's okay, everything is going to be okay now."
Cloud just stared at him. He had lost the look of terror but it had been replaced with something worse – nothing. It didn't appear as if he heard Zack or even saw him. Concerned, Zack stepped forward which caused Cloud to jerk backward.
"Leave me alone," he said abruptly.
"Cloud…"
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Zack stood still again. Waiting wasn't his strong point but once again the feeling that something was going on beyond his understanding rose within him. He waited while Cloud stood staring at him. With sudden speed that surprised Zack, Cloud ran forward. He angled to the left as he came and grabbed a sword off one of the pews. He jumped and brought the sword down with precision. Zack managed to side step the sword but found he had walked into the path of another. He didn't spare any thought as to where the second sword had come, he reacted. He stepped into the attack and blocked, punching with his free hand. Cloud stepped back but Zack grabbed Cloud's wrist and twisted round trying to force Cloud to the ground. Cloud let go of the sword, pulled his arm free as Zack tried to twist it and jumped back. His eyes never leaving Cloud, Zack retrieved Cloud's sword. He was impressed when Cloud pulled a third sword free from the one he held. Zack raised the sword he had and waited for the attack.
Again they stood looking at each other - Zack patient and Cloud angry and confused.
"Who are you?"
"That question again!" exclaimed Zack. "I am Zackary a.k.a Zack Fair. Why do you keep asking me?"
"Liar," yelled Cloud and attacked again.
Zack and Cloud had spared in the past and now with a weapon in hand Zack fought like before. Teased Cloud like before. He had hoped it would convince Cloud that he was who he said he was but it upset him further. His attacks were wild and easy to read. He disarmed Cloud again only to have him replace the sword.
"Damn, how many do you have?" asked Zack.
"Shut up," yelled Cloud and lunged.
Zack ducked under the wild attack and brought the flat of his sword down on Cloud's on hand causing him to lose his grip. The heavy weapon landed with a thud and in the moment's distraction, Zack brought his foot up and planted it in Cloud's chest. The kick sent him flying. He landed heavily and skidded to a stop against a pew. Zack stood ready for Cloud to get up and attack again but he didn't, he made no effort to get up at all. He just lay where he had landed staring at nothing.
"Cloud?"
Zack regretted kicking him, he hadn't wanted to but at the same time he needed to end the mindless attack. He took a few tentative steps forward but Cloud made no movement. Encouraged, Zack crossed over to where Cloud lay and crouched down a little way from him.
"You okay?" he asked. "Sorry about the kick but I don't want to fight with you."
Cloud said nothing, did nothing.
"Why are you so angry – what have I done to you?"
In the silence that followed, Zack noticed something that he should have spotted sooner. Cloud was crying. Silent tears spilled from his unfocused eyes and fell to the church floor. Zack crept closer and touched Cloud's shoulder. He didn't flinch as Zack had been expecting. Instead he blinked a few times and turned his head to look at Zack.
"I don't understand," he said quietly.
"I broke out, I told you," said Zack with a small smile.
"But you are dead."
Zack frowned at the statement.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"You died," said Cloud. "Long ago…"
"I'm not dead," said Zack feeling more than a little disturbed.
Cloud's gaze fell to the floor again.
"Hey," yelled Zack. He grabbed Cloud by the front of his top and hauled him into a sitting position. "I'm right here, I was in a lab and now I'm free. And breathing."
"I see you," muttered Cloud. "But I saw you die. On the hill overlooking Midgar."
Zack let go of Cloud and sat back.
"Why are you saying that?" he asked in a small voice.
"You gave me your Buster Sword, your blood was on my face, the rain was washing everything away…"
Zack sat staring at Cloud. Cloud sat staring at Zack.
"But I'm right here," insisted Zack.
"I know," said Cloud.
"I don't understand," said Zack.
"Nor do I," said Cloud.
A word hovered between the two men but neither wanted to say it – clone. Zack was the first to look away, desperate to focus on something he could understand. Something that made sense, something he knew.
"I used to meet a girl here," said Zack with a soft smile. "She grew those flowers," he added pointing to the flowers that grew around the pool of water. "That water wasn't here before."
There was quiet again.
"I wonder where she is… Her name is Aerith," continued Zack. "You'll like her."
"I did," murmured Cloud.
"You met Aerith? Do you know where she is?" Zack stopped. "Did?"
Cloud refused to look at him.
"What happened to Aerith?" asked Zack more forcefully.
"Sephiroth killed her."
Zack frowned.
"Sephiroth – I thought he died," said Zack.
"No, he fell into the Lifestream. Somehow he managed to survive and return," said Cloud.
Zack could see the truth in Cloud's eyes but there was something else as well. He wasn't telling Zack everything. Zack thought about calling him on it but decided against it. Cloud obviously had a reason for not telling him and Zack guessed it had something to do with Cloud not trusting him. His train of thought lead him back to Cloud's words. I saw you die. He glanced at Cloud, he was staring at some spot on the floor, brow drawn together. He looked up, saw Zack looking at him and looked away.
"You… need a place to stay?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, that would be great," said Zack with a grin.
Cloud didn't return the smile. He got up and started gathering his swords together.
"That's quite a sword," said Zack trying to lighten the mood.
Cloud just nodded.
If ever there was a time for quiet and restraint, now was the time Zack decided. He followed Cloud out the church toward a rather impressive bike. He couldn't help a low whistle that escaped his lips. Cloud stopped, he turned his head and appeared to want to say something but shook his head instead.
The ride back was slow. Zack suspected Cloud was delaying on purpose but it gave him time to look around. He wished it didn't. Everywhere he looked he saw what Midgar had been in his mind. He wished he had asked Cloud what had happened but he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know. What could have possibly created such destruction. He had seen Sephiroth destroy Nibelheim but Midgar was a city not some two house town on a mountain slope. Somewhere along the line ruins became homes and house. There were shops and garages with people working. The streets were busier now so they slowed down further, twisting through the streets to pull up behind a bar.
"We going for a celebratory drink?" joked Zack as he got off.
"Tifa…" Cloud paused, what was he going to tell her, "Tifa owns this place. I stay here."
"Tifa? She's still around? I'm glad," said Zack truthfully.
"She…"
"Thinks I'm dead, right?" said Zack.
Cloud nodded. He had made no move toward the door, it was obvious to Zack that Cloud was struggling with something more than him not being dead. Something had happened to his timid but cheerful friend. The man in front of him looked like someone who had stepped back into a nightmare they thought gone.
The door banging open brought both men back to the present as two children came running out.
"Cloud!" yelled the girl excitedly. "I beat Denzel!"
"Only by a little," said the boy Zack assumed to be Denzel. "And only once."
They both stopped when they saw Zack, the girl openly curious while Denzel was a little more guarded.
"This is… Zack," said Cloud motioning to the man. "And this is Marlene and Denzel."
Zack noticed the hesitation to say his name but ignored it, he was more curious as to where these children came from. They were obviously not Cloud's but there was a familiarity about their behaviour toward him.
"Hey, guys," he grinned. "What you up to that this fine young lady beat you at, if only by a little."
Marlene giggled.
"A game," said Denzel.
"Yeah," smiled Marlene. "Cloud taught it to us."
"Really!" exclaimed Zack in mock tones of shock. "Mr Serious knows how to play a game?"
Marlene burst out laughing and Denzel chuckled at bit but more at Cloud's horrified expression.
"You're funny," said Marlene.
Zack laughed with her.
"At least someone appreciates me," he said but immediately regretted it as a shadow passed over Cloud's face.
"Where are you from?" asked Marlene.
Denzel, Zack noticed, had picked up on Cloud's mood and was looking at him askance.
"I am from a really small town called Gongaga," said Zack.
"I know where that is," said Marlene. "I have a map in my room, Cloud gave it to me so I know where he is when he does his deliveries."
"Ah, so you must know where all sorts of places are?" said Zack. "If I ever get lost…" Zack stopped speaking. Get lost? He was so lost right now. He cleared his throat.
"Anyway," he said but stopped again when he caught sight of Tifa in the doorway. She had heard Zack's voice and gone to investigate because Zack was dead. But there he stood chatting with Marlene. A quick glance at Cloud told her she was not seeing things, that she was seeing as a dead man standing before.